Hanwoo Explained

Hanwoo
Image Alt:head of a pale-coloured cow
Status:FAO (2007): not at risk
Country:Korea
Use:meat
Maleweight:466 kg
Femaleweight:355 kg
Maleheight:124 cm
Femaleheight:117 cm
Coat:brown
Horn:horned in both sexes
Note:Bos taurus
Hangul:한우
Hanja:韓牛
Rr:Hanu
Mr:Hanu

The Hanwoo (Korean: 한우), also Hanu or Korean Native, is a breed of small cattle native to Korea. It was formerly used as a working animal, but is now raised mainly for meat. It is one of four indigenous Korean breeds, the others being the, the and the Jeju Black.

History

The Hanwoo was traditionally a working animal breed. Until the expansion of the South Korean economy in the 1960s, it was little used for beef production. A herd book was established in 1968. Hanwoo beef has since become a premium product.

The Hanwoo was listed by the FAO as "not at risk" in 2007. In 2003, the total population was reported to be about ; in 2014, it was reported as .

In 2001, the Hanwoo was suggested to be a hybrid between taurine and indicine cattle. A mitochondrial DNA study in 2010 found it to be closely related to two taurine breeds, the Holstein and the Japanese Black, and distinctly different from the indicine Nelore and . In 2014, single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis found Korean cattle to form a distinct group with the Yanbian breed of China, separate from European taurine breeds and distant from the indicine group.

Characteristics

The Hanwoo is a small breed. The coat is brown; both sexes are horned. Cows have good maternal qualities, but milk production is low, little more than in a lactation of 170 days. The cattle are fed rice straw as their principal source of roughage.A rare white variant of the Hanwoo has been bred since 2009; in 2014 there were 14 head. It is reported to DAD-IS as a separate breed.

Use

Despite its high price, Hanwoo beef is preferred in Korean cuisine, as it is typically fresher and of better quality than cheaper imported substitutes. Kim et al. (2001) noted, "Hanwoo is regarded as a premium beef because of its high palatability and desired chewiness".[1] Since Koreans consider Hanwoo beef a cultural icon and one of the top-quality beefs of the world, it is used in traditional foods, popular holiday dishes, or as a special-day gift. Hoengseong County is best known for its Hanwoo cattle, where the environment is well-suited for cattle farming. The county began a strategic marketing campaign to brand itself as the origin of the highest quality beef in Korea; selling meat as a "premium product".[2] [3]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Early postmortem processing conditions on meat quality of Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle) beef during storage. B.C. Kim . M.S. Rhee . Y.C. Ryu . J.Y. Imm . K.C. Koh . Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences. 14 . 12 . December 2001. 1763–1768. 10.5713/ajas.2001.1763. free.
  2. Web site: Fall colors and fine food await in rural county. 2015-10-03. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2016-06-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20160804041223/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3009853. 2016-08-04.
  3. Web site: Hanwoo Beef Goes Premium. 2008-08-13. 2016-06-27. The Korea Times.