Fukutsuru
Encyclopedia
Fukutsuru or Fukutsuru 068 was a Wagyū
bull shipped from Japan
to Snake River Farms of Boise, Idaho
in the United States
in the early 1990s. Fukutsuru fathered countless cattle
and helped grow today's U.S. Kobe beef
industry. Fukutsuru died in 2005, but his frozen sperm
lived on for people’s benefit; more than 100,000 "units" of which were collected for long-term breeding purposes prior to his death.
Wagyu
refers to several breeds of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The meat from wagyu cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness...
bull shipped from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to Snake River Farms of Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early 1990s. Fukutsuru fathered countless cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and helped grow today's U.S. Kobe beef
Kobe beef
refers to cuts of beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyū cattle, raised according to strict tradition in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The meat is generally considered to be a delicacy, renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture. Kobe beef can be prepared as steak,...
industry. Fukutsuru died in 2005, but his frozen sperm
Spermatozoon
A spermatozoon is a motile sperm cell, or moving form of the haploid cell that is the male gamete. A spermatozoon joins an ovum to form a zygote...
lived on for people’s benefit; more than 100,000 "units" of which were collected for long-term breeding purposes prior to his death.