Hanwoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hanwoo

Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk
Other names	Hanu Korean Brown Korean Native
Country of origin	Korea
Use	formerly draught, now meat
Traits
Weight	Male: 466 kg Female: 355 kg
Height	Male: 124 cm Female: 117 cm
Coat	brown
Horn status	horned in both sexes
Notes
taurus
Cattle Bos primigenius

The Hanwoo (Korean: 한우), also Hanu or Korean Native, is a breed of small cattle native to Korea. It was formerly used as a draught animal, but this use has almost disappeared. It is now raised mainly for meat. It is one of four indigenous Korean breeds, the others being the Chikso, the Heugu 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 1 240 000; in 2014, it was reported as 2 670 000.

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 Nellore and Zwergzebu [de]. 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 400 L 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". 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".

Gallery

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  Cow ploughing the fields

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  Extremely marbled hanu beef (한우소고기)

See also

In Spanish: Hanu para niños