It is the first warm day of spring and the smell of a good ribeye steak on the barbecue wafts in from an open window. That familiar scent might make your mouth water, but what truly defines the best-tasting beef? Is it the breed—Angus, Hereford, or Charolais? The feeding system—grass-fed, grain-fed, or grain-finished? Or does it all come down to cooking technique?
Dr. Nuria Prieto, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has been working on a project to identify the “flavour fingerprint” of Canadian beef in order to uncover answers to these questions. To accomplish this, a team of technicians have been trained to evaluate the flavour of beef with an experiment designed to ensure similar conditions for each cooking method and cut of beef.
The aim behind this research is to obtain an objective standard that can support branding, quality control and global recognition of Canadian beef, says Prieto. “A verified and consistent flavour builds trust with consumers, especially in export markets where Canadian beef is known for quality.”
Prieto says that everything from feed type, to genetics, to the region that the cattle are raised in affects the flavour of beef. Consumer preferences also differ depending on region, culture and even the generation that a person is born into.
“This information gives Canadian beef a competitive edge in flavour performance when cooked properly… setting Canadian beef apart from generic options by showcasing the lab tested results,” explains Prieto.
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