Technology has revolutionised how food can be produced and consumed.

Global migration has spread culture and tastes across the world.

The information era has produced an explosion of knowledge regarding the food we may want, it's availability, nutritional value, environmental impact, and pretty much anything else we might like to know.

It is hard to think of a sector that has been more affected by this knowledge boon than the meat industry.

A generation or two ago most consumers of meat would know whether they're buying beef, lamb, pork or chicken.

They'd know what cut they were choosing, how much it cost, and that would be about it.

Aside from quality and price, a significant number of today's meat shoppers are more concerned about how their meat was raised, where it originated and its impact on their well-being.

Provenance, nutritional information and animal welfare concerns are more important to people now than ever.

When it comes to quality, one word signifies the best of beef: wagyu.

Wagyu is a specific breed of cattle which literally means "Japanese cow" that has spread across the globe due to its superior eating qualities.

Significantly different to the traditional European breeds of cattle that have been bred in Australia for more than 100 years, they are medium-sized, hardy cattle with a great temperament and unique meat quality attributes.

Although the Japanese Government declared wagyu a national treasure in 1997 and banned exports of the cattle to other countries some embryos and live cattle had already been exported to the US, from where Australia sourced their first wagyu genetics in the early 1990s.

Since then, Australian producers have now grown their cattle numbers to the extent that Australia produces more wagyu cattle outside of Japan than anyone else.

Jane and Mark Holman raise wagyu beef on 2500 acres at Dargo Farm, situated halfway between Bathurst and Orange.

While most of their beef is destined for the export market or high-end Australian restaurants, they have seen a growing demand from local consumers with a taste for great quality meat.

The magic of wagyu beef lies in its uniquely high levels of intramuscular fat, or marbling.

Most beef has a fat cap on the outside (extramuscular) or fat that sits between muscles (intermuscular) but the highly sought after marbling that is bespeckled throughout the meat is what sets wagyu apart.

This latticework of fat not only provides a big boost in flavour but it keeps the meat tender and moist throughout the cooking process.

With a lower melting point than the human body temperature, pure wagyu will literally melt in your mouth.

At Dargo the philosophy is to produce the highest quality product from wagyu bulls with the best marbling genetics, well bred Angus females and by using the highest standard of animal welfare.

Low stress stock handling techniques are employed to produce happy contented animals which are fed in a rotational grazing system, on a mixture of introduced and native pastures.

As well as providing the cattle with a constant supply of fresh, healthy pastures, it rests the land for longer between grazing periods to restore the natural ecological balance.

Not only is wagyu mouth-wateringly delicious, it has proven to be good for you as it comes packed with a higher concentration of monounsaturated fats than other beef, that can help lower cholesterol.

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