Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg revealed what he feeds the cows on his secret farm, delving into a hundreds-year-old debate.
Zuckerberg wrote on Instagram that he nourishes his Wagyu and Angus cattle with a diet of ground macadamias and beer, following traditional Japanese cattle-raising practices.
“Started raising cattle at Ko’olau Ranch on Kauai, and my goal is to create some of the highest quality beef in the world,” Zuckerberg wrote as a caption to a photo of himself with a giant steak. “The cattle are wagyu and Angus, and they’ll grow up eating macadamia meal and drinking beer that we grow and produce here on the ranch.”
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Wagyu beef comes from cows raised Japanese-style, meaning they have been fed grains and grass to become steaks with high marbling and a rich, buttery flavor, according to Chicago Steak Company. It is a common belief that beer is used to stimulate the animal’s appetite, according to Food Diversity.
Some farmers insist feeding cows beer makes them taste better. However, other farmers believe that is a myth, according to Food Diversity. Yoshinori Nakanishi, a Kobe cattle farmer of 40 years, say he and many other farmers would never “ever dream of giving cows beer.” (RELATED: Mark Zuckerberg Is Reportedly Building $100 Million Survivalist Estate In Hawaii. What Does He Know That We Don’t?)
Zuckerberg expressed his affinity for smoked meat in video captured from a Facebook livestream in 2016 where he smoked a brisket and some ribs with two other men. He referred to himself as “the meat chef,” stating that smoked meat tastes “better when you’ve hunted the animal yourself.”
Zuckerberg stated in 2011 that he only eats the meat he kills himself, The Guardian reported. The Facebook founder said that he “basically became a vegetarian since the only meat I’m eating is from animals I’ve killed myself,” noting that he learned “a lot about sustainable farming and raising of animals.”