Anatomy and naming

The korean carcass

Korean beef culture centers on Hanwoo, the indigenous breed prized for its high marbling capacity and sweet flavor. Cut names focus on the muscle's eating quality and traditional Korean preparation method (galbi for short ribs, deungsim for ribeye, anchangsal for skirt) as much as on anatomical position. The Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation (KAPE) grades Hanwoo on a 1++ to 3 scale, with 1++ representing the densest marbling.

Many Korean cut names appear on Korean BBQ menus worldwide. The cuts below mirror the KAPE standard as applied in Korean retail butchery. Japanese-influenced names appear in some regions; Korean-language romanizations are the canonical reference.

Read the KAPE grading guide

Hover a primal below to highlight it on the chart

Grading · Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation

KAPE Korean Beef Grading

KAPE grading is the South Korean beef quality standard administered by the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation. Beef is assigned a Quality Grade (1++, 1+, 1, 2, or 3, with 1++ the highest) based primarily on marbling density at the ribeye, plus a Yield Grade (A, B, or C) describing carcass yield. The Quality Grade is the dominant signal for retail and is what consumers look for on Hanwoo packaging.

1++

~17%+ IMF

Highest quality grade. Dense, evenly-distributed marbling. Most premium Hanwoo sold in Korea.

1+

~13 to 17% IMF

Excellent marbling. Comparable to USDA Prime. Common in premium retail.

1

~7 to 13% IMF

Good marbling. Comparable to USDA Choice upper.

2

~4 to 7% IMF

Moderate marbling. Standard retail.

3

under 4% IMF

Limited marbling. Often used in stews and marinated dishes.

Visual factors

What graders evaluate

Marbling, primary driver, judged against KAPE reference imagery

Lean color, bright red preferred

Lean texture, fine-grained preferred

Fat color and texture, white, firm fat preferred

Maturity, assessed from skeletal indicators

From a photo

How MeatGrader applies KAPE Korean Beef Grading

MeatGrader applies the same five visual factors KAPE graders use, calibrated to Korean reference imagery rather than USDA. The model returns the inferred Korean Quality Grade (1++, 1+, 1, 2, 3) and a per-factor breakdown. Yield Grade (A, B, C) is not estimated from a retail-cut photo because it requires whole-carcass measurements.

Read the universal four-factor framework

Cuts by primal