Beef from Japan is graded on a scale that measures yield, as well as the quality of the meat. The first letter (either A, B, or C) is the yield, which indicates how much meat can be used from the carcass. To get an A grade, the yield has to be higher than 72%. The number following the letter (1-5) is assigned based on the marbling, color of the meat, the texture of the meat, and the color of the fat. The higher the number, the higher the grade, and the overall score is based on the lowest score. So, for example, if a cut of beef got a score of 5 for marbling, meat color, and texture, but only got a 4 for fat color, the overall score would be 4. Based on this system, the highest grade is A5, while the lowest is C1.