牛肉是重要的畜牧业产品之一，了解不同品种牛的肉质特性，对于合理地开发利用我国的肉牛资源以及保障牛肉品质有重要的参考作用。文中总结了我国三大类型肉用牛(包括牦牛、水牛以及黄牛)肉的食用品质(嫩度、肉色、保水性等)、营养品质(蛋白质、脂肪、水分)、肌纤维特性的研究现状。发现相对比于水牛和牦牛，黄牛肉较嫩，肉色较好，深受人们喜欢；牦牛肉蛋白质含量较高，脂肪含量低，也符合人们对肉质的要求。

Beef is one of the most important products in animal husbandry. It is important to understand the general situation of the quality characteristics of different varieties of beef, which can provide a useful guideline for the reasonable exploitation of cattle and quality assurance of beef. The research of sensory quality(tenderness, meat color, water holding capacity etc.), nutritional quality(protein, fat, moisture) and muscle fiber characteristics of yak, buffalo and yellow beef were summarized. Compared with yak and buffalo, consumers prefer yellow beef due to its tenderness and better color. The meat of yak is more beneficial to health due to its higher protein and lower fat content.