Kobe beef
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Kobe beef
Kobe beef

Kobe beef (神戸ビーフ Kōbe Bīfu?) refers to beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle, raised according to strict tradition in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Kobe beef is renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty well-marbled texture. Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, teppanyaki, ground hamburger patties and more.

Kobe beef is also called "Kobe-niku" (神戸肉? lit. Kobe meat), "Kobe-gyū" (神戸牛? lit Kobe cow) or "Kobe-ushi" (神戸牛? lit Kobe cow) in Japanese. [1].

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Original kobe beef

Kobe beef in Japan is registered trademark by Kobe beef distribution promotion conference.[2] It must fulfil all the conditions as follows:[3]

  • Tajima cattle born in Hyōgo Prefecture
  • Fed by farm in Hyōgo Prefecture
  • Bullock or Virgin cow
  • Processed at slaughterhouse in Kobe, Nishinomiya, Sanda, Kakogawa and Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture.
  • Marbling ratio called BMS[4] is level 6 and above.
  • Meat Quality Score[4] is A or B
  • Gross weight of beef is 470 kilogramme or below.

Contrary to popular belief, the cattle are not fed sake nor beer, however they are massaged and brushed for setting fur and fed on grain fodder. [5][6] A Kobe beef distribution promotion conference plans to make a pamphlet in foreign languages detailing Kobe beef due to the ambiguation of what actually constitutes Kobe beef, and the fact many tourists who visit Japan get unfactual information.[7]


"Kobe-style" beef

Main article: Wagyu

The massive increase in popularity of Kobe beef in the United States has led to the creation of "Kobe-style" beef, taken from domestically-raised Wagyu crossbred with Angus cattle, in order to meet the demand. Farms in America and Britain have attempted to replicate the Kobe traditions, providing their Wagyu herds beer and daily massages.[8] U.S meat producers claim that any differences between their less expensive "Kobe-style" beef and true Kobe beef are largely cosmetic.[9] This has been brought into question, however, because the cattle are fed American and/or British grass and grain, which is different from the more expensive Japanese feed.[10]

After all beef imports into the USA from Japan were banned on September 10, 2001, due to the discovery of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease (MCD),[11] many retailers began to heavily market the U.S. raised beef as "Kobe-style". The ban on the import of Wagyu beef to the United States ended on December 12, 2005.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "About revised rule of Tajima cattle born in Hyōgo, Kobe niku and Kobe beef" (in Japanese). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  2. ^ "registered trademark for Kobe beef, Kobe niku, Kobe gyū, Tajima beef and Tajima gyū" (in Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-07-21.
  3. ^ "About Kobe beef" (in Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-07-16.
  4. ^ a b "Japanese Meat Grading" (in English). Retrieved on 2008-07-16.
  5. ^ Mail magazine entitled Kobe Merumaga Club June 2 2002 issue by Kobe City Office
  6. ^ News Week Japanese edition September 19 2007 issue
  7. ^ Yomiuri Shimbun (2008-07-19). "Kobe beef - Correct infomation for foreign countries" (in Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  8. ^ ""Cattle on 40 pints a day of beer"" (in English). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  9. ^ ""American Kobe-style beef replaces the real thing"" (in English). Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
  10. ^ TED Case Study: Kobe Beef By Meghan Staley, December 16, 2004
  11. ^ APHIS:The Importation of Boneless Beef from Japan
  12. ^ US Embassy, Japan: Agriculture Secretary on Beef Trade Resumption

External links

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