Kobe beef

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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. These practices may include a diet of saké and beer, and daily massages to relieve muscle stiffness, presumably resulting in tender meat.

Kobe beef is also called "Kobe-niku" (神戸肉, "Kobe-niku"^? lit. Kobe meat), "Kobe-gyū" (神戸牛, "Kobe-gyū"^? lit Kobe cow) or "Kobe-ushi" (神戸牛, "Kobe-ushi"^? lit Kobe cow) in Japanese. ^[1] Wagyu ("Japanese Cattle") are renowned for flavour, tenderness, and fatty well-marbled texture, qualities enhanced by the traditional (and well guarded) methods of raising Kobe beef.

Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, teppanyaki, ground hamburger patties and more. Due to the special feeding and growth regime, the prices are much higher than those of normal beef variants.^{[citation needed]}

1 "Kobe-style" beef
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] "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.^[2] U.S meat producers claim that any differences between their less expensive "Kobe-style" beef and true Kobe beef are largely cosmetic.^[3]

After all beef imports from Japan were banned on September 10, 2001, due to the discovery of B.S.E.,^[4] 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.^[5]