Description
Kobe Beef
Often envied, jealous, but never equaled, Kobe beef has a unique meat of its kind. It is sometimes confused with Wagyu beef and this is wrong, because Wagyu contains several breeds of beef, including that of Kobe. Even in terms of price, Kobe beef is the most expensive beef. There are very strict certification requirements to determine which meat qualifies for the ultimate title of “Kobe beef”. First, the animal carcass must meet the following essential criteria:
- Tajima-gyu breed only
- BMS (Beef Marbling Standard – marbling index) of 6 or more
- Proportion of edible parts (yield score) A or B
- Gross carcass weight of 470 kg or less
- Meat texture and firmness
If all these criteria are validated following the meticulous and uncompromising inspection of the approved breeder, the carcass will be marked with the stamp of the Kobe flower, the Japanese chrysanthemum, in four places. In addition, a “Certificate of Authenticity of Kobe Beef” will be issued for each carcass. Thus, Tajima cattle and then Kobe cattle have their own definitions, which are reputed to be the strictest in Japan, and in the world.
The history of Kobe beef:
When Japan opened up to the world in 1868 during the Meiji period, the port of Kobe was the first point of entry for immigrants. Unlike the Japanese who ate little or no red meat, an Englishman looking for beef got farmers to give him beef that they usually used for farm work. It was Tajima beef, and it was the first time Tajima beef (Tajima-gyu – 田島圭) was eaten. And its unique flavor marked this English man, because little by little, more and more foreigners wanted to eat this meat which entered the minds as Kobe beef. Thus, certain habits began to change. From that date, the port city of Kobe welcomed many foreigners.
As soon as the city of Kobe opened up to foreigners, Hirofumi Ito was appointed governor of Hyogo prefecture (the one on which Kobe depends) for his open-mindedness towards foreigners, since he had studied in England. He too would have savored the Tajima beef and would have appreciated its unique flavors, which certainly helped to develop the latter’s fame. Since then, this meat has come a long way and has become a world famous meat, popular with almost everyone, so much so that many people want to taste it during a trip to Japan.
