How is kobe beef raised?

Kobe beef (神戸ビーフ, Kōbe bīfu) is meat from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle, raised in Japan's Hyōgo Prefecture according to rules set out by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association. The meat is a delicacy, valued for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture. read more

Kobe beef cannot be compared to French fries. French fries are thinly-cut potatoes fried in oil. There is nothing inherent in the recipe that requires location-specific ingredients. Kobe beef is all about where it comes from and being raised in specific conditions in a specific place. That place happens to be Hyōgo Prefecture. read more

Domestically raised Wagyu were crossbred with Angus cattle to create “Kobe-style” beef. Just as sparkling wine cannot be called Champagne unless it hails from the Champagne province in France, beef cannot be called Kobe unless it is imported from the environs of Kobe, Japan. read more

Kobe beef must come from Tajima-gyu cattle that were born, raised and slaughtered in Hyogo Prefecture and have only been fed from grains and grasses from within the Prefecture, and hence any beef produced in the United States, whether from Tajima-gyu cattle or not, cannot be Kobe. read more