What makes Kobe, Kobe?

Kobe Beef comes from the Tajima-gyu breed of cattle found in Japan’s Hyōgo Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital.  that is the start of the journey.  There is a long line of items that have to be complete and true Kobe Beef, start with the lineage, it has to be pure Tajima-gyu, born and raised in Hyōgo Prefecture.  And on it go’s from a tracking number to the weight of the beast.  It is all recorded.

Most restaurants out side of Hyōgo probably are not the real thing, just a higher price tag.  It is fun to learn about foods from other cultures.

The first exports of this treasured beef didn’t happen until 2012, so everyone that thought they were getting the real thing were getting beef that were close to the famed Kobe Beef.  You can get beef from Wagyu crossbred with Angus cattle, but it is not the real thing.