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When it comes to meat, especially beef, people are basically concerned of two things: flavour and tenderness. And that is why the Kobe beef is becoming more and more popular everyday. Coming from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle in Hyogo Prefecture Japan, the Kobe beef is considered as one of the country's delicacy; preferred by many for its tenderness, tastiness, and a texture that's like no other cut of beef. It is also referred to as Wagyu beef, Kobe-niku (Kobe meat), Kobe ushi (Kobe cow), and Kobe gyu.
But Wagyu beef did not just come to be. They are raised in such a way that farmers are able to assure that they produce high quality meat. The Wagyu cattle are fed with grain fodder and one beer a day. Their backsides are also massaged with warm sake daily and their fur is constantly brushed. The farmers believe massage and brushing will soften the cattle's tissue and therefore increase the tenderness of the meat that is to be produced. The Wagyu cattle are also slaughtered in a very humane manner where none of them suffer pain through the process.
As the Wagyu cattle are well cared for, the Kobe beef produced has such highly marbled texture that the fat is almost as prominent as the lean meat. And the fat is known to be unsaturated and good for sporadic indulgence. And if taken moderately, it will help lower bad cholesterol and help fight heart disease.
Kobe beef is only considered as original if it comes from Tajima cattle born in Hyogo Prefecture. It should also have experienced farm feeding in Hyogo Prefecture and should also come from a castrated cow. If so, then it's assured that this Kobe beef is purified. Genuine Wagyu beef should also have been slaughtered in Kobe, Sanda, Himeji, Kakogawa, or Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture. Another way to determine authentic Wagyu beef is to find out if it has a Meat Qualtiy Score of at least 4, and a Marbling ratio of at least level 6 or higher. The expected gross weight from each animal (cow) is 470 kg or less.
Kobe style beef is also produced in the United States and in Great Britain. Wagyu raised cattle are cross bred with Angus cattle and are feed with American or British grass and grain. They are also fed with beer and massaged with warm sake. Cuts of the Kobe style beef, unlike the original, comes in darker cuts and bolder flavours. The feed is less expensive than Japanese feed. Kobe style beef is only proliferated because of the growing demands of the very luxurious and sought after kind. Some still prefer the original one and believe that if it's not authentic, then it's not Kobe.
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For more information on Wagyu beef , visit the Kobe Beef online store.
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