Kobe Beef
Kobe Beef cattle is a type of Tajima Beef cattle bred exclusively from Hyogo Prefecture-owned cattle sires over successive generations, among Kuroge Wagyu (Japanese Black) breeds.
“Kobe Beef cattle” and “Tajima Beef cattle” are the only beef cattle whose names are protected as intellectual property, with these names specifying their quality and other attributes that link to the cattle’s place of origin. To promote the interests of producers and gain the trust of consumers, these two breeds have received national certifications. Kobe Beef has a solid tradition and history, and it has passed the world’s most rigorous inspection, making it outstanding in quality even among the best beef. Please try it for yourself. You’ll be amazed!
- Tajima Beef cattle: Kobe Beef must be produced from Tajima Beef cattle that have been strictly managed from generation to generation.
- Heifers or castrated: Female cattle must have never given birth, and male cattle must have had their testicles removed.
- Certified producers: It must be produced by only certified producers.
- Yield score A / B: The yield score must be A, B, or higher.
- Meat quality score 4 or higher: It must meet evaluation criteria such as marbling, color, fineness of muscle fibers, and fat quality.
- B.M.S. No. 6 or higher: The B.M.S. grade must be No. 6 to No. 12.
Kuroge Wagyu
Kuroge Wagyu is a breed of cattle called “Japanese Black.” Ninety percent of all Wagyu cattle raised in Japan are Japanese Black, and there are roughly 1.6 million of them in the country. It is a Wagyu breed that truly represents Japan.
Only cattle that passes the carefully selected screening from among these can be Kobe Beef cattle.
Wagyu is defined as cattle under these four varieties: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn, and Japanese Polled.
Kuroge Wagyu is the Japanese Black breed among these four varieties.
Apart from Kuroge Wagyu, there are three other Wagyu varieties: Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn, and Japanese Polled.
In other words, Kuroge Wagyu is always the Japanese Black breed. Wagyu can be Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn, or Japanese Polled.
Japanese Black
Japanese Black, also called Kuroge Wagyu, is the most well-known among Wagyu beef.
As a matter of fact, most of the cattle referred to as Wagyu are Japanese Black.
This breed accounts for more than 90% of the total of the four varieties of Wagyu.
Kuroge Wagyu has the following characteristics:
- Marbling that just has the right amount of fat
- High price range, highest grade
- Mostly the marbling quality of A4 and A5
The image below shows what Japanese Black cattle looks like.
