Kobe Beef in America - is it real?

[Baron]

Like many of you hounds, I am a steak lover. This is despite my high cholesterol. I rarely order it out since I pride myself in finding and grilling a top quality cut of beef. And I eat less of it and read about it a lot. I came across a magazine article that said that Kobe beef can only be sold in Japan by law. Any American source which advertises Kobe beef, or serves beef represented to be Kobe is giving you something else...but not the real "Kobe Beef." Read this, Kobe lovers and tell us what you think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef

[scoopG]

Yes and no. Sort of like Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine. The name Kobe exclusively describes the Wagyu cattle raised in the Kobe region of Japan for more than 1800 years. Wagyu cattle raised outside of Kobe must go by the description of Wagyu or Kobe-style beef.

[Silverjay]

It's just a geographic marketing term. There are other premium, more highly revered brands of beef in Japan from other parts of the country vs. Kobe. But, perhaps because it is easy to pronounce or because of superior marketing, Kobe seems to have stuck in the minds of westerners...I've eaten ultra premium A5 Matsuzaka, Hida and Kobe beef and you can barely put down more than a few ounces at a time because it is so incredibly unctuous and rich.

[Larry]

Is there any info as to when Japanese beef will again be available in the United States? Before Japan's foot-and-mouth troubles, I had tried some excellent versions (Omi is one that comes to mind). The Australian, New Zealand, and U.S. competitors haven't been nearly as tasty.

[CookieLee]

Short answer to your question: no. Here's the article I read recently:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolms...

[BrettLove]

Interesting. I wish there wasn't such a Kobe marketing maelstrom, since the "Kobe" I have tried was indeed fantastic steak. But, like I said, so was the Creekstone Farms, and so was wherever Smith & Wollensky gets theirs from. So, until someone can totally debunk & blow the lid off this "Kobe scam", I guess I'll stick to the (relatively) less expensive, "pedigreed", prime beef when I'm splurging. Fact is, I can't afford or even really rationalize spending 5x as much when restaurants call it Kobe, but hopefully "the truth" will force vendors to call their best, most marbled beef what it really is, and bring the price down a bit from it's current caviar/truffle/novelty prices. Thanks for the interesting material!

[BrettLove]

I was under the impression that much (if not all) of our "Kobe" beef comes from the US & Australia, but that it is indeed from the same breed of cow. I also have wondered about this topic and tend to not order the "Kobe" beef in a restaurant, thinking that it is a bit of a "knockoff" on some level. The "Kobe" I have tried was indeed fantastic, but so is a prime Creekstone Farms sirloin, etc., and probably costs a third of the price. As I've done little to no research on the topic, I'll be very interested in the responses to your post.

[BrettLove]

Would you consider posting this in a broader, more national, "general" category as well (or instead)? Regardless, you've inspired me to look further into a subject I've generally blown off once I'm full.

[Samalicious]

Interesting article in Forbes recently on the subject. The author's summary:

Under Japanese law, Kobe beef is a very specific product made in one place, from one breed of cattle, under many very strict rules ... Kobe beef and related terms and practices are protected in Japan by both trademarks and patents. These facts are contrary to what several readers, especially those representing U.S. breeders, have tried to paint Kobe as: a generic term referring to a “style” of Japanese beef. This is simply not true. Kobe beef is akin to real champagne. There are other excellent sparkling wines in France, but they are not champagnes, and there is other excellent beef in Japan, but it is not Kobe beef.

Link to entire article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolms...