Kobe beef is a very particular variety of Wagyu (Japanese Cattle) called Tajima-Gyu that is raised to strict standards in the prefecture of Hyogo. The beef is named Kobe beef because Hyogo?s capital city is Kobe. Breeders take extraordinary care when raising Wagyu cattle. Special feeds are created out of forage, grasses, and rice straw, then supplemented with corn, barley, soybean, wheat bran, and in some cases, even beer or sake. As a result of these breeding methods combined with longer periods for fattening, Wagyu cattle have an unparalleled level of marbling. The fat also melts at a lower temperature than any other cattle?s, resulting in a rich, buttery flavor unseen in other strains of beef.
Kobe beef is considered the most abundantly marbled in the world, brimming with the creamiest, most decadent, most flavorful streaks of fat a steak can have. Because of this and the uncompromising regulations the region uses for its cattle, Kobe beef is the most expensive beef in the world. With only 3,000 head of cattle qualifing as authentic Kobe cattle each year, the supply of Kobe beef is low and the price is high.
