Kobe beef is now available in Australia.
World-famous for its rare quality, production, and flavor, Aussies can enjoy the best of Japanese beef right here in Sydney. In February 2019, Osawa Enterprises proudly became the first Australian wholesaler to supply it.
But there are many imitations out there pretending to be Kobe beef. You may have seen Kobe advertised – but how do you know you are eating the real thing?
In this article, we will discuss what Kobe beef is, the texture and the difference between Kobe and Australian wagyu.
What is Kobe beef?
Kobe beef is produced from the highly-prized Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle, raised in Japan’s Hyōgo Prefecture.
Only 3000 cattle qualify as authentic Kobe cattle each year.
If restaurants decide to supply Kobe, it must purchase a bronze Kobe beef statue to show they supply the authentic product.
The prized meat is considered the world’s most sought-after beef due to its:
- Strict regulations
- Care by breeders
- Feeding
- Selection, and
- Marbling
Kobe beef is the world’s best-known (beef) brand.
It is such an exclusive product because of its genetic lines, protection, and the fact that it is produced in such a small region. The meat’s flavour is more intense and has a finer texture than Australian Wagyu.
The taste test
Highly marbled, a piece of Kobe beef is the closest thing to meat heaven.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Most Aussies would never have tried it before and for a meat lover, it is truly something to savour. Now you have choices you can either fly to Kobe in Japan to try it, pay top dollar for it in select Australian restaurants or order from us and cook it in the comfort of your own home.
Australian v Kobe beef?
According to Ben Blackmore, who runs Blackmore wagyu farm, the difference between Australian wagyu and Kobe is more to do with climate than farming methods.
“It is extremely difficult to compare Australian and Japanese wagyu directly due to the many different ways wagyu can be produced, every farmer has different methods and production processes. It would be much easier to compare farmers rather than entire countries’ methods.”
A5 Kobe
The Japanese grading system has a marble score grade from 1 to 12. However, they also look at many other characteristics of the carcasses, and have an overall grade where A5 is the highest grade (you only need marble score 8+ to qualify for A5).
When a carcass is graded, the grade is decided at one point in the animal and the whole animal is considered this grade.
So, if you are ordering A5, you are getting the Rolls-Royce model.
What are the types of Kobe cuts/slices available?
Kobe beef can come in many different slices or cuts of meat.
Cube roll is the leanest, highest quality, and starts at $620 per kilo. Depending on your preference, you can also try striploin, chuck roll, tri-tip, beef slice, Karubi slice, topside, chuck roll and more.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Wagyu beef and one of its most famous variations.
