The short answer: Kobe beef is Tajima-line Japanese Black cattle born, raised and processed in Hyogo prefecture that grade quality 4 or higher with BMS 6 or more. About 5,500 animals a year are certified. Each carries a 10-digit ID and a Kobe certificate, and the association lists every certified seller, so a real Kobe claim can always be checked.
What is Kobe beef?
Kobe beef is a regional brand of Japanese Wagyu from Hyogo prefecture. To carry the name, an animal must be a Tajima-line Japanese Black heifer or steer, born to a registered Hyogo breeding farm, raised by a registered Hyogo farmer and processed in Hyogo. The carcass then has to grade yield A or B, meat quality 4 or higher, and BMS 6 or higher, and weigh 499.9 kg or less [1][3].
It's also rare. About 7,000 Tajima cattle go to market each year, and about 5,500 of them are certified as Kobe beef [2]. For the full rules, and how Kobe compares with Matsusaka, Omi, Miyazaki and Kagoshima, see Kobe beef vs. Wagyu.
Is the Kobe beef on a US menu real?
Sometimes. Real Kobe beef reaches the US, but only through sellers the Kobe association has certified, and it publishes the list [5]. The association also publishes every exported animal by its 10-digit ID, with its destination, weight and producer [4].
The trouble is the word. "Kobe" isn't a protected trademark in the US [6], so it can be printed on beef that never left the country. "American Kobe" and "Kobe-style" usually mean American Wagyu, and most American Wagyu is crossbred with Angus (American Wagyu explains the difference).
How do you check a Kobe beef claim?
Kobe has more paperwork than any other Wagyu brand, which makes it easy to check:
- The certificate. One Kobe beef certificate is issued per carcass [3].
- The stamp. Certified carcasses carry the nojigiku, a chrysanthemum mark used only on certified Kobe beef [3].
- The 10-digit ID. Enter it at the National Livestock Breeding Center's registry to see the animal's birth, moves and slaughter [7]. If the beef was exported, it should also appear in the Kobe export registry [4].
- The seller. A US restaurant or shop selling Kobe should appear on the association's list [5].
If a seller can't produce these, it isn't Kobe beef. How to tell if Wagyu is real walks through the lookup step by step.
How does Kobe beef compare with Peak Wagyu?
Kobe tells you where an animal was raised and sets a floor for its grade. It doesn't tell you which of Hyogo's farms raised it, how they raised it, or which animal you're eating, unless you go looking. Some importers and restaurants make a point of passing that on. Most of the time it's lost somewhere between the farm and the plate, because nobody in the chain has met the farmer.
We start from the other end. Every cut we sell comes from one named cow, from one family farm we've stood in.
| Kobe beef | Peak Wagyu | |
|---|---|---|
| Breed | Japanese Black, Tajima line [1] | Japanese Black |
| Where | Any registered farm in Hyogo [1] | Takeda Farm, Asahikawa, Hokkaido |
| Age | 28 months or older [1] | Takemitsu-chan was 24 months; Ellie ships before maximum weight |
| Grade | Quality 4+, BMS 6+ [1] | A4, BMS 6 |
| The animal | 10-digit ID, if the seller passes it on | Takemitsu-chan, ID 1493019197, grading certificate published |
| How she was raised | Not part of the brand rules | Spacious barn, about half Hokkaido-grown hay, no growth hormones, every cow named |
| Who vouches for it | The Kobe association | Us. We've met the farmer and the cow |
Takemitsu-chan would clear Kobe's grade bar, but she isn't Kobe beef, and we never call her that. Her record is on her page.
Is A4 a step down from Kobe's A5?
Not for eating at home. Kobe accepts both 4 and 5, and plenty of Kobe is A5 with very high marbling. Our A4, BMS 6 has less fat per bite than a BMS 10–12 A5 and more beef flavor, so you can eat a whole steak rather than a few slices. A5 Wagyu grades explains what each number measures.
Frequently asked questions
How much Kobe beef is there?
About 7,000 Tajima cattle go to market each year, and about 5,500 of them pass the Kobe beef standard, according to the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association.
Can you buy real Kobe beef in the US?
Yes, from a small number of restaurants and retailers certified by the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association. The association lists them on its website, and it publishes every exported animal's ID and destination.
Is "American Kobe" real Kobe beef?
No. Kobe beef can only come from Hyogo prefecture in Japan. The Kobe name isn't protected as a trademark in the US, so "American Kobe" and "Kobe-style" usually describe American Wagyu, most of which is crossbred with Angus.
Is Peak Wagyu Kobe beef?
No. Our cow, Takemitsu-chan, was raised at Takeda Farm in Hokkaido, not Hyogo, and was 24 months old, under Kobe's 28-month minimum. Her A4, BMS 6 grade would clear Kobe's grade bar.
Sources
- Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association, "Definition of Kobe Beef"
- Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association, FAQ
- Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association, Kobe Beef criteria
- Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association, exported Kobe beef registry
- Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association, designated stores and restaurants
- Wikipedia, "Kobe beef" (US trademark status)
- National Livestock Breeding Center, individual cattle identification lookup
