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Difference between Kobe and Wagyu Beef, a closer look
7/31/10 - Kobe, Kobe-style, American Kobe. Wagyu, Premium Wagyu, certified Wagyu. Heck, it's difficult enough identifying the many terms used in distinguishing Kobe from Kobe, or Wagyu from Wagyu, let alone taking the further step of separating Kobe from Wagyu! The truth of the matter is, there are any number of different farms, associations, restaurants, foodies, and yes, even governments confidently making claims often sharply contradicting one another. I suppose, in this regard, that I'm just another entity making a claim, so before explaining what I've personally found (through much study and feedback from Chefs, food writers, and other foodies besides), I do encourage you to study the issue from other sources, as well. That being said...
Allow me to start by saying, point-blank and in no unspecific terms, that there absolutely is a difference between Kobe beef and Wagyu, and the proof is found in simply understanding the generic Japanese meanings for both words. Kobe is a place, a modern city and capital of the Hyogo prefecture of Japan's main island, Honshu. Wagyu is a term, wa meaning Japanese and gyu meaning beef. Those considering Kobe beef and Wagyu as one and the same, as many do, are simply incorrect in terms of the specific Japanese language. Though Kobe beef is a type of Wagyu (Japanese beef), Wagyu encompasses a much larger meaning, and is therefore not necessarily Kobe. And don't say Wagyu beef, either, as that's the same as Japanese beef beef!
Kobe beef is a name coined by the cattle industry of the region, and is actually not the name of the specific strain of cow. The breed used is a black-haired variety of the Tajima strain, Tajima being a former province now part of the larger Hyogo prefecture of today, of which Kobe, as stated earlier, is the capital. Confusing, it is, but herein lies another distinct separation - the many current Wagyu names given in your favorite yakiniku restaurants are, as in Kobe beef, actually marketing names more than anything else. Travel to Japan today, and you'll find several of these particular names, usually derived from specific regions, such as Mishima Island beef, Matsuzaka beef, Saga beef, Kumamoto beef, and more. Specific breeds, however, are a separate matter once again. Breeds used are Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, various types of Kumamoto reds, and the Tajima strain producing today's Kobe beef, to name a few. All varieties, from either popular market names or particular breeds, are considered, you guessed it, Wagyu! See the difference now?
The excellence of the Japanese cow in general has come from calculated cross-breeding and zealous practices maintained over hundreds of years, fusing both imported Western and Mainland Asian strains together to produce the very finest of cattle qualities. Back in 1910, however, after the free-fall plummet of cross-breed strains in Japan, all imports were abruptly halted. Since then, Japanese cattle have largely been closed-off to the rest of the world, allowing it to develop on its own into the finely-marbled, highly exquisite types of Wagyu we now see today. Unlike most of the West, where emphasis has historically been placed on leaner meats, the situation is completely the opposite in Japan, where fat is always the main objective, and where competition for better and better cuts of beef is fiercer than anywhere else in the world. Though a waning series of practices, the stories you hear of giving cattle beer or sake to drink, brushing their coats with sake or oil, and massaging them by hand are all true, as Japanese farmers have long taken cattle breeding to near fanatical levels!
While genuine Kobe is considered the finest cut of beef in the world over-all, make no mistake about it - many of the other different varieties of Wagyu can sometimes equal or even surpass Kobe in terms of quality and in terms of fat levels, the single most important element in determining value in Japanese beef. In America, where the best cuts available are classified as USDA Prime, the Japanese use a different set of determinations, of which the BMS (beef marbling score) is of highest importance. If USDA Prime were placed on a BMS scale, it would normally reach 5 or 6; Kobe, on the other hand, regularly reaches the astounding levels of 9 or 10, 12 being the highest - thus sailing right off of American charts! And we're not talking about tough gristle and jaw-breaking chewiness here, either - this particular type of fat is soft, buttery, and high in healthy monounsaturated fats that, in controlled amounts, actually help reduce cholesterol in the same way as olive oil, avocados, and nuts. It is this type of fat that gives Kobe beef, and Wagyu in general, its legendary status. Its precious, snow-like cuts are actually more white than red from marbling, and melt in your mouth with all the richness of foie gras, the rich-man's dish Kobe beef and Wagyu are often compared to.
Below, US Kobe beef from Yakiniku Hiroshi in Honolulu, Hawaii:
Though a single Kobe steak can reach prices of $200-$300, try not to sweat it too much. There is a way to enjoy these same amazing cuts at a small fraction of the cost. Purchasing an entire thick steak of genuine Kobe is, to me, a waste of money. The rich, delicate fats are such that it begins melting away at the slightest hint of warmth, even the warmth of a cutting board, and the length of time it takes for a thick Kobe or Wagyu steak to cook on a grill allows too much fat to literally dissolve into thin air, largely defeating the purpose of this delicacy in the first place! Even when cut into small cubes, I still find it too thick and wasteful. Hard-cover-thin, though? Aaaah, perfect!
As in the shot above, thin cuts are ideal for fatty Japanese beef, as they literally cook in seconds and thus retain more precious fat. Yakiniku-style, where meats are sliced thin and grills are set directly into tables for diners to cook themselves, is the obvious choice and best way of taking advantage of a pricey Kobe or Wagyu cut. Being so incredibly rich, it doesn't take much to fill a person up, and the actual volume consumed from these few ounces ends-up being only a tiny fraction of an entire steak. In other words, instead of paying for a $200 steak, a $20-$25 platter of thin cuts are much more advantageous, not only on the wallet, but also on the palate!
Below, excellent yakiniku restaurant Daitoen in Fukuoka Japan, with table-top grills set into each table:
Below, a table-top grill at popular yakiniku restaurant Gyu-Kaku, with slices of kalbi beef sizzling:
According to Hiroshi Kimura, owner and chef of the excellent Yakiniku Hiroshi in Honolulu, Hawaii, it is currently illegal to import beef into the United States from Japan, and restaurants often make false or misleading claims as to the genuineness of their so-called Kobe or Wagyu. Some flat-out lie about it, while others are somewhere in-between truth and deception. One term I've recently seen used is Kobe-style. If the restaurant is honest, they'll explain somewhere on the menu that Kobe-style is actually a cross-breed between genuine Kobe and Angus. A very respectable cut, indeed, but not anywhere near the quality of a genuine, 100% Kobe or Wagyu. Some say in order for Kobe to be genuine, it must be raised in Kobe (or for cheaters, at least packaged there!). Really, now. Though in the past, farmers outside of Japan have not been the best stewards of the few live Kobe cows allowed to be exported, oftentimes cross-breeding while still using the Kobe name, these days, there are in fact many select farms throughout the US, England, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere that produce 100% Tajima-strain Kobe cattle, follow strict guidelines modeled after Japanese practices, and produce quality meats that are, in fact, comparable to the homeland.
What to do with these foreign-born, yet still genuine Kobe cattle products? Personally, I prefer Hiroshi-san's explanation - if Kobe beef comes from 100% Kobe cows from Kobe, Japan, he'll call it just that - Kobe beef. If 100% Kobe cows are raised on a trusted farm in the US, like Snake River Farms in Idaho, he'll call it US Kobe. A trusted Australian farm? Australian Kobe! Now that's complete disclosure while also being descriptively correct with the fewest amount of words. Makes sense, right?
As for Wagyu, I am aware of at least two associations outside of Japan attempting to brand names like Certified Wagyu or Premium Wagyu, using their own interpretations of what Wagyu really is. Who knows what'll stick where five or ten years from now, but no matter what, the correct meaning of the word will always remain the same - Japanese beef. That's it! I sure wouldn't wanna label a US-born Angus, a US-born Hereford, and a US-born Holstein as the same things, just because they can all be called US or American beef, right?
Same thing goes for Kobe, Wagyu, or any Japanese cow, for that matter - there is a difference!
Comments:
Aku: 8/19/10 - In return to a helpful e-mail I recently had on this page, which I didn't post because the sender requested not to be identified nor repeated, I wanna add a comment regarding these two matters:
Whether it is illegal for Japanese beef to be imported into the US or not, and:
Whether Japanese beef is imported into the US or not.
Two different things. The reason I say this is because I do know of at least two Honolulu places that bring Japanese beef into the US, and the unidentified sender mentioned a wholesaler who does so, as well. And I suspect that there are others. I just don't wanna get anyone in trouble, is all, so I haven't mentioned this side of the deal. When it comes down to it, I don't know the specific trade laws and regulations, and I wouldn't know if there are loopholes that can be exploited legally or not. I'm not a cop, so that's a matter I don't wanna get into. I'm just happy we are getting genuine Wagyu and Kobe beef, whether it's from Japan, Australia, the Mainland, or wherever! It's all good stuff if they are from pure breeds and farms that understand the Japanese way.
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