ORIGIN OF KOBE BEEF.

Kobe beef which is the cuts of beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle, raised according to strict tradition in Hyogo Prefecture originate from Japan.

The wagyu cattle ("Wa" is a very old Japanese language term for Japan, and one of the meaning of "gyu" is beef, with an "on the hoof" connatation.) that produce this highly-prized meat were introduced into Japan in the second century as work animals, used in rice cultivation. As beef consuption became more prominent in the society, farmers began hiring workers to massage the animals' backsides for about 2o minutes at each massage between the period of May through October with oil and a special straw brush to improve the distribution and softness of the sub-cutaneous fat to improve meat quality. The moutainous topography of the islands of Japan resulted in small regions of isolated breeding, yielding herds that developed and maintained qualities in their meat that differs significantly from all other breeds of cattle. Herd isolation and distinctive feeding techniques, which result from the limited land availability, have led to distinguishing features that make the meat both superior in marbling and in the ratios of unsaturated versus saturated fats.

Most Kobe Beef today is bred and raised in California and Australia. For example, Harris Ranch in California is contracted with beef producers in Kobe to breed and raise their catle in California, where land and grain is relatively inexpensive. The catle is raised and fed under the exacting specifications for Kobe beef. when the cattle is almost ready for slaughter, it is shipped to Kobe in Japan, where its feeding is completed, and the cattle is slaughtered.

According to experts and gourmets, Kobe meat is the most tender, most succulent, and most tastiest meat in the world and it's also considered one of the most expensive meat in the world.