Kobe Beef - History

History

The Tajima cattle that produce this highly prized meat were introduced into Japan in the second century as work animals, used in rice cultivation. The mountainous topography of the islands of Japan resulted in small regions of isolated breeding, yielding herds that developed and maintained qualities in their meat that differ significantly from all other breeds of cattle. Herd isolation and distinctive feeding techniques, which resulted 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.

The cattle are fed on grain fodder and brushed sometimes for setting fur. The Kobe beef marketing and distribution promotion association plans to make available a pamphlet in foreign languages with details about Kobe beef due to ambiguities about what actually constitutes Kobe beef, and because many tourists who visit Japan request information about the product. The melting point of fat of Kobe beef (Tajima cattle) is lower than common beef fat.