Kobe beef (神戸ビーフ, Kōbe bīfu) pronounced [koːbe biːɸɯ] is Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle, raised in Japan's Hyōgo Prefecture according to rules set out by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association. "Wagyu" refers to several breeds of cattle developed in Japan which are genetically predisposed to producing meat which has intense marbling and a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. This genetic pool represents the traditional draught cattle of the 1700s so is distinct from Japanese Wagyu breeds of today. In Japan, Wagyu cattle include four types of Japanese cattle: the Black, Brown, Shorthorn, and Polled breeds. All have played important roles lo-cally and in the history of mixed farming, as well as the synergies that exist between cattle and crops, especially rice. Japanese Black Cattle and Wagyu. WAGYU CATTLE The famous worldwide brand name Wagyu of today includes not only Fullblood or Purebred Black and Red Japanese cattle produced in Japan but also crossbred Japanese Black and Red cattle produced in foreign countries such as Australia or the United States.
In order to qualify as Miyazakigyu, cattle must be born and raised in Miyazaki Prefecture and graded A4 and above. These cattle were originally imported in 1976 to the United States. The Japanese Black (Japanese: 黒毛和種, Kuroge Washu) is a breed of Japanese beef cattle.It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Brown, the Japanese Polled and the Japanese Shorthorn. The Japanese Black Cattle is the most common breed of "Wagyu" Cattle, and accounts for more than 80% of Wagyu beef that is bred commercially. In Japan these four major strains of Wagyu include Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn. The meat is a delicacy, valued for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture.
The Japanese Polled (Japanese: 無角和種, Mukaku Washu) is a critically-endangered breed of small Japanese beef cattle.It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Black, the Japanese Brown and the Japanese Shorthorn. Japanese Black cattle are usually fed a high concentrate diet from 11 to 30 months of age to induce greater accumulation of intramuscular fat, which is the most critical goal of Japanese Black cattle farmers. From 1992 to 2006, David Blackmore has imported more than 80% of the Japanese Fullblood Wagyu genetics into Australia and has produced his own 100% Japanese Fullblood Wagyu cattle herd with more than 3000 animals. Wagyu history in America There were 4 Wagyu Cattle imported to the United States in 1976 from Japan, After that there were several small batches imported during the 90's and the last group was brought to America in 2001. Kochi strains have black noses and are built more like a Tajima, Kumamoto do not have black noses and are stockier than the Kochi. We utilize a wide range of genetics to produce healthy, high value heifers from all the various Wagyu strains, including black Wagyu and red Wagyu (also known as Akaushi). A few Japanese Black were transported over from mainland Japan to re-establish the herd, which has been in-bred for more than 25 generations. Japanese cattle breed is poised to raise the quality bar for the U.S. beef industry. The cows at HeartBrand Ranch might look conventional enough to the casual observer, but a livestock producer will notice one thing right away—they’re red, not the usual black.