Of course, some of you have already tried it. I did, in Tokyo, and it is delicious. There is something special that you can’t get in the US that I really think you should treat yourself to if you ever go to Japan. Not as steaks, not as burgers, certainly not as the ubiquitous “Kobe sliders” at your trendy neighborhood “bistro. “.
That’s right. You heard me. I did not misspeak. I am not confused like most of the American food media.
You cannot buy Japanese Kobe beef in this country. Not in stores, not by mail, and certainly not in restaurants. Nobody fooled you, no matter how much money you spent, what kind of fancy steakhouse you went to, or which celebrity chef regularly puts “Kobe beef” on their menus. No matter how much you want to believe you have tried it, if it wasn’t in Asia, you probably have never had Japan’s famous Kobe beef.
Recent changes have happened to the situation with Kobe beef in the US in the four or five years since this story was written. Please read the most recent article, “The New Truth About Kobe Beef,” for the most up-to-date information. It has more details and an update that make the information here obsolete.
UPDATE: Several of the food frauds examined here at Forbes. My new book, Real Food, Fake Food, goes into great detail about dozens of foods, from Kobe Beef and Seafood to Honey and Parmesan Cheese.
You may have had fake beef from the Midwest, the Great Plains, South America, or Australia. These places make a lot of what I call “Faux-be” beef. You may have even had a Kobe imposter from Japan before 2010. It is now illegal to import (or even hand carry for personal consumption) any Japanese beef. Before 2010 you could import only boneless fresh Japanese beef, but none was real Kobe. Japan’s laws say that Kobe beef can only come from Hyogo prefecture, which includes Kobe as its capital city. However, the USDA has not approved any slaughterhouses in Hyogo prefecture for export. Kobe Beef Marketing, which is its own trade group, says In the past few years, if you had real Kobe beef in this country, it was probably brought in by someone else.
Ask yourself, “How is this possible?” because Kobe is praised on TV food shows, by famous chefs, and on menus all over the country. In Las Vegas alone, 12 burger joints serve Kobe burgers. If you Google it, you’ll find dozens of online stores ready to take your money and send you meat that costs a lot. Restaurant reviews in the New York Times have repeatedly praised the “Kobe beef” served at high-end Manhattan restaurants. Not an issue of any major food magazine goes by without reinforcing the great fat Kobe beef lie. So how could I possibly be right?.
Unfortunately, the answer is too simple. Kobe Beef, Kobe Meat, and Kobe Cattle are all registered trademarks and/or patented terms in Japan, but they are not recognized or protected by U.S. law. S. law. The government doesn’t care much about Kobe beef compared to, say, Florida Orange Juice. The “beef” part should still come from cows. Like the recent rise in the use of the unregulated label term “natural,” this is an adjective that is mostly used to trick people and make money off of that trickery. The same thing happens with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which is known as “The King of Cheeses.” I talk about it here. More recently, studies showed that in many big US cities, about half of the fish restaurants and stores regularly served cheaper imitation seafood instead of the real thing that people ordered and paid for. I recently wrote about this story for Forbes. com.
All of this is important because foodies and business travelers want Kobe beef and are willing to pay a lot more for it because the real Kobe has a long history of being the best. The trick the US food industry plays on you is making you think that expensive foods, like the $40 “Kobe” burger in New York City, are connected to this history of top-notch food. It’s not.
There are no truths to the claims that cows get massages and drink beer while listening to classical music. However, real Kobe beef is produced under some of the strictest legal food standards in the world. In contrast, production of “domestic Kobe” beef in Australia and South America is as regulated as the Wild West. To be Kobe in Japan, you need a pure lineage of Tajima-gyu breed cattle, not just any old Japanese breed crossed with American cattle, which is what most people here do. The animal must have been born in Hyogo prefecture and lived its whole life on the grasses, water, and soil of that area. To raise a Tajima-gyu for food, it takes a lot longer than most other breeds, which makes it more expensive. It has to be a bull or a virgin cow. It has to go through a Hyogo slaughterhouse (none of which send meat to the US) and then pass a strict government test. There are only 3000 head of certified Kobe Beef cattle in the world, and none are outside Japan. So strict is the process that the beef must have a 10-digit identification number on it when it is sold in stores or restaurants. This way, customers can tell which Tajima-gyu cow the beef came from.
When you order “Kobe beef” here, on the other hand, you often can’t even tell what kind of cow it came from or where. Or what makes it “Kobe. ”.
In the end, the only reason Kobe beef is sold in this country is because our government lets sellers call a lot of different things Kobe beef. However, people buy it because the cattle industry in Kobe worked hard for generations to build a reputation for excellence that has now been very much stolen. (For information on Kobe beef in Canada, Click Here).
There are two different parts to the broad misuse of the Kobe name. In the past, restaurants and food distributors in the US have called almost any beef from Japan “Kobe.” In the past, many high-end restaurants did get beef from Japan and label it as “Kobe,” even though it wasn’t really Kobe beef. But in the past two years there has been no Japanese beef here. Today, the word “Kobe” means even less, and the meat can come from many places and has nothing in common with real Kobe beef other than the fact that it comes from cows. The food industry often says that this non-Japanese Kobe is a copy of the real thing made from the same breed of cows, but this is also mostly a myth.
As of early 2010, all beef from Japan, including that “normally referred to as Kobe beef,” will “be refused entry,” “including in passenger luggage.” If you still don’t believe me because there is so much fake Kobe beef in this country, read what the USDA has to say about it. This is still the case, as you can see from the most recent Animal Product Manual from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which was released on March 1, 2012. It says that all beef from Japan, whether it’s fresh or frozen, whole or cut, bone-in or boneless, will be “Refused Entry.” ”.
You can’t be sure of what you’re getting in your $100 Faux-be slider or strip, but one thing is for sure: it’s not Japanese Kobe beef. For the past two years, it has not been any kind of Japanese beef at all.
I recently had to add a Part 4: Final Clarifications, because of so many reader questions.
Is Kobe Lobster Actually Real? Examining the Truth Behind This Luxury Seafood
As a seafood lover, I was intrigued when I heard about “Kobe lobster” on a recent episode of How I Met Your Mother. The characters dined on this rare delicacy, which sparked my curiosity about whether lobsters can really be raised and pampered like the famous Kobe cows. In this article, I’ll examine the origins of Kobe lobster and try to determine if this is a real thing or just a fictional concept.
Tracing the Origins of Kobe Lobster
The notion of Kobe lobster originated in Japan alongside the country’s renowned Kobe beef. About a decade ago, the same association that oversees Kobe beef began experimenting with raising lobsters using similar methods. Their goal was to produce an elite seafood product as esteemed as Kobe beef. By adapting techniques like massages and a specialized diet to lobsters, they hoped to create exceptionally tender, flavorful meat.
Since its inception, Kobe lobster has grown from an experiment to a prized delicacy served at high-end restaurants in Japan. This captivating concept even made its way onto the popular American sitcom. Though initial attempts faced challenges, the process of raising these unique lobsters has been refined over the years.
How Are Kobe Lobsters Actually Raised?
So how exactly are these legendary crustaceans raised? For starters, they are given plenty of personal space in low-density tanks. Kobe lobsters are also provided enrichment like videos of the ocean floor and classical music to relax. Their diet consists of ingredients thought to enhance flavor, like sudachi citrus fruits, seaweed, and bonito broth.
But the most distinctive part of raising Kobe lobster is the daily massages. Workers gently rub each lobster’s tail and claws to loosen muscles and increase circulation. This supposedly improves texture and makes the meat more tender. The individual attention and care given to each lobster results in lower stress, which translates to better taste.
Taste Testing Kobe Lobster
While the production methods sound interesting, does Kobe lobster actually taste discernibly better than regular lobster? Food critics who have sampled this delicacy suggest the difference in flavor and texture is noticeable, but subtle. The meat is described as slightly sweeter and more tender. The texture is especially smooth and buttery. The taste has hints of the lobster’s diet, like citrus and briny seaweed notes.
Overall, the experience of eating Kobe lobster is incredibly rich and flavorful. But the actual taste is still quintessentially lobster. While not a revolutionary departure from ordinary lobster, most reviews indicate Kobe lobster achieves a level of refinement beyond its humbler relatives. However, the difference may not justify the astronomical price tag for many consumers.
The Skyrocketing Cost of Kobe Lobster
Here is where things get really interesting – how much does one of these massage-loving lobsters actually cost? Reports indicate a single Kobe lobster can cost $100-$500 per pound. The starting price for one lobster is estimated at around $500. At the high end, one lobster could cost $1000 or more!
This hefty price tag comes from the expensive production process required to raise Kobe lobsters. From the extra space to specialized diet and massages, producing these takes far more time and labor compared to regular commercial lobster fishing. Because of the small production scale and substantial expenses involved, Kobe lobster is currently more of a novelty item than an everyday seafood. Only elite restaurants provide access right now, and widespread retail availability has not yet been established.
Potential Ethical Concerns
While Kobe lobster offers an intriguing concept and distinct eating experience, some criticism exists around the ethics of producing these crustaceans. On one hand, their living conditions are spacious and enriched compared to cramped commercial lobster traps. The animals appear to be treated humanely during their life.
But others argue that giving lobsters massages and playing them music is unnecessary anthropomorphizing that doesn’t benefit the animal. In the end, the lobster is still being raised for slaughter and consumption. More study is needed to determine if these luxurious rearing methods actually improve lobsters’ wellbeing compared to commercial fishing. Until more evidence exists, the ethics of Kobe lobster remain questionable to some.
The Verdict: A Rare Novelty for Now
For most seafood enthusiasts like me, tasting Kobe lobster is not currently realistic. Those who have tried it report a subtle enhancement of flavor and texture over typical lobster. However, the difference doesn’t seem to justify the astronomical cost. While the concept is fascinating, Kobe lobster remains a novelty for the wealthy rather than a revolutionary new seafood. No need to fret about missing out; even hardcore foodies likely haven’t experienced this massage-loving crustacean. For now, Kobe lobster will probably stay confined to fictional TV worlds for most of us!
Which Restaurants May Be Serving You Cheap Fish Instead Of Lobster
FAQ
Can you get real Kobe beef in the USA?
How can you tell if lobster is real?
Is Kobe beef illegal in the US?
Is there fake lobster meat?
Is Kobe beef real?
It’s most certainly not real Kobe beef, which, according to our research, has only ever been served at 9 restaurants in the U.S. (as of July 2016), including the Wynn in Las Vegas, where it’s featured for $880 per pound. Not a typo.
Are Kobe burgers real?
While restaurants across the US offer menu items like Kobe burgers and steaks, almost all of these claims are false. Many restaurants have started using the term “Kobe” to mean any pricey beef. However, it is in fact a highly acclaimed type of wagyu beef from cows raised in a specific region of Japan.
Is Kobe beef a knock-off?
Many restaurants have started using the term “Kobe” to mean any pricey beef. However, it is in fact a highly acclaimed type of wagyu beef from cows raised in a specific region of Japan. Here are the 43 restaurants in the US where you can actually get authentic Kobe beef — not a knock-off: A post shared by 212 Steakhouse (@212.steakhouse) 2.
Is Kobe a typo?
Not a typo. Part of the reason this abuse of the term and marketing confusion has been able to go on so long is the price-prohibitiveness of Wagyu beef (the category into which Kobe falls, since both Kobe and A5 Wagyu beef arise from the Kuroge Washu Wagyu breed).