Japan’s sky-high Kobe beef can’t be eaten even if you have money. What’s the difference between Chinese beef?

In order to protect the health and safety of our people, my country has completely banned the import of Japanese beef, including Kobe beef, since 2001. And Kobe beef is difficult to export because its production is too low. No matter how rich you are in China, you cannot eat Japanese Kobe beef. Let alone China, it is difficult to eat top-quality Kobe beef even in the Kobe beef producing areas of Japan.

As a specialty of Japan, Kobe beef often appears at banquets for state guests. The fragrant but not greasy, melt-in-the-mouth feeling makes people unable to stop eating. It was banned by the Emperor of Japan and sold for "sky-high prices". It is also a top ingredient in Japanese cuisine recipes.

Why is Kobe beef so expensive? Did you know that Kobe doesn’t produce beef?

Kobe is a trademark, not a place of origin. The Kobe area does not raise cattle or produce beef. The cattle are Tajima cattle produced in Hyogo Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital city. Tajima cattle are carefully selected and branded with the "Kobe" trademark.

How to choose Kobe beef?

More than picky, just picky. According to Japanese standards, Kobe beef must be Tajima beef produced in Hyogo Prefecture, and only a handful of high-quality Tajima beef can be titled Kobe beef. Whether the bloodline is pure: it must be produced in Hyogo Prefecture, it must have a portfolio, and the details of its parents, it must be a virgin cow, and it must have a 10-digit ID for identification. Only Tajima beef that meets but not limited to the above conditions can be rated as Kobe beef. In fact, Kobe beef only accounts for 0.16% of Japanese beef consumption and circulation. Exports are minimal.

Why doesn’t China’s brand beef go abroad or even become world-famous beef?

First of all, China is too vast, which determines that there are huge differences in eating habits across the country. This has also led to different requirements for food ingredients from working people across the country. Therefore, brand marketing cannot be promoted. So far, our country still does not have a well-established beef industry. There are many and mixed varieties of beef cattle, and the quality of beef is low. It is still impossible to form a stable, large-scale, and consistent quality beef supply.

There are no good breeds of beef cattle. China does not have high-quality beef cattle breeds with independent intellectual property rights, so the quality of its beef will naturally not improve, and it does not have the foundation to produce high-end beef. Even for medium and low-grade beef, its main sources are culled dairy cows, cattle converted to farmland and multi-crossbred cattle; the so-called " If you sow beans, you will reap beans; if you sow melons, you will reap melons." Without good genes, how can you get good beef?

High-end beef production and feeding technology are backward. Raising high-end beef cattle is different from raising ordinary beef cattle. It has a certain technical content, especially during the fattening period. It requires a certain concentrate formula and feeding methods, otherwise it will be difficult to improve the beef cattle or form characteristics.