Kobe Beef

Kobe beef is a certification, not a breed or a place of cooking. To qualify, an animal must be Tajima-gyu, a Japanese Black strain from Hyogo with a closed pedigree line; born, raised and slaughtered within Hyogo prefecture; a bullock or a virgin heifer; under a set carcass weight; and graded at A4 or B4 and above with a beef marbling standard of six or higher. Only a few thousand carcasses a year pass. Each one is assigned a ten-digit identification number that can be looked up, and certified restaurants display a bronze plaque with the chrysanthemum mark and a registration number. The eating is usually teppanyaki, cut small and cooked on a plate in front of you, or as a thin-sliced sukiyaki or shabu-shabu. Much of what is sold as Kobe beef outside Japan is not - exports were prohibited entirely until 2012 and remain small.

What you actually see

• A narrow certification - Tajima line, born and finished in Hyogo, minimum grade six marbling.
• A ten-digit number - traceability for every certified carcass, checkable.
• The bronze plaque - a chrysanthemum mark and registration number on certified restaurants.
• Teppanyaki service - cut small and cooked on a plate in front of the diner.

When to go

All year. Two hours. Lunch courses are substantially cheaper than dinner.

Honest expectations

It is genuinely expensive and a small portion is the sensible order - the fat content defeats most people. A great deal sold under the name, especially abroad, is not certified. Ask for the certificate number if in doubt. Booking is needed at the better restaurants.

Nearby

Kobe's Sannomiya district holds most of the certified restaurants.