Guide Note: Kobe Beef is a meat known for its heavy marbling and impressive flavor. It comes from a Japanese breed of cattle known as Wagyu cows. Japanese food regulators have now said that beef may only be called Wagyu beef if it is raised in Japan, but the International Wagyu Association has ignored these statements.

Authentic Kobe beef must meet certain restrictions: it must be from the black Tajimi-ushi breed, and it must be raised in Kobe, Japan. Allegedly ranchers feed their cattle a special diet that includes beer, and massage the cows with sake. Cattle that are slated to become Kobe beef are fattened for between 26 and 32 months, significantly longer than American cattle that become prime steak. A Gourmet magazine article in 2007 argued that the actual conditions in which Kobe beef are raised are very similar to the nightmarish conditions veal was once raised in.

Kobe beef is extremely expensive, and if it is not cooked properly, the flavor will be somewhat dull. It is only when prepared under certain conditions that it reaches its true flavor potential. Some producers of American wagyu beef feed their cattle a distinctly different diet in order to reduce the marbling of the beef, resulting in a different flavor than traditional Kobe beef and making it easier to cook without special care.

Recently, researchers have discovered that Wagyu beef has unusually high levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, leading them to promote the health benefits of the breed. Fast Facts:

1. Comes from Wagyu cows
2. Wagyu means "Japanese cattle"
3. 1976: First Wagyu cows imported to US
4. Japanese: Authentic Kobe beef
5. Called "White Steak" in Japan
6. American-raised versions less expensive
7. High in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids
8. AKA: Kone-niku; Kobe cow