Where to eat Kobe in Mexico City

For the proficient diner it can be a headache (toothache?) when discussing fine cuts of beef like wagyu or Kobe, as the terms are often exchanged indiscriminately by non-experts. To help guide our beef-loving readers in this context, we have compiled some indispensable facts for identifying these Japanese culinary jewels.

kobe donde comerlo en cdmx — Photo: ©gyro via Canva.com

First things first: all Kobe beef is wagyu, but not all wagyu is Kobe.

The term wagyu, meaning Japanese cattle, is used to designate a breed of cow native to Japan. Wagyu is raised under strict standards of breeding, rearing, and feeding in order to guarantee the production and quality of the meat. The cows have pure lineage, meaning they are not crossbred with other breeds; they are fed on rice, wheat, and hay, grazing freely in meadows, where the quality of the air and water, mainly from natural springs, is excellent.

Kobe refers to the appellation of origin: they are those wagyu cows that were born and reared specifically in the prefecture of Hyōgo, Japan (whose capital, the keen reader will imagine, is Kobe). In order to guarantee the quality and purity of these animals, as well as account for all the care and attention given to them, only around three thousand specimens can be slaughtered per year, so their price can reach up to 400 EUR per kilogram (up to $500 USD per pound).

kobe donde comer en cdmx — Photo: ©whitewish via Canva.com

Main characteristics

Demonstrates genetic purity through a certificate obtained at birth.
Grass, grain, rice, and corn fed.
Does not weigh more than 470 kg (1036 lbs.).
Slaughtered between 24 and 36 months of age.
Soft and tender texture determined by its distinctive marbling: those streaks of intramuscular fat that melt on the grill, softening the meat and giving it a sweet and delicate flavor.