This is “ichibo”, which translates in Japanese as the cow’s hip and you can see the intense marbling. Cooked over sumi charcoal, it is rich and fatty. The crispy seared surface gave way to a buttery texture that melted in my mouth and sent a wave of umami across my palate.

“Kobe Beef” is the “Branded Wagyu Beef” produced in Hyogo Prefecture of which Kobe is the largest city. All high grading Wagyu Carcasses produced in Hyogo Prefecture are marketed as “Kobe Beef”.

Today almost all prefectures in Japan have their own “Branded Wagyu Beef”. For example in Mie Prefecture they have “Matsuzaka Beef” and Iwate Prefecture they produce “Maezawa Beef”. In Shiga Prefecture they have “Oomigyu Beef”, and Gifu Prefecture it’s “Hidagyu Beef”.

Yamagate Prefecture has “Yonezawa Beef”, Miyagi Prefecture has “Sendai Beef”, and Miyazaki Prefecture has “Miyazakigyu Beef”.