Wagyu Vs Kobe Beef: Which Has The Higher Price Tag?

Real Kobe beef is extremely rare in America

While it’s relatively easy (albeit pricey) to find A5 Wagyu in the United States—The Meatery, for example, offers Wagyu ribeyes for $149—Kobe beef presents a different challenge. In 2016, Business Insider noted that just over 40 restaurants in the U.S. served Kobe beef. Around the same time, Inside Edition conducted an investigation and discovered that only eight restaurants across the country were certified by the Kobe Beef Association to sell it.

Additionally, Bon Appétit reported that the quantity of genuine Kobe beef imported to the U.S. in 2016 was sufficient for only about 77 people. This clearly isn’t enough to make it a common offering in numerous restaurants and bistros, even those catering to affluent diners. Presently, there are very few establishments where you can find or purchase Kobe beef in the U.S., and only six importers are authorized to bring it into the country. Online, The Wagyu Shop provides authentic Kobe beef and is among the limited distributors certified by the Kobe Beef Association. Each order from them includes a certificate of authenticity.

Beyond that, choices are scarce. However, if you’re not solely interested in the prestige of having tasted Kobe beef, A5 Wagyu can be just as satisfying and is much easier to locate, thanks to American Wagyu producers who raise Japanese cattle for domestic markets. As long as you cook Wagyu at the appropriate temperature, it will be just as rich and decadently tender as a piece of Kobe, albeit without the same level of recognition.