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

If you love meat, you've undoubtedly heard of Kobe and Wagyu beef, often considered the gold standard for taste and marbling. But what exactly sets these two types of beef apart, especially in terms of cost? Well, both will cost you quite a bit, but Kobe is easily the most expensive. 

While all Kobe beef is a type of Wagyu, not all Wagyu can be classified as Kobe. Wagyu beef is harvested from only four types of Japanese cattle breeds, and the meat is rated on a scale ranging from A to C. These letters signify the meat-to-weight ratio of the cow from which the meat came. Alongside this is a number ranging from 1 to 5, grading the meat quality. For example, A5 Wagyu is the most expensive and highest quality type of Wagyu, and it's what's used to make the most expensive burger in the world. 

Although Wagyu beef is a big deal, Kobe beef is on a whole other level. This beef can only come from the Tajima line of the Japanese Black cattle breed, and they must be raised, slaughtered, and processed in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan, where Kobe is the capital city, hence the name. Because of the strict regulations for Kobe beef, only between 3,000 and 5,000 cows per year are able to be processed as authentic Kobe beef. Unfortunately, this makes Kobe quite rare, with prices ranging from $200 to $500 per pound, while Wagyu runs roughly $50 to $150 depending on grading. That said, even if you have the cash for Kobe, buying it in the US is easier said than done. 

While it's easy (if expensive) enough to find A5 Wagyu in America – The Meatery, for instance, sells Wagyu ribeyes for $149 — Kobe is another story. In 2016, Business Insider reported that just over 40 restaurants in the United States sold Kobe beef. Around the same time, Inside Edition launched an investigation and found that only eight restaurants nationwide were certified by the Kobe Beef Association to sell it. 

Similarly, according to Bon Appétit, the amount of authentic Kobe imported to the United States in 2016 was only enough for around 77 people. Definitely not enough to make it a staple of multiple restaurants and bistros, even those catering to the wealthiest diners. Currently, there are few places where you can find or buy Kobe beef in the United States, and only six importers are allowed to bring it into the country. Online, The Wagyu Shop offers real Kobe beef and is one of the few distributors certified by the Kobe Beef Association. Every order from them comes with a certificate of authenticity.  

Outside of that, options are limited, but if you're not just after the bragging rights of having eaten Kobe beef, A5 Wagyu will serve you just as well, and it's a lot easier to find because there are American Wagyu producers who raise Japanese cattle for domestic distribution. So long as you cook Wagyu at the right temperature it will be as rich and mouth-wateringly melty as a cut of Kobe, just without the name recognition.