Most animals raised for their meat live a sad life in small cages and experience extremely low standards of living. But at Vietnam’s first Kobe beef farm, cows live a comparative life of luxury as they are fed beer, given daily massages and serenaded with classical music, according to Vietnam Net.
The world’s most expensive variety beef, named after Kobe, the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture, is known for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty but well-marbled texture.
Tan Lac Commune, Lam Dong Province is home to the Kobe Beef Corporation that hopes to breed 100% Kobe cows within a few generations (the first is a hybrid between Kobe and American wagyu cows).
When it comes to Kobe beef, it’s all about quality score which is based on four factors: marbling; color and brightness; firmness and texture; and fat color, luster and quality. Each factor is graded from A1 to A5, with A5 as the highest score.
"The company can only guarantee a Kobe beef quality score of A3 next year. But once the purebred Kobe cows are produced, probably by 2020, the company can guarantee a quality score of A5," said Nguyen Tri Duc Vu, director of Kobe Beef Corporation.
The company plans to price its first generation of beef at $100 per kilo, a number that should increase significantly with an A5 score.
"That price will bring in nearly $50,000 per cow, as we use only 400 to 500 kilos of meat from it," added Vu.
While breeding is the key to Kobe beef, lifestyle also plays a part. Cows are fed beer and listen to classical music to increase their appetites and in the month prior to their slaughter, they are treated to daily massages to accentuate the marbling of their meat.
Kobe Beef Corporation entered into the joint venture with Japanese partners in 2009, and the farm currently houses 100 first generation hybrid Kobe cows.
“It is the responsibility of the Japanese partner's experts to inspect the breeding process and ensure that the cows are raised in line with Japanese technology, from preparing facilities to producing food and making sure that the meat of each cow meets the quality criteria of Kobe beef,” wrote Vietnam Net.
The company’s target are middle-class Vietnamese in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
Don’t look now, but the return of $40 bowls of Kobe phở may be right around the corner.
