So I was born in a small town in California, widely known for it’s famous BBQ. Specifically tri-tip. We’re talking big cuts of meat, slowly cooked over the hot coals of Red Oak wood, typically on an adjustable BBQ pit. Those flavors are burned into my brain, and there is nothing like it!
Japanese BBQ on the other hand, is a whole other story. Completely different and yet amazingly delicious.
In my experience, it’s generally small pieces/slices of beef, cooked rather quickly over charcoal – taken off quickly, sometimes while still a little rare, and enjoyed with salt and pepper or various dipping sauces.
But one kind of beef stands apart from any other I’ve tried. Hidagyu (or Hida Beef) is beautifully marbled with streaks of fat that simply liquefy upon cooking, making a tender slice of meat – that will essentially melt in your mouth. Many Americans are familiar with Kobe beef, or at least the name. Hida beef might be the best kept secret for carnivores visiting Japan.
FACT CHECK: If you see Kobe beef in the US, it’s probably not real Kobe beef. That’s right, Kobe beef is from Hyogo prefecture, where no slaughterhouses are approved for export by the USDA. So what is it then? Probably the same breed of cow, raised here in the US under completely different circumstances. Like comparing apples and oranges really. So when you see Kobe beef in the US – be highly skeptical.
But back to Hida Beef; Hidagyu is still a relatively well kept secret in the US.
Hida cows are all descended from the same original group of black cows, through a strict breeding process, and farmers achieve this especially tender, ultra-marbled beef through various methods. From very low-stress living conditions, to some more famous methods of massaging cows with sake, or feeding the cows beer, and other such methods. Regardless, there is a very high standard and be certified as “Hidagyu” and must be a specific firmness and texture to be considered.
But BBQ is really only one style for cooking this delicacy. You might also see it in Sukiyaki, or even as a grilled steak (although i personally find it best enjoyed in small amounts, complimented by an ice-cold beer).
What it all comes down to: Visit Gifu Prefecture. Eat the best beef of your life.
Check out my “Shrine to Hida Beef” here: https://westcoasttofareast.com/the-hida-beef-shrine/
West Coast to Far East 