Business & Money | Saturday 9 December, 2017 2:59 pm |

Middle East Fuji LLC is one of UAE’s leading one stop shop service provider for all marine needs across the region. MEF is also involved in presenting finest food concepts and ingredients from Japan and Far East to the region and is participating at this year's SIAL Middle East Exhibition to showcase the highest genuine quality branded Japanese Beef called Kobe Beef with an original Japanese chef who will prepare authentic Kobe beef tasting at stand K017.

 

The highly anticipated trade exhibition will run for three days, 12th till 14th December in Abu Dhabi. SIAL Middle East takes place annually, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) and under the patronage by H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.

 

Mr. Ryusaku Hayashi - Managing Director, Middle East Fuji LLC commented on the participation: "As we continue to strengthen and grow awareness of our highest genuine quality Japanese beef Kobe, leading sector events such as SIAL are essential platforms for us to interact with our peers, potential partners and customers, as well as further reinforce our brand on a local and regional level. We aim to connect with high end restaurants, hotel executive chefs as well as government partners and the FMCG network in the region.”

 

Kobe Beef is Japanese genuine and real Wagu (Japanese cows) beef made under Japanese law, and is currently the highest quality halal meat distributed by Middle East Fuji LLC in the UAE. The average sales price of prime cuts is AED 1700 per kilogram.The meat is a delicacy renowned for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture. Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, and teppanyaki which make it one of the best top brands.

 

 “Wagyu” or Japanese cows are divided into four breeds – Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Poll, and Japanese Shorthorn. Tajima-gyu cows from which Kobe beef comes from belong to the Japanese Black breed. From 7000 Tajima-gyu cattle only about 5000 of these cattle are certified as Kobe beef.

 

Hence this showcases its originality while also protecting its lineage in its delicious taste, and this contributes to the high cost of producing this delicacy and accounts for a mere 0.16% of total beef consumption in Japan. This scarcity is another factor contributing to its high price and exclusivity in the UAE and region. The calves are raised on breeding farms to the age of eight to nine months after which they are raised and fattened in feeding farms for about two years and reach their maturity for slaughter on average 30 to 32 months from birth. The calves are fed a diet of nutrition-rich feed supplements made by blending together soybean, corn, barley, wheat bran, and various other ingredients. They are given clean water and no pasture grass at all to eat.

 

All Tajima-gyu cows are graded and assessed by the Japan Meat Grading Association according to four factors – beef marbling, meat color and brightness, firmness and texture of meat, and color, luster and quality of fat – each of which is graded from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest quality score for Kobe beef.

 

By the 10-digit individual ID number on display in butchers and restaurants, one can tell a cow's lineage, where it was born and raised, the market it was sold at, and if it is genuine and real certified Tajima-gyu Kobe beef.