Kobe beef

[snopes]

Even by the standards of Texas, where beef is no trivial matter, rancher Jose Antonio Elias Calles has coddled his cattle.

The animals imported from Japan are guarded by off-duty Texas Rangers and kept away from American bulls that may contaminate their coveted gene pool. They were meticulously raised for 12 years before a single hamburger could be sold.

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/art...27-odd-on.html

[moonfall]

Isn't 12 kind of old for a cow?

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by moonfall

Isn't 12 kind of old for a cow?

Yes, that's middle aged for a cow.

[snopes]

I will state this as clearly as possible:

You cannot buy Japanese Kobe beef in this country. Not in stores, not by mail, and certainly not in restaurants. No matter how much you have spent, how fancy a steakhouse you went to, or which of the many celebrity chefs who regularly feature “Kobe beef” on their menus you believed, you were duped. I’m really sorry to have to be the one telling you this, but no matter how much you would like to believe you have tasted it, if it wasn’t in Asia you almost certainly have never had Japan’s famous Kobe beef.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolm...kobe-beef-lie/

[GenYus234]

So it is like champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France. Everything else is sparkling white wine?

[Esprise Me]

Except you can buy real Champagne in the U.S., and sparkling wine that's not Champagne isn't mislabeled.

[snopes]

Comment: I recently read an article that basically states all Kobe beef
sold in the United States is not real and is just a way to charge more.
It stated Kobe beef is hard to find even in Japan, and that the way they
are raised doesn't even meet USDA standards, so technically is isn't even
allowed in the States. Is this true?

[snopes]

I will state this as clearly as possible:

You cannot buy Japanese Kobe beef in this country. Not in stores, not by mail, and certainly not in restaurants. No matter how much you have spent, how fancy a steakhouse you went to, or which of the many celebrity chefs who regularly feature “Kobe beef” on their menus you believed, you were duped. I’m really sorry to have to be the one telling you this, but no matter how much you would like to believe you have tasted it, if it wasn’t in Asia you almost certainly have never had Japan’s famous Kobe beef.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolm...kobe-beef-lie/

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by Esprise Me

Except you can buy real Champagne in the U.S., and sparkling wine that's not Champagne isn't mislabeled.

Yes it is, according to part 3 of the article snopes linked. I didn't know this, but apparently the USA deliberately refuses to recognise standard trademarks and protections on foodstuffs that are enforced almost everywhere else in the developed world. (As they point out, this is extremely hypocritical given the lengths your government goes to to get rid of any other form of piracy of intellectual property).

It comes as a surprise to many people I know who think they know what Champagne is to learn that numerous sparkling wines labeled Champagne are produced domestically. In fact, several readers wrote in to Parts 1 & 2 of this series to express their surprise that such a thing was possible or legal. I’m not talking about wines made with the traditional “methode champenoise” and labeled accordingly. I’m talking domestically produced bottles labeled Champagne, pure and simple. Sell New York State Champagne almost any place else in the civilized world and you go to jail. Sell it here and you make a profit. This is the result the U.S. has fought long and hard for.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolm...-fake-foods/2/