Hida beef

Background

Hida beef is the meat of Japanese Black cattle fattened in Gifu Prefecture. According to Japanese Wikipedia, farm households in the Hida region used to keep two to four cattle each, grazing them on communal pastures in summer and keeping them in barns the rest of the year; they were originally draft cattle, and raising them for beef only became widespread from the 1960s. In 1988 the Gifu prefectural government, agricultural cooperatives and meat traders set up the Hida Beef Brand Promotion Council, establishing the "Hida beef" brand. Yasufuku, a Tajima breeding bull born in Hyogo Prefecture, was purchased by Gifu Prefecture in 1981 and sired many offspring; he is considered to have contributed greatly to the brand. Under the council's rules, beef may be called Hida beef only if the animal was fattened for at least 14 months by a registered farm, spent the longest part of its life in Gifu Prefecture, and has a meat quality grade of 3 or higher. In 2023 Hida beef was registered as a Japanese Geographical Indication.

Local customs

• In Takayama you can eat it in many forms: sukiyaki, teppanyaki and yakiniku, plus Hida beef nigiri sushi, beef skewers and croquettes from stalls in the old town
• it is also often grilled with hoba miso, a traditional Hida way of eating it. Hoba miso grilling means cooking miso and beef on a dried magnolia (hoba) leaf over a small stove.

Religion & beliefs

• Hida beef itself has nothing to do with religion. Before the Meiji era Japan largely did not eat beef for cultural and religious reasons, and cattle were used mainly for farm work, which is also why Hida beef became a beef brand relatively late. The Takayama Festival held each spring and autumn is an important Shinto shrine festival
• it draws large crowds, so arrange meals early during the festival.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• There are many Hida beef restaurants and snack stalls on Takayama's old streets, around Takayama Station and near the Miyagawa Morning Market
• a proper sit-down meal takes about an hour, while snacks on the old streets take just ten minutes or so. It combines well with Takayama Jinya, the Miyagawa Morning Market and the Furui Machinami old town, and you can also try it in the direction of Gero Onsen and Shirakawa-go. Dietary notes: the Hida beef nigiri common on the old streets is raw or lightly seared beef, so pregnant women, children and people with sensitive stomachs should choose cooked dishes
• hoba miso contains soybeans
• not suitable for those who do not eat beef. Prices are high and vary greatly by cut and grade. Restaurants are very busy during the Takayama Festival, so book ahead. Prices and opening hours are set by each restaurant
• popular old places often have queues, so eating outside peak mealtimes is more relaxed.