Mishima beef (見島牛 Mishima ushi?) is a type of beef produced in Japan that is much rarer than Kobe beef. It is named after the tiny Mishima Island in the Sea of Japan 40 km northwest of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The progenitors of the Kobe and Mishima cattle were probably brought to Japan by ancestors of the modern Japanese people over 2,000 years ago. Whereas Kobe beef is the result of breeding these with European cattle, the Mishima have never been crossed with modern European breeds. This is possible because of the area's unique island geography.
References
- Beef in Japan, Longworth, JW, University of Queensland Press, Australia, 1984.
