Bichu Beef
備中牛 Okayama
English name: Bichu Beef — no official English name found, so romanised by this site.
Requirements for Bichu Beef: breed — Japanese Black; where raised — raised in the Bihoku area (Takahashi, Kibichuo's former Kayo, Maniwa's former Hokubo); grade — meat quality grade 3 or higher. Also: fed a common feed. Not specified: age.
Definition — what qualifies
| Breed | Japanese Black Sources: [B076] |
|---|---|
| Where it must be raised | Raised in the Bihoku area (Takahashi, Kibichuo's former Kayo, Maniwa's former Hokubo) Sources: [B076] |
| Age / fattening period |
Not set (no such requirement in the source) |
| Grading | Meat quality grade 3 or higher Sources: [B076] |
| Other conditions |
Fed a common feed [B076] |
Grades follow the Japan Meat Grading Association: yield grade (A–C), meat quality grade (1–5), and marbling as BMS No. (1–12). How Japanese beef is graded →
Compared with other brands
This guide lists 75 beef brands that require Japanese Black cattle. 61 beef brands set a meat quality grade. 49 of them, including Bichu Beef, require grade 3 or higher or something stricter. 72 beef brands set no age or fattening condition, and Bichu Beef is one of them.
This guide lists 5 brands from Okayama (also Okayama Kurobuta Pork, Okayama Wagyu, Chiya Beef and Tsuyama Wagyu). By prefecture →
Compare this brand side by side with others → ・ Find brands by their rules →
Counts cover only the brands in this guide.
Guides
- Does Kobe beef have to be A5? We counted the grading rules of 100 Japanese beef brands
- Heifers, steers, or anything? The sex rules of 100 Japanese beef brands
- Where must Japanese brand beef be raised? We counted the region rules of 100 brands
- How old is Japanese brand beef? We counted the age rules of 100 brands
- What counts as wagyu? Four breeds, born and raised in Japan — and how 100 beef brands break down
Managed by
- Managed by
- Bichu Beef Brand Promotion Council
- Official site
- https://www.city.takahashi.lg.jp/soshiki/8/bittyugyu.html
Other brands from Okayama
- Okayama Kurobuta PorkPork brands
- Okayama WagyuBeef brands
- Chiya BeefBeef brands
- Tsuyama WagyuBeef brands
About the names
Brand names are proper nouns. English names follow the brand association's official English page first, then the English name in the GI register, and otherwise romanised Japanese plus "Beef", "Wagyu" or "Pork". We never call a non-Wagyu brand Wagyu.
Sources
Sources are in Japanese
- [B076] 備中牛の定義 — JA Hare no Kuni Okayama ・ Primary source ・ Accessed 2026-09-18