Kyabetsu mochi(Cabbage rice cake) is a local dish from Fukushima Prefecture. It has been enjoyed in the Ouse area of Kōriyama City for over 80 years. It is said to have been created by farmers who cultivated rice and cabbage as part of a self-sufficient lifestyle, and it is a delicious dish featuring a contrast in textures between sautéed cabbage and freshly made rice cakes. In recent years, various dishes have been created, such as combining rice cakes with cabbage and cheese to make spring rolls, or adding shiratama dumplings instead of rice cakes, and the dish has become very popular in home cooking and school lunches. Given the ingredients it contains, it’s a dish rich in umami!

Introducing Junsai nabe, a traditional local dish from Akita Prefecture. Junsai is an aquatic plant in the water lily family that grows in freshwater swamps and ponds, with round leaves that float on the surface. From spring to summer, bright green leaves appear, and the jelly-like new shoots that emerge from the stems are harvested and eaten. Mitanecho is one of Japan’s main production areas for Junsai, and the careful process of hand-picking each shoot into a box has become a cherished summer tradition. Junsai is known for its soft, pleasant texture and pairs especially well with chicken. Junsai nabe is a summer hot pot dish traditionally cooked and served in a ceramic pot, allowing you to enjoy not only the umami of the ingredients but also their unique texture.

Yanagibatto is a traditional local dish from Iwate Prefecture, where the cold climate makes rice cultivation difficult. For this reason, cold-resistant buckwheat has long been cultivated to suit the harsh climate. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Nanbu clan forbade farmers from eating buckwheat noodles because it was considered too laborious and luxurious, but people ate buckwheat dumplings, saying, "This is not buckwheat noodles." The name "Yanagi" in "Yanagibatto" comes from the shape of the willow tree's leaf, which first sprouts in spring and drops its leaves, then sprouts in autumn, expressing longevity. "Batto" seems to be derived from "Hatto," meaning violation of law. The soup is full of umami from the mushrooms and vegetables, which enhance the flavor of the buckwheat flour.

This time, we feature Ikamenchi, a local dish from Aomori Prefecture. This is a home-style dish from the Tsugaru region, made by deep-frying a mixture of minced squid and vegetables. There are several theories about the origin, but it is said to have originated during the post-war period of food shortages, when people devised a way to eat the prized squid without waste, while also making leftover vegetables delicious. You can taste the umami and squid's texture, and the sweetness and flavor of the vegetables. It’s a popular dish that has become a soul food, and it can be prepared in different ways and with a variety of ingredients.

Ishikari nabe is one of Hokkaido’s most iconic regional hot pot dishes. It originated as a fisherman's dish from the village of Ishikari, on the estuary of the same name, famous for its salmon. In the Ishikari region, where salmon fishing has been popular since the Edo period (1603–1867), freshly caught salmon is chopped up and cooked in a miso-based soup as a nabe. Originally a fisherman's dish, it has now become a common home-cooked dish, eaten to warm the body in the cold winter. The recipe has remained unchanged: salmon is simmered with vegetables in kombu broth, and miso is used for seasoning.The salmon is cooked with its skin on, making it a great source of collagen as well. Ishikari nabe is packed with the umami of konbu broth, miso, and salmon, and is a must-try dish during winter.

Kozuyu is a colorful soup made from dried scallops reconstituted in dashi, mamefu — small balls of wheat gluten, shiitake, carrots, taro root, wood-ear mushrooms, and konnyaku noodles. The soup is seasoned with soy sauce, salt, and sake making an...

Imoni is a hearty soup based on taro root, konnyaku, leeks, vegetables, and Yamagata beef. It is seasoned with soy sauce. Imo means potatoes, here it refers to sato imo — taro root. In the Shonai area pork and miso...

Salmon is fileted, skin and bones removed, and the flesh sliced thin. The salmon slices are lightly simmered in a broth of sake, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and set aside. The roe is gently separated and also quickly passed...

Hittsumi is a soup made with handmade noodles. Flour and water are kneaded into a dough and set aside for one to two hours. The rested dough is rolled thin and pieces are torn off by hand. Hittsumi means to...

Kiritanpo nabe is a hot pot with the unique ingredient called tanpo. Tanpo is cooked rice that is mashed and wrapped like a log onto a thick skewer made from local cedar trees. The rice skewers are grilled over charcoal....

Sembei jiru is a soup of seasonal vegetables and mushrooms cooked in chicken stock and seasoned with soy sauce. This soup includes a unique ingredient called Nambu sembei. Nambu sembei is a crispy wheat cracker that is a popular snack...

Japan’s northernmost prefecture and island, Hokkaido, is an abundant source for seafood. Chanchan yaki is made with a whole fish such as salmon or hokke, Okhotsk atka mackerel. The fish is cleaned, butterflied open, and braised with miso, cabbage, and...