Yamato no Zoni is a traditional local dish from Nara Prefecture. This white miso soup features tofu, turnip (Iwai daikon), Kintoki carrot, satoimo (taro), and round mochi. In Nara’s culinary customs, tofu symbolizes a white-walled warehouse, representing the wish for one to be built. Round mochi and sliced vegetables express the hope for family harmony throughout the year, while the yellow color of kinako (roasted soybean flour) signifies a wish for a good rice harvest—each ingredient carries its own meaning. Prepared in households around New Year's, Yamato no Zoni is also served in school lunches and cooking classes, making it familiar to younger generations. In addition to being enjoyed as a soup, a unique custom in Nara is to remove the mochi and eat it with kinako—a practice seen in many parts of the prefecture. The vegetables and tofu are simmered to create an umami-rich broth with white miso, enhancing the flavor and making the dish even more enjoyable.

Hyogo Prefecture has the second largest catch of all kinds of octopus in the country and the number one catch of the common octopus in Japan (Madako). It is recorded that octopus fishing in the Seto Inland Sea was already well known in the Edo period (1603–1868), and Tako meshi was prepared as an easy dish with rice after fishing. Today, it has become popular as a homemade dish, with several variations of octopus rice using raw, boiled or dried octopus. It is also sold as a specialty ekiben (boxed take-out food sold at train stations) and is an indispensable local dish. The umami of the dashi enhances the flavor of the octopus and rice, which are cooked in a rice cooker, making it very easy to prepare.

Hamo nabe is a local dish from Osaka Prefecture. Hamo is a white fish similar to conger eel, found in Osaka Bay for a long time and introduced to Osaka in the mid-modern period. In the Senshu area, located across Osaka Bay, hamo is a familiar ingredient, and Hamo nabe—prepared with onions and potatoes—has become a popular dish. The sweetness and umami of Senshu onions pair well with the mild flavor of hamo. Since finely scored hamo, which minimizes the effect of bones, is readily available in Osaka, this dish is also commonly enjoyed in home cooking.

Along with Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki is a representative dish of Naniwa’s Konamon culture—dishes made with flour. It is said to have originated from a sweet called Fu no Yaki, which was served at tea ceremonies hosted by Sen no Rikyu during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The tradition of cooking flour mixed with water on a griddle is believed to have taken root in the late Edo period, and modern Okonomiyaki evolved through the creativity of Japanese cooks. Okonomiyaki became widely recognized across Japan as an Osaka specialty in the early 1960s, largely due to restaurant chains promoting it as such. Even a simple okonomiyaki can be made even more delicious by combining ingredients that are rich in umami.

Meharizushi are onigiri rice balls wrapped with a large pickled takana mustard leaf that are very popular in the Kumano district of Wakayama. Takana (Brassica juncea) is a vegetable with large green leaves that are pickled with salt. The salted...

Kaki no ha zushi are bite-sized pressed sushi made from vinegared rice topped with salted saba mackerel wrapped in a persimmon leaf. The eco-friendly persimmon leaf has anti-bacterial benefits. During the Edo period (1603-1868) the Kinokawa river in Nara was...

Ikanago are small young sand lances that can be harvested during a limited fishing season called ikanago shinkoryou from the end of February for about a month. This time of year it is common to see fishing boats in the...

Zouni is soup with mochi that is traditionally eaten throughout Japan on New Year’s Day. The seasoning and ingredients of zouni varies by region. In Osaka and neighboring Kyoto the traditional zouni is made with shiro miso, a slightly sweet...

One of the local dishes of Kyoto is deep-fried Kamo nasu eggplant soaked in seasoned soup stock called Kamo nasu no agebitashi. Ageru means to fry and hitasu means to soak. Kyoto has a rich history of local vegetables called...

In early winter magamo mallard ducks arrive from Siberia to winter on Lake Biwa. After the long flight the meat of the duck is lean. Over the winter the ducks naturally fatten up to stay warm. The winter ducks are...