Kachuuyu is a soup that is loved by many in Okinawa and dates back to the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879). Based on katsuobushi, smoked bonito flakes, and miso and any ingredients one prefers, such as seaweed, green onions, or tofu, are...

Kibinago (blue sprat, Spratelloides gracilis) silver striped round herring is locally harvested. Locally it is called the sea nymph of blue waves in the Nankai Southern Seas. The small fish, only about 10 cm in length, is easily recognized for...

The cold soup hiyajiru, is a local dish in Miyazaki, notable for its hot summers. The dish can be quickly assembled by busy farmers and fishermen. Roasted sesame seeds are ground in a mortar with miso to which dashi is...

Buri no atsumeshi is literally yellowtail on steaming rice. Buri yellowtail sashimi is marinated in soy sauce, sake, sugar, and vinegar. The seasoned sashimi is placed over hot rice in a large bowl called donburi and garnished with green onions,...

Basashi, sashimi of horse meat, is a popular dish that pairs well with sake. The tender meat melts in the mouth. Traditional yakumi garnishes with medicinal properties include sliced onions, grated ginger, garlic, and the local sweet Kumamoto soy sauce....

Sarasa jiru is a soup that is associated with the Nagasaki Kunchi Festival. The Kunchi Festival has a rich history dating back 380 years. The whole city of Nagasaki celebrates this autumn festival of the Suwa shrine. The citizens of...

Sukozushi is a traditional sushi made with with rice from Shiorishi, fresh seafood from the Ariake Sea, and minced vegetables placed over rice. Rice is placed into a large wooden box, about 30 x 40 cm or bigger, called murofuta....

Mizutaki means cooked in water. Mizutaki, a classic local dish of Fukuoka, is chicken and vegetables cooked in a hot pot. The dish is made by cutting up chicken and putting the pieces, complete with skin and bones, in a...

Kochi is famous for its harvest of katsuo, bonito, a meaty fish in the tuna family. Katsuo has two seasons. The meat is lean in spring and in the autumn it is a fatty fish after spending the summer in...

Tai sea bream is harvested from the Uwakai Sea of Ehime. Tai sashimi is presented over a bowl of steaming rice and served with the following on small plates: raw egg, seaweed, sesame seeds, and nori. A special sauce is...

Udon has long played an essential role in the local cuisine of Kagawa. The flour noodles are served at festivals and farming ritual events. The warm climate and low rainfall are an ideal climate for growing wheat for udon. The...

Sobamai is soba buckwheat that has been boiled, dried, and the skin removed. Sobamai is cooked in dashi to make zousui porridge. Eating buckwheat groats is unique to Tokushima where it is sold freeze-dried. It’s been said that the dish...

Yamaguchi is famous for its local fish fugu, blowfish or pufferfish. The name fugu sounds like fuku which means fortune and it’s said that eating fugu brings good luck. The history of eating fugu can be traced back 3,000 years...

It is believed that bishu nabe hot pot originated in Saijo, a famous sake-brewing district, in the eastern part of Hiroshima. In the past it was called bisho nabe when it started out as a staff meal for the sake...

Barazushi, a style of sushi, dates back to the Edo period (1603-1868). An edict asked commoners in Okayama to limit their meals to one soup and one side dish to promote frugality. One way of bypassing this was by incorporating...

Shijimi jiru is a soup with small shijimi clams. On the east side of Shimane the Hiikawa river is a tributary into Lake Shinji, the seventh largest brackish water lake in Japan. Shijimi corbicula clams (Corbicula japonica) harvested here are...

Kanijiru is a soup made from crab. A spawning female zuwaigani snow crab is rinsed and cut in half lengthwise. Daikon cut into thin strips is simmered with the crab in water and then seasoned with miso. The female crab...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Ise udon are very thick noodles that are boiled until soft and served in a rich black soup made with a dashi of katsuobushi, iriko — small dried anchovies and sardines, and tamari soy sauce. A simple garnish of sliced...

Aichi is the second largest producer of farmed unagi, freshwater eel. Unagi is often steamed and then grilled but in Aichi it is only grilled resulting in a richer texture. The eel is grilled with a sweet kabayaki soy sauce,...

Raw sakura ebi, a small red shrimp, and ...

Houba are the leaves from the Japanese big-leaf magnolia tree (Magnolia obovate). Houba miso is made by mixing miso with ingredients such as green onions, shiitake, pickles, and the like. This miso mixture is placed on a dried houba leaf...

Shinshu is the old name for the area that is now Nagano. The high altitude and mountainous terrain of the Shinshu area is not suitable for cultivating rice but is good for soba buckwheat. Many generations have passed down the...

Houtou is a hearty soup with noodles. In a nabe hot pot vegetables including kabocha squash are simmered in a dashi broth. Flat and wide udon noodles are added and simmered until soft and the soup is seasoned with miso....

Echizen is a city in Fukui. Oroshi soba is soba noodles served with grated karami daikon and dashi. Oroshi means to grate. Karami daikon is a smaller daikon that is known for its spicy flavor. Kara means spicy and mi...

Kanburi, winter yellowtail harvested from the Sea of Japan, is famous for being fatty. The yellowtail is salted and placed in between a slit cut into a winter turnip. The turnip and yellowtail are fermented with koji-mold (aspergillus oryzae) and...

Masuzushi is a pressed sushi made with masu trout. In 1717 the feudal lord Toshioki Maeda made an offering of Toyama rice and ayu sweetfish pressed sushi to shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa. It was said to make an impression on Yoshimune...

Noppe, a representative local dish of Niigata, is a soup that is found throughout Japan from southern Kyushu to northern Aomori. Each region has its own name for the dish including noppe, noppe jiru, and nuppe. Noppe originated in Niigata...

Kankoyaki, a filled dumpling, has been passed down in the Tsukui region of Sagamihara city since the Edo period (1603-1868). Seasonal ingredients such as spring mountain vegetables or autumn mushrooms are wrapped with a flour dumpling and grilled. Kanko is...

Sardine food culture has a rich history and many traditions have taken root. One example is its association with the Setsubun festival which signifies the arrival of spring, welcomes good fortune, and repels demons from the home. Hiiragi iwashi is...

Hiyajiru udon is udon noodles served with a cold dipping sauce. Hiya means cold and jiru means soup. The dipping sauce is made with sesame seeds, miso, and sugar that are ground in a mortar to which cold water or...

Okkirikomi is a soup with handmade wide flour noodles cooked with taro root and seasonal vegetables that are simmered until the soup becomes thick and is seasoned with miso or soy sauce. Okkirikomi means to cut and put into, which...

Shimotsukare is a traditional dish that has been passed down since the Kamakura period (1185-1333). It is made from salted salmon head, roasted soybeans, and roughly grated daikon and carrots simmered together in a thick pot. The daikon and carrots...

A traditional local dish from Mito city is soboro natto, a mixture of natto fermented soybeans and dried daikon strips with salt. In Mito during the Edo period (1603-1868) it was common to harvest soybeans before the typhoon season. The...

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....

Edo zouni is a traditional soup with mochi that has been passed down in Tokyo since the Edo period (1603-1868). Edo is the old name for Tokyo. The rich history of zouni can be traced to the Muromachi period (1335-1573)...

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...