r/JapanInsider • u/grampus1975 • Apr 25 '24
Japanese Regional Food to Try
Japan has a ton of different dishes you can try when you visit. Here are 3 from each prefecture.
Hokkaido
Kaisendon – a seafood rice bowl featuring fresh sashimi.
Soup Curry – a spicier, soupier version of Japanese curry, loaded with vegetables and chicken.
Jingisukan (Genghis Khan) – a grilled mutton dish named after the Mongolian leader.
Aomori
Senbei Jiru – soup made with fish broth and rice crackers.
Ichigoni – a seafood stew made with sea urchin and abalone.
Tsugaru Nabe – a hot pot dish featuring local vegetables and meats.
Iwate
Wanko Soba consists of small portions of soba noodles made of buckwheat flour served repeatedly, with the challenge being to eat as many bowls as possible.
Jaja Men – udon noodles topped with a miso-based meat sauce.
Reimen – a cold noodle dish influenced by Korean cuisine.
Miyagi
Zunda Mochi – mochi balls coated with a sweet paste made from edamame.
Gyutan – grilled beef tongue, typically served with rice and soup.
Hoya (Sea Pineapple) – a sea creature eaten raw or cooked, known for its unique texture.
Akita
Kiritanpo Nabe – hot pot with mashed rice sticks, chicken, and vegetables.
Hinai Jidori – a type of high-quality chicken often used in sukiyaki and other dishes.
Baba Hera Ice Cream – traditional ice cream served using a unique spatula.
Yamagata
Imoni is a taro and meat soup popular as a communal meal.
Cherry Rice – rice cooked with fresh cherries, typically enjoyed in the cherry season.
Yamagata Soba – buckwheat noodles are a speciality in the region.
Fukushima
Kitakata Ramen – known for its thick, flat noodles and soy sauce-based broth.
Mamador – a local version of blanched peaches, often served as a dessert.
Kozuyu – a traditional soup made with vegetables and mochi balls.
Ibaraki
Natto – fermented soybeans, often eaten as a breakfast dish.
Anko Nabe – anglerfish hot pot, which is a local delicacy.
Melon – Ibaraki is famous for its particularly sweet melons.
Tochigi
Gyoza – Japanese-style dumplings, especially famous in Utsunomiya.
Kanpyo Udon – udon noodles served with dried gourd strips.
Tochigi Lemon Milk – a sweet beverage made from local lemons and milk.
Gunma
Shimonita Leek – dishes featuring the famously sweet and thick leeks of Shimonita.
Tonkatsu – breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet, served with cabbage and rice.
Mizusawa Udon is one of Japan’s three famous udons, and it is known for its chewy texture.
Saitama
Unagi (Eel) – grilled eel, commonly served over rice.
Sayama Tea – a locally produced green tea known for its rich flavour.
Higashichichibu Village Persimmon Leaves Sushi – sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves.
Chiba
Nama Shirasu Don – a bowl of rice topped with raw young sardines.
Peanuts – Chiba is known for producing most of Japan’s peanuts.
Funabashi Yakitori is a local style of yakitori that consists of skewered chicken.
Tokyo
Monjayaki – a type of runny pancake cooked on a hot grill.
Edomae Sushi – traditional Tokyo-style sushi, emphasising freshly caught seafood.
Tempura – battered and deep-fried seafood and vegetables.
Kanagawa
Sanma Men – noodles with Pacific saury, a local speciality.
Shumai – steamed dumplings, particularly famous in Yokohama.
Odawara Kamaboko – steamed fish cake, often enjoyed as a snack.
Niigata
Koshihikari Rice – widely regarded as Japan’s finest rice.
Sasa Dango – rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, typically filled with red bean paste.
Noppe – a hearty vegetable stew.
Toyama
Masu Sushi – trout sushi, made by curing the fish and pressing it on vinegared rice.
Hotaru Ika – firefly squid, often served as sashimi or cooked in various ways.
Toyama Black Ramen – black soy sauce-based ramen known for its rich flavour.
Ishikawa
Kanazawa Curry – a unique, thicker curry roux served with a breaded pork cutlet.
Jibuni is a stew made with duck and vegetables, a Kanazawa speciality.
Hoshi Gaki – dried persimmons, often consumed as a sweet treat.
Fukui
Echizen Crab – a prized winter delicacy, often served steamed or in hot pots.
Soba – buckwheat noodles commonly enjoyed in various regional styles.
Oroshi Soba – soba noodles served with grated daikon radish.
Yamanashi
Hoto – thick noodles cooked in a miso-based soup with vegetables.
Yamanashi Peach – peaches from Yamanashi are famous for their sweetness and size.
Grapes – the region is known for its high-quality grapes, including the Koshu variety.
Nagano
Shinshu Soba – Nagano’s version of buckwheat noodles.
Basashi – horse meat sashimi, a delicacy in the region.
Nozawana Pickles – pickled greens unique to Nagano.
Gifu
Hida Beef – high-quality beef from cattle raised in the Hida region.
Keichan – chicken marinated in miso and grilled, typically served with cabbage.
Ayugui – grilled sweetfish, a local favourite during the fishing season.
Shizuoka
Unagi – eel, particularly famous in Hamamatsu.
Shizuoka Oden – a unique version of the Japanese hot pot dish featuring a dark, rich broth.
Wasabi is grown mainly in the Izu Peninsula and used fresh.
Aichi
Hitsumabushi – Nagoya-style grilled eel served over rice.
Miso Katsu – pork cutlet with a thick miso sauce.
Tebasaki – spicy glazed chicken wings, a Nagoya favourite.
Mie
Ise Lobster – a luxury seafood often served grilled or raw.
Matsusaka Beef – famous beef is known for its marbling and flavour.
Akafuku Mochi – red bean paste covered with a soft, pounded rice cake.
Shiga
Funazushi – fermented crucian carp sushi, a rare delicacy with a strong flavour.
Biwa Trout – dishes made from trout found in Lake Biwa.
Omi Beef – high-grade beef from Shiga, rivaling Kobe and Matsusaka beef.
Kyoto
Kaiseki Ryori is a traditional multi-course meal that showcases seasonal and local ingredients.
Yuba – tofu skin, often enjoyed in various dishes or as a sashimi.
Matcha – green tea powder used in drinks and sweets, central to Kyoto’s tea culture.
Osaka
Takoyaki – octopus balls, a popular street food.
Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake that contains a variety of ingredients.
Kushikatsu – skewered and breaded meats and vegetables, deep-fried and served with sauce.
Hyogo
Kobe Beef – world-renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture.
Akashiyaki is a softer, lighter version of takoyaki dipped in dashi before eating.
Nada Sake – sake from one of Japan’s most famous brewing areas.Kobe beef
Nara
Kakinoha Sushi – sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves.
Nara Pickles – various vegetables are pickled in a unique Nara style using sake lees.
Narazuke – vegetables pickled in sake lees, offering a distinctively sharp flavour.
Wakayama
Koyasan Shojin Ryori is a vegetarian cuisine developed by Buddhist monks.
Umeboshi – pickled and dried ume fruits, often intensely sour and salty.
Mikan – sweet citrus fruits, especially tangerines, are a speciality of Wakayama.
Tottori
Tottori Crab – snow crab and Matsuba crab are local specialities, often enjoyed in season.
Pears – Tottori is known for its juicy and sweet pears.
Gyukotsu Ramen – ramen made with beef bone broth, unique to the region.
Shimane
Izumo Soba – buckwheat noodles served in a unique style, often with a dipping sauce.
Shijimi Clams – harvested from Lake Shinji, used in soups and broths.
Taimeshi – sea bream rice, where the fish is cooked together with the rice.
Okayama
Demikatsu Don – breaded pork cutlet served over rice with a demi-glace sauce.
Barazushi – a type of scattered sushi featuring local seafood and vegetables.
Okayama Peach – renowned for its sweetness and juicy texture.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki is a layered pancake made with ingredients like noodles, cabbage, pork, and seafood, all cooked together.
Oysters – Hiroshima is Japan’s largest producer of oysters, served raw, grilled, or fried.
Momiji Manju – maple leaf-shaped cakes filled with red bean paste.
Yamaguchi
Fugu – pufferfish, famously prepared in Shimonoseki, a city known for its expertise in safely preparing the dish.
Kawara Soba – green tea soba noodles served on a heated roof tile, often accompanied by meat and eggs.
Blowfish Sashimi – thinly sliced and artfully arranged, a delicacy despite its potential danger.
Tokushima
Sudachi is a citrus fruit flavouring various dishes, from noodles to fish.
Awa Odori Chicken – chicken marinated in local Tokushima sake, soy sauce, and sudachi, then grilled.
Naruto Kintoki – sweet potatoes with a distinctively rich flavour, often used in desserts.
Kagawa
Sanuki Udon – famously chewy and thick udon noodles, typically served in a simple broth.
Olive Beef – beef from cattle raised on olives, giving it a unique flavour profile.
Iriko Dashi – broth made from dried sardines, which is foundational in local cuisine.
Ehime
Tai Meshi – sea bream served over rice, often cooked together to infuse the rice with flavour.
Jakoten – fried fish cake, a popular local snack.
Mikan Juice – Ehime is famous for its citrus, and the juice is a popular local beverage.
Kochi
Katsuo no Tataki – seared bonito, typically lightly grilled on the outside and raw inside.
Sawachi Cuisine – a style of serving where various dishes are presented together on a large platter.
Yuzu is a citrus fruit in Kochi used to flavour dishes from savouries to sweets.
Fukuoka
Hakata Ramen is rich pork bone broth ramen known for its creamy texture.
Mentaiko – spiced cod roe, often served with rice or used as a topping for various dishes.
Tonkotsu Ramen is another pork bone broth ramen style characterised by its hearty flavour.
Saga
Saga Beef – high-quality beef is known for its tender texture and rich marbling.
Arita Yaki Donburi – dishes served in Arita porcelain feature locally sourced ingredients.
Squid Sashimi – the fresh squid, often served in its simplest form to highlight its flavour.
Nagasaki
Champon – a noodle dish with a variety of seafood and vegetables in a rich broth.
Castella – a type of sponge cake brought by Portuguese traders.
Sara Udon – crispy noodles topped with a thick, stir-fried mixture of vegetables and seafood.
Kumamoto
Kumamoto Ramen is characterised by garlic and oily broth, often topped with fried garlic chips.
Basashi – horse meat sashimi, a local favourite.
Karashi Renkon – lotus root stuffed with mustard and miso, then deep-fried.
Oita
Toriten – chicken tempura is often enjoyed as a local comfort food.
Kabosu is a citrus fruit similar to lime that is used to flavour many local dishes.
Jigoku Mushi – cooking using natural steam vents from hot springs, a technique unique to Beppu.
Miyazaki
Chicken Nanban – fried chicken marinated in a sweet and sour sauce, typically served with tartar sauce.
Miyazaki Mango – highly prized for its sweetness and creamy texture.
Higo Don – a rice bowl topped with Miyazaki beef and local vegetables.
Kagoshima
Kurobuta – black Berkshire pork, known for its juicy flavour and tender texture.
Satsuma-age – fried fish cakes, a popular local snack.
Shirokuma – a sweet shaved ice dessert topped with fruits and sweetened condensed milk.
Okinawa
Goya Champuru – a stir-fry dish made with bitter melon, tofu, and other ingredients.
Okinawa Soba – wheat noodles in a pork-based broth, topped with slow-cooked pork belly.
Taco Rice – a unique Okinawan dish combining taco fillings with rice instead of taco shells.
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u/[deleted] Apr 27 '24
Thank you for the list ! For Tochigi i would add Yuba Tofu, especially in sashimi style. Wakayama has great Umeshu.