In Himeshima, an island off the coast of Kunisaki Peninsula, there is a type of noodle called imokiri. When boiled, it has a slight sweetness to it and a supple, chewy texture. To make imokiri, sweet potatoes are sliced thin, dried and turned into powder form, then kneaded with water and cut into thin noodles. Boiled imokiri noodles are served with root vegetables and tofu simmered with soy sauce.
Surrounded by forests of sawtooth oak trees, the traditional growing of shiitake mushrooms has long been practiced in this area. Shiitake mushrooms on oak trees grow bigger and plumper. By taking well over two years to grow them, they retain umami and aroma, making them perfect for high-quality dried shiitake with a chewy texture.
Ehime Prefecture has over 200 islands off the coast of the Seto Inland Sea and the Uwa Sea and it is known as the leading producer of citrus fruits. Yawatahama has famous terraced mikan orchards on the slopes made with stones stacked from the coastline. Taking in all the sunlight from the sky, the sea, and the stone slopes, unshu mikan oranges grown here are high-quality in terms of sweetness and color.
Jakoten is a specialty dish of Yawatahama. Made with fried fish paste, it has a smokey flavor when grilled lightly. Jakoten is also one of the ingredients of Yawatahama Champon, a noodle dish loved by locals.
Trekking course “The Kunisakihantou Minemichi Long Trail” based on the training path walked by the monks of Rokugo Manzan.
The place used to be called Toyonokuni (Bountiful land), and as the name suggests it is a fruitful area blessed with seafood and foods of the mountain, such as, oysters from Morie Bay, Himeshima’s Kuruma prawns, Hiji’s Shiroshita flatfish, and dried shiitake where Toyonokuni has the highest production rate of in Japan.
Takachiho Beef is a premium brand of beef known for its tender meat and slightly sweet fat, exceptional qualities created by raising cattle with the fresh air and clean water of Takachiho area.
Furthermore, you can see a variety of landscapes formed by the unique climate at the “Yabakei,” a scenic spot with rocky peaks.
Sightseeing points to take in are the scenic beauty of Takachiho Gorge, the “mosaic forest” of Morotsuka Village, with its mix of evergreens and deciduous trees, and the peaceful tea plantation landscape of Gokase.
Yawatahama Champon has a signature light flavor that comes from dashi made with chicken broth, bonito, and kombu. It is served at local restaurants and is soul food for the locals.
