Koro-gaki, which goes well with Uji matcha, has been loved as a tea confectionery and a good luck charm for the New Year, and has been deeply connected with Uji’s tea culture. Also known as “koromusubaki” or “koro-kaki,” koro-gaki is made from a small astringent persimmon called “tsurunoko-gaki” that dries easily. Produced in winter, the persimmon’s sweetness is enhanced by exposure to cold winds. It is sold mainly from mid-December to about January of the following year, and can be purchased at JA, local tea shops, and supermarkets. If eaten before drinking alcohol, they are said to help prevent a bad taste or hangover.
“Chajiru” has been handed down from generation to generation by tea farmers as a meal that can be easily eaten outdoors. It is a kind of chazuke (rice with vegetables and dried fish, topped with sencha green tea), but the seasoning and ingredients vary from household to household. It has been recognized as a “100-year food” by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a “local cuisine that has continued since the Edo period.” In Uji-Tawaracho, this chajiru is used in school lunches as part of efforts to convey the local food culture.
Three types of tea leaves are grown in Uji in the Yamashiro area of Kyoto: Uji matcha, Uji gyokuro, and Uji sencha. Uji matcha is made by grinding dried tea leaves into a powder using a stone mortar, etc. It has a rich aroma, little bitterness, and a subtle sweetness. Uji gyokuro is famous as a top-grade tea with a rich aroma and strong flavor. Uji sencha combines a refreshing aroma with a pleasant astringency, and is the most widely consumed of the three tea varieties.
Because many families keep chickens in miyama, kashiwa no sukiyaki has been eaten at festivals, or any opportunity where people have congregated, since long ago. It is stewed with seasonal vegetables grown in Kyoto, like bamboo shoots and udo in spring, and matsutake mushrooms, kujo leeks and mizuna in autumn, as well as plenty of kashiwa chicken. Because most families in Kyoto keep chickens nowadays, it is a popular “hospitality” dish for welcoming guests.
Woodland Kyoto area is also famous for its autumn leaves and Kyoto vegetables. Among these, Fukuchiyama City is also famous for chestnut sweets. They are best eaten as autumn turns into winter. Chestnut sweets fills the shelves in the many Japanese and western sweet shops in the city. As well as Japanese sweets like chestnut yokan and baked chestnut kinton that fill the shelves of long-established Japanese confectionery shops, famous Parisian stores have opened stores in search of Kyoto’s chestnuts, making Kyoto a true treasure trove of chestnut sweets. Would some chestnut sweets go well with your autumn leaves stroll?
In recent years, “gibier cuisine” has continued to take hold in Japan. Gibier cuisine means eating meat from wild board, deer, and bird game. In Kyoto Prefecture, from long ago there was a custom of eating wild boar, and the botan nabe from the Miyami region, known as “Kabayuki no Sato,” is a famous winter tradition. Wild boar meat is characterized by its fattiness, being rich in collagen, and its beautiful appearance, all of which makes botan nabe a dish you will want to try.
Kahoku Seri (Japanese parsley) is a GI registered crop with a history spanning over 300 years in the area. It has a crisp texture and can be enjoyed in zoni and with oysters in a winter speciality, Ishinomaki Seri Hotpot.
The area also takes pride in having the biggest catch of anago (sea eel) in all of Japan. Anago here is exceptional in size and rich in fat, making it perfect for sushi and rice bowls when paired with the high-quality local Sasanishiki rice.
Tsuyama city in northern Okayama has been a market for cows and horses, making the area deeply associated with beef consumption. Yomenakase, which is the name of the beef around the heart. This popular meat has a crunchy texture and is served as grilled, fried, or tempura. The second dish is Nikogori. In general, Nikogori is a fish dish but in Tsuyama, they use beef. It’s been a winter favorite of the locals. It’s made by simmering beef tendon and making it into a soup, then poured into cubes and served after it’s become firm like jelly. It is packed with collagen and it goes well with Sake.
Okayama prefecture is in the south east Chugoku region. Tsuyama, a city located in the north part of Okayama has been a transportation hub for centuries and known for its livestock trade in cattle and horses. The documents show that livestock markets were often held by merchants by the end of 705 in the Asuka period. Although the Japanese had enjoyed consuming beef for the most part, the arrival of Buddhism in Japan changed their beliefs and diet, which also led them to avoid consuming beef for various reasons. Despite the changes, the locals in the Tsyuyama area continued with the custom of having beef for medicinal purposes. It was something the livestock brokers had started but eventually became quite the norm in the area. All these things are part of the reasons why beef is still quite popular and a key part of their food culture today. Also, Tsuyama has always had many Wagyu breeders that raised and sold baby cows However, these baby cows were sold and supplied outside Tsuyama, that would eventually breed helped pave the way for other Wagyu brands in Japan. However, a growing number of baby cows ended up being supplied outside the Tsuyama areas prompted a move among the locals to create their own brand of Wagyu beef.
