Located in northeastern Kyusyu, Kunisaki Peninsula has a rich history and culture such as Beppu Onsen, one of the most popular hot springs in Japan, and the Usa Shrine, which is said to be the first shrine-temple that incorporated Shinto and Buddhism. Kunisaki Peninsula has been producing grains like flour for centuries and locals have used them in powdered form. Dango jiru, a miso soup with flat dumplings, is a specialty dish in the area created during a time when the yield of rice was low.
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.
Nihoncha means green tea produced in Japan. Green tea is made by immediately heating the tea leaves and drying them after harvest to prevent them from oxidizing, and there are various types of green tea – gyokuro, matcha, bancha, hojicha, genmai-cha, etc. At green tea factories around the Ohigawa area, each makes unique and original green tea in terms of umami, bitterness, flavor, and color (the color of green tea when steeped).
Touted as the Jewel of Suruga Bay, Sakura ebi or Sakura shrimps are only 4 to 5 cm in size, yet they pack full of umami and flavor. They are translucent while in the water but once on the shore, their light pink pigments become more apparent, making them appear pink in color just like Sakura, or cherry blossoms. For conservation purposes and to protect the ecosystem, only the Shizuoka Prefecture has the permit to harvest them in Japan.
Introducing Bara-yaki, a home-cooked dish enjoyed around the Towada area. Bara-yaki is made by cooking bara beef (meat around ribs) and a plenty of onion on a hot iron pan seasoned with soy-based sweet and spicy sauce. The concept comes from Bulgogi, a Korean dish with grilled beef. These days, it’s not only a popular home-cooked dish, it’s now served at local restaurants in the area.
Aomori Prefecture is known as the biggest producer of garlic in Japan, producing over 70% of the annual yields in 2020. Towada city in Aomori is one of the leading areas in growing garlic. Their garlic is rather big in size with pure white, packed with strong umami.
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.
Hegi Soba is Tokamachi’s signature local dish with a supple and chewy texture. Even though there are many types of soba in Japan, what makes Hegi Soba different from the rest is the process in which a seaweed called Funori is used as a binder while kneading. After the soba is boiled. it is then laid out on a wooden tray waving the hand.
