At 700 meters above sea level, Hakuba’s high elevation, cold climate, and clear, alpine streams together form a setting which imparts superior flavor to the locally grown buckwheat known as “Hakuba soba.” Flour ground from the soba is used in several regional specialties, and a soba festival is held every autumn. Soba noodles (often simply called “soba”) are served by numerous shops in town and may be eaten hot or cold. Hakuba locals will insist, however, that the crisp air of winter brings out the noodles’ best flavor.
Sukagawa, Yamanouchi is located near the entrance to the Kita-Shiga Kogen Highlands, where buckwheat has long been grown and handmade soba noodles are served at celebrations and other occasions. Sukagawa soba, made from 100% local buckwheat flour and using the fibers of oyamabokuchi leaves as a thickener, has a strong texture and is served at soba restaurants and guest houses.Hard-boiled shredded daikon radish is mixed with buckwheat flour dissolved in water. It is called “Hayasoba” (fast buckwheat noodles) because the amount of daikon (radish) is larger than that of buckwheat flour, making it look as if it is cut into buckwheat noodles, and because it can be made in a short period of time. Sakae Village and Sukagawa in Yamanouchi Town are the only places in Nagano where it is made, and it cannot be found outside of the prefecture.
A galette is a crepe-like dish of French origin made with buckwheat flour. As the flavorful buckwheat flour produced in Hakuba is perfectly suited to galette, the Hakuba Galette was born, a regional specialty topped with local ingredients. This new dish is gaining popularity in hotels and bed and breakfasts around Hakuba.
On the Shimabara Peninsula, a hot spring resort area, there is a “onsen steamed food” that takes advantage of the hottest spring temperature in Japan. This is a popular local method of using hot spring steam to cook local vegetables and seafood in a healthy way. The “steaming kettles” in the Obama hot spring resort use hot spring water that rises to about 105°C (221°F). The food is placed in a steamer basket and placed in the kettle, where it waits for a while to be steamed until it is hot and ready. There are many restaurants specializing in steamed food in the area, and visitors can enjoy a variety of steamed dishes.
Shimabara has long been known as the City of Water and is home to many natural springs. One of the dishes utilizing the spring water is somen-nagashi (running water noodles), in which tenobe-somen (‘Hand-pulled somen’), a specialty of the area, are washed in the spring water. At somen-nagashi restaurants, water is poured in the middle of the table, and patrons enjoy the tenobe-somen after dipping them in the water. These restaurants once abounded throughout the city but are now becoming fewer and fewer. However, there are also places where you can enjoy somen-nagashi using bamboo sticks, and we encourage you to enjoy this specialty when visiting Shimabara.
“Onomichi Ramen” is the original local ramen. Originating in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, it is characterized by a soy sauce-based soup with pork back fat floating in it and flat noodles. There are many ramen stores in the city, and each store has its own original flavor, making it a pleasure to compare different types of Onomichi ramen.
Minamichita is famous for its natural puffer fish, and the offshore waters of the Atsumi Peninsula have become a good fishing ground for natural puffer fish. Locals can enjoy puffer fish dishes such as tecchiri and fugu sashimi.
“Ego” is made by boiling and dissolving seaweed called “ego-so” and hardening it, and is a local traditional dish in Niigata. At a time when refrigerators did not yet exist, it is a highly preserved marine product that has a valuable ingredient for obtaining nutrients that were often in short supply in Nagano as it has no ocean. It is said that ego-so which came from Niigata, was sold out in the Hokushin region and rarely reached the larger towns of Nagano and Matsumoto, and that it was introduced and took root mainly in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture.
Hoya (ascidians) zoni is a traditional home-cooked dish enjoyed around the Ishinomaki area. It’s a unique zoni made with dashi stock of dried hoya, locally sourced seafood and vegetables. Lately, it has become more than just a home-cooked dish and some local restaurants have started serving them as well. Note: Zoni, a Japanese soup with vegetables and fish, is a ceremonial dish prepared in various ways depending on the region. It is often cooked and served at home on New Year’s Day.
The Hinai Jidori chicken is a crossbreed between the Hinai chicken and the Rhode Island Red and is designated as a natural monument. Hinai Jidori chickens are raised for more than three times longer than ordinary broilers and are one of the three most important chickens in Japan. This Oyako-don(Chicken and Egg over rice) is made using this Hinai Jidori.
