Discover Japan’s Local Cuisine: Meat & Seafood

Many of the "local gourmets" found all over Japan use specialty products such as meat and fish from the region. There are not only things that can be enjoyed at local ordinary shops, but also dishes that can be enjoyed at luxury shops, each of which breathes the history and food culture of the area. This article introduces local gourmet of meat and fish.

Zangi (Hokkaido)

Zangi refers to the Tang-fried that is familiar in Hokkaido. The feature is that the oil-based sauce is firmly flavored, and not only chicken but also octopus and other fried chicken are called zangi. Using flour for clothes, you can enjoy the crisp texture. Zangi can be eaten at izakaya, etc., but if you want to eat zangi with a rich variety of flavors, Sapporo's Sapporo Zangi Honpo, ZANGI Ichiban, Chinese Food Hotei) is recommended.

Tono Genghis Khan (Iwate Prefecture)

Genghis Khan has an image of Hokkaido, but Tono City, Iwate Prefecture is also a specialty that is said to have one Genghis Kanpan in the family. The big feature is to eat outdoors using a "bucket stove" topped with a Genghis Scanpan in a perforated tin bucket. You can enjoy it at "Jingisu Kananbe", "Tono Meat Center", "Tono Genghis Khan Shekumaru-Michi", etc.

Sangraki (Chiba Prefecture)

"Sangayaki", which is made of "Tanerou", a fisherman dish that is made by adding miso or medicinal flavors to fresh fish and beating it until it becomes sticky, is a local dish of Chiba Prefecture. It is baked in griddles, or stuffed in scallops or abalone shells and baked. It has a soft and soft texture. You can taste it at Chiba-shi's "sangaga-local cuisine kokara", Minamiboso-shi's "Fushihime-sangayaki", and Katsuura-shi's "Kyoudoryoritenpei".

Raw Shirasadon (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Fresh dried-up fresh whitebiras are placed on top of rice or vinegared rice, and eaten with medicinal flavor and rice oil. The raw whitebait that has not been cooked is a melting touch. Note that it is not possible to eat it all year round because it is the fishing season from March to around October. You can taste it at Shizuoka City's "Shimizu Fishing Co-op Yojong Branch Donburi House", "Oishi", "Gohanya Sakura", etc.

Chicken (Gifu Prefecture)

Chicken, which is the soul food of Oku-Hida and Minami-Hida in Gifu Prefecture, is pickled chicken in sauce. Stir and eat with vegetables, or bake in griddle or Genghis skan pot. It is sold at supermarkets, but since the seasoning changes depending on the manufacturer, there are standard items for each home. Maruhachi Shokudo (Maruhachi Shokudo) in Gero City, which is known as the birthplace of the shop, "Chicken specialty store Suginoko", "Hagiya Kei-chan (Hagiya Kei-chan)".

Mushi Sushi (Kyoto Prefecture)

It is said that mackerel sushi, which has been popular in Kyoto for a long time, salt mackerel caught in Wakasa Bay and carry it through the mackerel highway. It became one of the cultures to enjoy valuable blue fish. You can taste it at the long-established "Izuu" in Gion, "Sabakaido Hanaori" in Shimo-duck, and "Asahiya" in Yawata.

Katsuo no Tataki (Kochi Prefecture)

The katsuo notaki is a local dish of Kochi Prefecture, where the surface of the katsuo body is burned with straw and broiled, and the inside is cut into pieces in a rare state, and eaten with medicinal flavors and sauce. It is said that the uncooked dishes that the fishermen had eaten on board were transmitted to the public. It is perfect to use bonito with good freshness. You can enjoy it at a restaurant located in the Kurei Taisho-cho market in Nakatosa-cho or in the Hirome market in Kochi.

Sesame mackerel (Fukuoka Prefecture)

Sesame mackerel is a local dish of Fukuoka Prefecture, made from fresh mackerel sashimi with oil, mirin, white sesame, etc. The mackerel is so fast-footed that there is a saying that "the living rot of mackerel", but in Fukuoka, you can get something fresh, so this kind of dish was born. You can eat it with added medicinal flavors, or put it on rice and eat it in a tea-pickled style. You can taste it at Chuo-ku's "Umi no Aji Arifuku", "Seasonal Cuisine Hosho", "Hakata Goma Sabaya".

Toriten (Oita Prefecture)

Toriten is a "chicken tempura" that is fried with seasoned chicken with tempura batter. It is a local dish in Oita Prefecture, where it is familiar alongside the fried Tang. The clothes are thin and refreshing, and it is characterized by eating them with ponzu vinegar and hot pepper. There are many shops that can be eaten, but Oita's "Delicious Nakayoshi", "Kotsukotsuan", "Shigenoya Shokudo" are popular.

Chicken Nanban (Miyazaki Prefecture)

Chicken Nanban is a local dish that originated in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture. Its roots were the dishes of the Western restaurant "London" in the 1950 s. Fry the dressed chicken and eat it with sweet vinegar and tartar sauce. Miyazaki City's "Ajino Ogura", "GRILL-Rururanman" and "Clayton House" are famous.