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Travel consultant Rachel Grainger recently spent a month travelling in Japan and tried a number of local specialties as she made her way around the country. Here, she introduces each of them – and explains why you should go out of your way to try them!
Japan is known for its fantastic cuisine, but each area takes particular pride in its regional dishes. These often reflect the history of the area and use local ingredients, so they are a must-try when visiting each destination. Here are just a few of my favourites.
Hitsumabushi (櫃まぶし), Nagoya
Nagoya has a number of famous dishes, from miso katsu (breaded pork in a rich miso sauce) to tebasaki (seasoned fried chicken wings), but hitsumabushi is one of my absolute favourites. Hitsumabushi is a dish of grilled unagi (eel) served on rice, but the unique part is the specific way it is eaten—to enjoy the same dish in multiple ways.
The rice and eel should first be divided into four, and one quarter transferred to your bowl to be enjoyed just as it is. The second portion is then eaten with a range of toppings, usually including wasabi, chopped green onions, and dried nori seaweed. The next quarter is again eaten with the seasonings, but also with the broth or green tea poured over it in the ocha-zuke style. Finally, the last portion should be enjoyed in whichever of the styles you liked best.
This is a dish to be enjoyed all year round but is especially recommended in the heat of Japanese summer, when unagi is said to give stamina!
Soup Curry (スープカレー), Hokkaido
Hailing from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, ‘soup curry’ is exactly what you would expect from the name—a thinner version of curry that is served as a soup. It usually consists of a variety of colourful vegetables and chicken, and is served with a side of rice. Ordering often involves many steps: first choosing the type of curry soup stock, then the spiciness level, your main ingredients, and finally any extra toppings.
Winter is the perfect time to try this warming dish, and if you are in Hokkaido you’ll find plenty of specialist soup curry restaurants to choose from. These days the soup curry craze has also made its way across the rest of Japan, so look out for restaurants in other big cities too!
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (広島風お好み焼き), Hiroshima
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, often known simply as Hiroshima-yaki in the area, is the city’s version of Osaka’s famous savoury pancake dish. The word okonomi means ‘as you like’, and the dish can contain a wide range of ingredients from pork to seafood to Korean kimchi and mochi (glutinous rice cakes). Hiroshima-yaki differs from the Osaka-style dish in that it also contains noodles, and the ingredients of batter, cabbage, and topping are usually layered rather than mixed.
The place to try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is Okonomi-mura in Hiroshima city. This ‘Okonomiyaki Village’ houses 24 okonomiyaki restaurants over three floors, so you are to find one you love!
Kushikatsu (串カツ), Osaka
A speciality of Osaka, kushikatsu (also known as kushi-age in parts of Japan) is deep-fried, lightly breaded vegetable, meat, and seafood on skewers—what’s not to love? Skewers can be ordered in sets if you’d like to try a variety, or can also be ordered individually if you know what you do and don’t like. Kushikatsu restaurants tend to be a very casual style, often with lots of counter seats, and offer a Japanese tapas-style menu alongside the skewers.
On your table you will find a side dish of cabbage, eaten raw with dips, and a stainless steel container of dipping sauce for the skewers. These pots of sauce are shared by customers, so there is one main rule: “no double dipping”! Osaka is the place to try kushikatsu, but you will also find specialist restaurants around the country—so don’t miss this delicious dish while in Japan.
Taco Rice (タコライス), Okinawa
And finally for something a little less traditional: taco rice! This popular fusion dish appears on cafe menus all over Japan, but originates in Japan’s southern islands of Okinawa. Taco rice consists of a bed of rice topped with shredded lettuce, ground beef cooked with taco seasoning, chopped tomato, avocado, and grated cheese—and it’s absolutely delicious!
While the exact story behind the invention of taco rice remains unclear, we do know it was created by Japanese restaurant owners outside the gates of US military base Camp Hansen on Okinawa Island. Tacos had already been introduced to Okinawa, and from there they took on a very Japanese twist! Though it may not be entirely Japanese in origin, taco rice is well worth trying whether you are in Okinawa or any other region of Japan.
These dishes are just five of my favourite regional specialities in Japan but there are many, many more to discover. If you have a chance to visit to Japan, be sure to check out the local dishes of the destinations you visit!
Thinking of heading to Japan? Rachel can design a trip to suit your interests and budget – and she’ll even let you know where you can try these delicious regional specialities. Click here to get in touch with her directly and begin planning your holiday.