Japanese cuisine has a vast array of regional specialities known as kyōdo ryōri (郷土料理) in
Japanese, many of them originating from dishes prepared using local ingredients and traditional recipes.[1]
While "local" ingredients are now available nationwide, and some originally regional dishes such as
okonomiyaki and Edo-style
sushi have spread throughout Japan and are no longer considered as such, many regional specialities survive to this day, with some new ones still being created.
Regionality is also apparent in many dishes which are served throughout Japan such as
zōni soup. For example, the
dashi-based broth for serving
udon noodles is heavy on dark
soy sauce, similar to
soba broth, in eastern Japan, while in western Japan the broth relies more on the complex dashi-flavouring, with a hint of light soy sauce.
Historical origins
Broadly speaking, the historical origins of Japanese regional specialities can be categorized into four types:
Traditional - Food originating from local ingredients before the days of
refrigeration
Late 19th and early 20th centuries - The influx of foreign culture in the wake of the 1886
Meiji Restoration and the end of
national seclusion led to waves of new dishes being invented throughout Japan using new ingredients and cooking methods.
In the aftermath of the
Second World War - Food shortages led to new dishes being devised from existing ingredients, many by returning soldiers bringing back recipes from abroad.
Modern - Modern chefs inventing new dishes which become popular locally, as well as dishes artificially[clarification needed] proclaimed to be regional specialties by local businesses and tourist boards.
Inago no tsukudani - Inago (a type of
grasshopper) stewed in sweetened soy. (rural communities in inland
Yamagata,
Nagano and
Gunma Prefectures).
Hōtō -
udon noodles stewed in a miso-based soup with vegetables such as pumpkin or potatoes, mushrooms and sometimes meat. This is usually served in a cast-iron pot.
Monja-yaki - a savoury pancake similar to
okonomiyaki but much runnier and eaten directly off the grill using a metal spatula, from working-class districts of Tokyo. A nostalgic food item making a recent comeback.
Yanagawa nabe [
ja] and dojō nabe - a
nabemono dish of
loach cooked in a pot. Yanagawa nabe also contains sliced
burdock root and egg. (working class districts of
Tokyo)
Sushi - What is known as "sushi" worldwide is a type of sushi known in Japan as edo-mae-zushi (
Edo Bay sushi) and originates from 1820s Edo (Tokyo).
Masuzushi [
ja] - Trout steamed in wrapped bamboo leaves and served on a circular bed of rice six inches in diameter (
Toyama Prefecture).
Jibu-ni - Duck or chicken pieces coated in starch and stewed with wheat gluten, mushrooms and vegetables in a soy-dashi broth. (
Kanazawa)
Tekone-zushi [
ja] - a type of sushi where slices of raw
tuna and the like are marinaded in a soy sauce based marinade and then laid out over vinegared rice and sprinkled with shredded
nori etc. (southern Shima Peninsula in
Mie Prefecture)
Kansai and Chugoku regions
Yudofu - tofu simmered in hot water with
kombu and eaten with various dipping sauces. (
Kyoto)
Osaka zushi - sushi pressed quadrangle sharp and also called Hako zushi ("box sushi"). (
Osaka)
Battera zushi - a type of box sushi using mackerel and vinegared kelp. Named battera taken from the Portuguese bateria or small boat.
Obanzai - a style of cooking rather than a dish in Kyoto
Shikoku
Katsuo no tataki - finely chopped
skipjack tuna mixed with chopped
spring onion and seasoned with rice
vinegar. (
Kochi area - in other regions this would refer to sliced, seared skipjack tuna)
Sudachi - a tiny lime-like citrus, which is mixed, grated and added to fish dishes of the Tokushima area to give any dish the distinctive summertime in
Tokushima taste.
Mizutaki - a
nabemono dish of chicken and vegetables cooked in broth and served with a
ponzu dipping sauce (
Fukuoka)
Hakataramen - noodles served in a tonkotsu (pork bone stock) soup with unique toppings such as
beni shōga (pickled ginger), sesame seeds and picked greens.
Yatai stalls in Hakata and
Tenjin are well-known. Many restaurants operate a system known as kaedama (替え玉), where customers who have finished eating can ask for cheap additional bundles of noodles to be put in their remaining soup. Now popular throughout Japan.
sake-zushi - a type of sushi which uses rice flavored with
sake instead of the usual rice vinegar. Served in a tub topped with shrimp, sea
bream,
octopus,
shiitake mushrooms,
bamboo shoots and shredded omelette.
Toriten - a tempura chicken that can be dipped in a soy sauce based sauce. (
Ōita Prefecture)
^"Encounter with Kuwana"(PDF) (in English and Japanese). Tourism Division, Industry Promotion Department, City of Kuwana. September 2006. pp. 22–23. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
Japanese cuisine has a vast array of regional specialities known as kyōdo ryōri (郷土料理) in
Japanese, many of them originating from dishes prepared using local ingredients and traditional recipes.[1]
While "local" ingredients are now available nationwide, and some originally regional dishes such as
okonomiyaki and Edo-style
sushi have spread throughout Japan and are no longer considered as such, many regional specialities survive to this day, with some new ones still being created.
Regionality is also apparent in many dishes which are served throughout Japan such as
zōni soup. For example, the
dashi-based broth for serving
udon noodles is heavy on dark
soy sauce, similar to
soba broth, in eastern Japan, while in western Japan the broth relies more on the complex dashi-flavouring, with a hint of light soy sauce.
Historical origins
Broadly speaking, the historical origins of Japanese regional specialities can be categorized into four types:
Traditional - Food originating from local ingredients before the days of
refrigeration
Late 19th and early 20th centuries - The influx of foreign culture in the wake of the 1886
Meiji Restoration and the end of
national seclusion led to waves of new dishes being invented throughout Japan using new ingredients and cooking methods.
In the aftermath of the
Second World War - Food shortages led to new dishes being devised from existing ingredients, many by returning soldiers bringing back recipes from abroad.
Modern - Modern chefs inventing new dishes which become popular locally, as well as dishes artificially[clarification needed] proclaimed to be regional specialties by local businesses and tourist boards.
Inago no tsukudani - Inago (a type of
grasshopper) stewed in sweetened soy. (rural communities in inland
Yamagata,
Nagano and
Gunma Prefectures).
Hōtō -
udon noodles stewed in a miso-based soup with vegetables such as pumpkin or potatoes, mushrooms and sometimes meat. This is usually served in a cast-iron pot.
Monja-yaki - a savoury pancake similar to
okonomiyaki but much runnier and eaten directly off the grill using a metal spatula, from working-class districts of Tokyo. A nostalgic food item making a recent comeback.
Yanagawa nabe [
ja] and dojō nabe - a
nabemono dish of
loach cooked in a pot. Yanagawa nabe also contains sliced
burdock root and egg. (working class districts of
Tokyo)
Sushi - What is known as "sushi" worldwide is a type of sushi known in Japan as edo-mae-zushi (
Edo Bay sushi) and originates from 1820s Edo (Tokyo).
Masuzushi [
ja] - Trout steamed in wrapped bamboo leaves and served on a circular bed of rice six inches in diameter (
Toyama Prefecture).
Jibu-ni - Duck or chicken pieces coated in starch and stewed with wheat gluten, mushrooms and vegetables in a soy-dashi broth. (
Kanazawa)
Tekone-zushi [
ja] - a type of sushi where slices of raw
tuna and the like are marinaded in a soy sauce based marinade and then laid out over vinegared rice and sprinkled with shredded
nori etc. (southern Shima Peninsula in
Mie Prefecture)
Kansai and Chugoku regions
Yudofu - tofu simmered in hot water with
kombu and eaten with various dipping sauces. (
Kyoto)
Osaka zushi - sushi pressed quadrangle sharp and also called Hako zushi ("box sushi"). (
Osaka)
Battera zushi - a type of box sushi using mackerel and vinegared kelp. Named battera taken from the Portuguese bateria or small boat.
Obanzai - a style of cooking rather than a dish in Kyoto
Shikoku
Katsuo no tataki - finely chopped
skipjack tuna mixed with chopped
spring onion and seasoned with rice
vinegar. (
Kochi area - in other regions this would refer to sliced, seared skipjack tuna)
Sudachi - a tiny lime-like citrus, which is mixed, grated and added to fish dishes of the Tokushima area to give any dish the distinctive summertime in
Tokushima taste.
Mizutaki - a
nabemono dish of chicken and vegetables cooked in broth and served with a
ponzu dipping sauce (
Fukuoka)
Hakataramen - noodles served in a tonkotsu (pork bone stock) soup with unique toppings such as
beni shōga (pickled ginger), sesame seeds and picked greens.
Yatai stalls in Hakata and
Tenjin are well-known. Many restaurants operate a system known as kaedama (替え玉), where customers who have finished eating can ask for cheap additional bundles of noodles to be put in their remaining soup. Now popular throughout Japan.
sake-zushi - a type of sushi which uses rice flavored with
sake instead of the usual rice vinegar. Served in a tub topped with shrimp, sea
bream,
octopus,
shiitake mushrooms,
bamboo shoots and shredded omelette.
Toriten - a tempura chicken that can be dipped in a soy sauce based sauce. (
Ōita Prefecture)
^"Encounter with Kuwana"(PDF) (in English and Japanese). Tourism Division, Industry Promotion Department, City of Kuwana. September 2006. pp. 22–23. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.