Regional food and famous sweets of Niigata
One of Japan's leading rice regions, with snow-country preservation techniques, seafood, soba, mochi, and refined sake culture.
Niigata is part of the Chubu region. This page lists the guides currently available in English.
17 guides in English
- Awashima Wappa-niNiigata
Wappa-ni places grilled local fish, scallion, miso and water in a cedar bentwood bowl, then drops in a stone heated in a wood fire; the stored heat...
- Hegi SobaNiigata
Hegi soba is a Niigata noodle tradition using funori seaweed as a binder, giving the buckwheat noodles a smooth surface, firm spring, and subtle...
- Myoko KanzuriNiigata
Kanzuri is a fermented Niigata condiment made from chili, yuzu, koji and salt.
- Niigata Bandai DaikoNiigata
Bandai Daiko is a small ring of layered baumkuchen filled through the center with smooth cream, resembling a compact festival drum.
- Niigata Ego-neriNiigata
Ego-neri, also called igo-neri, boils dried ego seaweed from the Sea of Japan coast until it dissolves, repeatedly kneads the mixture, then cools it...
- Niigata ItokoniNiigata
A Niigata form of itokoni simmers azuki beans with daikon, carrot, taro, burdock, konnyaku and fried tofu, seasoning the mixture with miso or soy...
- Niigata Kaki no TaneNiigata
Kaki no tane are slender crescent rice crackers seasoned mainly with soy sauce and chili, producing a dry crunch, savory aroma and moderate heat.
- Niigata NoppeNiigata
Niigata noppe simmers taro, carrot, daikon, lotus root, konnyaku and chicken in dashi until the broth becomes lightly viscous, naturally from taro or...
- Niigata Salmon YakizukeNiigata
Sake no yakizuke grills salmon first and then soaks it while warm in a soy-based marinade, allowing the seasoning to penetrate while keeping the flesh...
- Niigata Sasa-zushiNiigata
Sasa-zushi places a small mound of vinegared rice on a bamboo leaf and tops it with mountain vegetables, walnut, carrot, hijiki, fried tofu and often...
- Niigata Soy Sauce OkowaNiigata
Shoyu okowa steams or cooks glutinous rice with soy sauce until amber-brown, commonly adding red kidney beans for color, sweetness and texture.
- Niigata Tare KatsudonNiigata
Tare katsudon dips thin, freshly fried pork cutlets in a sweet-savory soy-based sauce and layers them directly over rice without simmering them with...
- Niigata Wappa MeshiNiigata
Wappa meshi fills a round container bent from thin cedar boards with lightly seasoned rice, tops it with salmon, salmon roe or other Niigata seafood...
- Niigata Yukiguni ArareNiigata
Yukiguni arare are small crunchy crackers that showcase glutinous rice through simple salt, soy sauce or mixed seasonings.
- Sanjo HikozenNiigata
Hikozen crushes cooked local rice, shapes it like a straw sandal around a bamboo skewer, charcoal-grills it, then coats it with miso blended with...
- Sasa DangoNiigata
Sasa dango is a Niigata sweet made from chewy mugwort-flavored rice dough wrapped in bamboo leaves and tied before steaming. The most familiar version...
- Uonuma KensayakiNiigata
Kensayaki coats a firmly shaped rice ball with miso blended with ginger and grills it until the rice edges crisp and the glaze becomes fragrant. It...