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Regional food of Chubu

• Aichi Dote-niAichi

  Dote-ni slowly simmers beef tendon, pork intestines or both with konnyaku and aromatics in a thick sauce of dark soybean miso, sugar and sake.

• Aichi Miso DengakuAichi

  Miso dengaku grills tofu, konjac or vegetables and coats them with a sweet-savory miso glaze.

• Aichi Oni ManjuAichi

  Oni manju binds cubes of sweet potato with a simple wheat-flour and sugar batter, then steams them into an irregular mound with the golden potato...

• HitsumabushiAichi

  Hitsumabushi is a Nagoya eel dish in which finely sliced grilled eel is spread over rice in a wooden tub. The same serving changes character through...

• Miso Nikomi UdonAichi

  Miso nikomi udon is a Nagoya noodle stew cooked vigorously in an individual clay pot with dark soybean miso and dashi. Chicken, fried tofu, leek...

• Nagoya KishimenAichi

  Kishimen are broad, flat wheat noodles from Aichi, commonly served in a hot dashi broth with soy sauce, fried tofu, green onion and fluttering bonito...

• Nagoya Miso KatsuAichi

  Miso katsu covers a crisp tonkatsu with a dark, sweet-savory sauce based on Aichi's matured soybean miso, often served with shredded cabbage and rice.

• Nagoya UiroAichi

  Nagoya uiro steams rice flour, sugar and water into smooth bars with a dense, springy bite, often flavored with matcha, azuki, brown sugar or cherry.

• Shinojima Nishi-jiruAichi

  Nishi-jiru uses ibonishi rock snails gathered around Shinojima and the Minamichita coast in winter. The shellfish gives miso soup, or a pounded...

• Tahara Jojo-giriAichi

  Jojo-giri kneads wheat dough and cuts it into long narrow strips, then cooks them either in a soy-seasoned soup as a meal or in a sweet preparation...

• Toyohashi NameshiAichi

  Nameshi mixes cooked rice with finely chopped salted or blanched greens, most characteristically turnip or daikon leaves. In Toyohashi it is famously...

• Echizen Oroshi SobaFukui

  Echizen oroshi soba is Fukui buckwheat served with grated daikon, green onion, and bonito flakes in a seasoned dipping broth or sauce. It is commonly...

• Fukui Bokkake RiceFukui

  Fukui bokkake pours a hot soy-seasoned dashi containing ingredients such as burdock, carrot, shiitake and fried tofu over cooked rice.

• Fukui Decchi YokanFukui

  Decchi yokan is a modest azuki sweet with a lighter body and sweetness than rich gift-style yokan.

• Fukui Habutae MochiFukui

  Habutae mochi kneads glutinous rice flour, sugar and syrup into an exceptionally smooth, thin and tender white confection that stretches gently rather...

• Fukui SatsukigaseFukui

  Satsukigase is a thick, hard-baked round cracker packed with peanuts, combining a rich roasted aroma, buttery dough and decisive crunch.

• Fukui SukoFukui

  Suko pickles red zuiki taro stems in sweetened vinegar, producing a vivid red, crisp and pleasantly tart preserved vegetable.

• Fukui Taro KoroniFukui

  Satoimo no koroni gently tumbles small taro, peeled or scrubbed with skin on, in soy sauce, sugar and mirin until the liquid glazes the creamy tubers.

• Fukui Winter Mizu YokanFukui

  Fukui mizu yokan is spread in a shallow box as a thin, softly set azuki jelly, commonly flavored with brown sugar for a clean, light finish.

• HeshikoFukui

  Heshiko is a strongly seasoned preserved fish from the Wakasa area, most commonly mackerel salted and then matured for months in rice bran. It is...

• Hokuriku Takuan NimonoFukui

  This thrifty dish desalts and softens strongly aged takuan radish, then simmers it in dashi and soy sauce and often finishes it with chili or sesame...

• Wakasa Hamayaki SabaFukui

  Hamayaki saba skewers and grills a whole mackerel until its skin is fragrant and flesh remains rich.

• Wakasa Saba NarezushiFukui

  Saba narezushi salts mackerel, packs it with cooked rice and allows lactic fermentation to create a distinctly sour, deeply savory preserved fish...

• Gifu Ayu GashiGifu

  Ayu gashi folds a thin, softly baked cake around a strip of chewy gyuhi and decorates it as a sweetfish with eyes and fins.

• Gifu Hoba-zushiGifu

  Hoba-zushi wraps vinegared rice and toppings such as fish, vegetables or pickles in a broad magnolia leaf.

• Gifu KeichanGifu

  Keichan marinates pieces of chicken in a miso- or soy-based sauce with garlic and other seasonings, then cooks them on a griddle or pan with cabbage...

• Gifu Kuri KintonGifu

  Gifu kuri kinton is a simple autumn confection made by cooking chestnuts with sugar, then shaping the soft mixture in cloth to resemble a chestnut. It...

• Gifu Myoga BochiGifu

  Myoga bochi wraps sweet bean paste in a wheat- or rice-flour dough, encloses it in fragrant myoga leaves and steams it until soft.

• Hida Genkotsu AmeGifu

  Genkotsu ame kneads roasted soybean flour with mizuame starch syrup into a firm chewy rope, cuts it into bite-size cylinders and dusts the pieces with...

• Hida Pickle SteakGifu

  Tsukemono steak sautés aged Chinese cabbage pickles on a hot iron plate, seasons them with miso or soy sauce and sets beaten egg around the edges...

• Hoba MisoGifu

  Hoba miso is a Hida dish in which miso, green onion, mushrooms, and other ingredients are warmed and browned on a dried magnolia leaf over a small...

• Takayama RamenGifu

  Takayama ramen pairs thin, curly noodles with a clear brown soy sauce soup typically built from chicken, dried fish and vegetables, topped simply with...

• Hakusan Sasa-zushiIshikawa

  Ishikawa sasa-zushi sandwiches vinegared rice and fish such as salmon, trout, mahi-mahi or sea bream between two broad bamboo leaves, packs the...

• Ishikawa Ebisu (Berobero)Ishikawa

  Ebisu, also called berobero, is made by streaming beaten egg into ginger-scented dashi, seasoning it sweet-savory and setting the suspended ribbons in...

• Ishikawa Eggplant SomenIshikawa

  Nasu somen gently simmers eggplant and somen noodles in a sweet-savory soy dashi until both absorb the broth, producing a soft, comforting summer side...

• Ishikawa Fugu no Ko NukazukeIshikawa

  Fugu no ko nukazuke is an intensely savory Ishikawa specialty made by authorized processors who salt pufferfish ovaries and mature them in rice bran...

• Ishikawa Kabura-zushiIshikawa

  Kabura-zushi cuts a pocket into salted turnip, inserts a slice of salted yellowtail and ferments the pieces with rice koji, carrot and kombu. It...

• Ishikawa Kaga Bocha SweetsIshikawa

  Kaga bocha sweets use the toasty, clear aroma of roasted tea stems in puddings, cakes, chocolates, ice cream and other forms rather than defining one...

• Ishikawa Metta-jiruIshikawa

  Metta-jiru is a substantial Ishikawa miso soup containing sweet potato, daikon, carrot, burdock, konnyaku and usually pork, resembling tonjiru but...

• JibuniIshikawa

  Jibuni is a representative Kanazawa dish of duck or chicken simmered with seasonal vegetables, wheat gluten, and a sweet-savory dashi sauce. The meat...

• Kabura ZushiIshikawa

  Kabura zushi is an Ishikawa winter ferment made by sandwiching salted yellowtail between thick pieces of turnip, then maturing them with rice koji...

• Kaga Konka IwashiIshikawa

  Konka iwashi packs heavily salted sardines in rice bran, often with koji and seasonings, and matures them until the flesh becomes firm and profoundly...

• Kanazawa Gori CuisineIshikawa

  Gori is Kanazawa's name for small freshwater fish, traditionally including sculpin caught in rivers such as the Sai. It appears in sweet soy tsukudani...

• Kanazawa Goshiki NamagashiIshikawa

  Goshiki namagashi is a set of five differently shaped and colored Japanese sweets, commonly associated with the sun, moon, mountain, sea and village...

• Kanazawa KintsubaIshikawa

  Kanazawa kintsuba sets lightly sweetened whole azuki beans into a square block, brushes each side with a thin flour batter and cooks it on a griddle.

• Kanazawa ShibafuneIshikawa

  Shibafune are thin, curved wheat crackers coated with a white ginger-sugar glaze, combining a crisp snap, clear sweetness and warm ginger finish.

• Kanazawa Tai no KaramushiIshikawa

  Tai no karamushi opens a whole sea bream from the back, fills it with seasoned okara mixed with ingredients such as ginkgo nuts, carrot, burdock and...

• Noto IshiruIshikawa

  Ishiru is a salty, umami-rich fish sauce fermented in Noto from squid organs or small fish and salt.

• Noto KorogakiIshikawa

  Noto korogaki peels firm Saisho persimmons and dries them slowly in the cold-season air, repeatedly turning and massaging the fruit to develop a soft...

• Ise Henba MochiMie

  Henba Mochi encloses smooth azuki paste in a flat round rice cake and lightly grills both sides, leaving distinctive browned marks and a tender chew.

• Mie NagamochiMie

  Nagamochi flattens a strip of soft mochi around azuki paste and grills the surface, combining a thin chewy skin, bean sweetness and light toasted...

• Gohei MochiNagano

  Gohei mochi is made by crushing cooked rice, pressing it around a flat skewer, coating it with a miso-based sauce containing walnuts, sesame or...

• Ina RomenNagano

  Romen combines firm, low-moisture steamed Chinese noodles with mutton and cabbage. Shops serve either a broth-rich ramen-like bowl or a dry...

• Kiso Sunki-zukeNagano

  Sunki-zuke ferments blanched Kiso turnip greens without any salt, using a portion of successful previous sunki or a prepared starter to seed...

• Komagane Sauce KatsudonNagano

  Komagane sauce katsudon places a freshly fried pork cutlet coated in a sweet-tangy sauce over a bed of shredded cabbage and rice, without egg.

• Nagano HachinokoNagano

  Hachinoko are edible bee or wasp larvae and pupae, especially those of the black hornet in mountain regions, cleaned and usually simmered in soy sauce...

• Nagano Koori SobaNagano

  Koori soba, also called shimi soba, forms boiled buckwheat noodles into small nests, freezes them outdoors at night and thaws and dries them in...

• Nagano Misuzu AmeNagano

  Misuzu Ame turns juices from apricot, apple, grape and other fruit into translucent, softly chewy agar jellies with a lightly crystallized surface.

• Nagano Nozawana-zukeNagano

  Nozawana-zuke salt-pickles long nozawana leaves and stems into a crisp green preserve.

• Nagano Raicho no SatoNagano

  Raicho no Sato sandwiches a mild cream between crisp, ridged European-style wafers, producing a light layered bite.

• Nagano Salted Squid SunomonoNagano

  Shioika no sunomono soaks salted squid to moderate its salinity, slices it and dresses it with cucumber, cabbage or other vegetables in sweetened...

• Nagano Sanzoku-yakiNagano

  Despite its name meaning grilled food, Nagano sanzoku-yaki is usually a large piece of chicken marinated with garlic and soy sauce, dusted with starch...

• Nagano TenyoseNagano

  Tenyose sets ingredients in clear or colored kanten agar, ranging from sweet versions with beans or fruit to savory forms containing egg, vegetables...

• OyakiNagano

  Oyaki is a Nagano dumpling made by enclosing vegetables, pickles, beans, or sweet fillings in a wheat- or buckwheat-based wrapper. Common fillings...

• Sakaki Oshibori UdonNagano

  Oshibori udon grates a hot local daikon such as nezumi daikon, squeezes it through cloth and dissolves Shinshu miso into the raw juice as a dipping...

• Shinshu Koi-kokuNagano

  Koi-koku simmers thick cross-sections of carp, bones and skin included, in a strongly seasoned Shinshu miso broth until the freshwater fish becomes...

• Shinshu SobaNagano

  Shinshu soba is the broad name for Nagano's buckwheat-noodle traditions, from finely cut seiro soba to regional forms such as Togakushi soba.

• Tomikura Kenshin Sasa-zushiNagano

  Nagano sasa-zushi places bite-sized vinegared rice on bamboo leaves and tops it with shiitake, mountain vegetables, walnut, carrot, hijiki, fried...

• 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...

• Fujinomiya YakisobaShizuoka

  Fujinomiya yakisoba stir-fries unusually firm steamed noodles with cabbage and nikukasu pork-fat crumbs, loosening them with water before seasoning...

• Hamamatsu AgeshioShizuoka

  Ageshio mixes raisins, orange peel, walnuts and corn flakes into small rough-textured cookies with a toasted, fruity crunch.

• Hamamatsu GyozaShizuoka

  Hamamatsu gyoza typically fills thin wrappers with pork and plentiful cabbage or onion, pan-fries the dumplings in a circular arrangement and serves...

• Hamamatsu Suppon CuisineShizuoka

  Hamamatsu suppon cuisine uses carefully butchered softshell turtle in a clear or soy-seasoned hot pot, followed by zosui rice porridge made in its...

• Hamamatsu Unagi PieShizuoka

  Unagi Pie is a long, crisp caramelized pastry with rich butter aroma and a small amount of eel extract worked into the dough; it is a sweet, not a...

• Mariko Tororo-jiruShizuoka

  Tororo-jiru seasons grated yam with dashi and miso, then pours it over barley rice.

• Sakura Ebi KakiageShizuoka

  Sakura ebi kakiage is a Shizuoka fritter that gathers tiny pink sakura shrimp into a crisp disk, sometimes with green onion or a small amount of other...

• Shizuoka Abekawa MochiShizuoka

  Abekawa mochi coats freshly made soft rice cakes in roasted soybean flour and sugar, with some sets also including mochi covered in smooth red bean...

• Shizuoka KokkoShizuoka

  Kokko is a small, fluffy steamed sponge cake with a smooth milk cream center and a soft, easy-to-eat texture.

• Shizuoka Kuro HanpenShizuoka

  Kuro hanpen is a gray, half-moon fish cake made mainly from whole sardines or mackerel.

• Shizuoka OdenShizuoka

  Shizuoka oden simmers skewered ingredients, including local black fish cake, beef tendon, daikon and egg, in a dark soy-colored broth and finishes...

• Shizuoka Unagi KabayakiShizuoka

  Unagi kabayaki is eel opened, skewered and grilled repeatedly with a glossy sweet soy tare. Hamamatsu and the Lake Hamana area are especially...

• Shizuoka Wasabi-zukeShizuoka

  Wasabi-zuke mixes chopped wasabi stems and roots with seasoned sake lees.

• Masu ZushiToyama

  Masu zushi is a Toyama pressed sushi in which vinegared trout and seasoned rice are packed into a round wooden container lined with bamboo leaves. The...

• Toyama Buri DaikonToyama

  Buri daikon simmers yellowtail collars and bony cuts with daikon in soy sauce, sake, mirin and ginger.

• Toyama HangontanToyama

  Hangontan is a small round confection with a cocoa-flavored outer layer and sweet filling, styled after the pills once associated with Toyama medicine...

• Toyama Hotaru-ikaToyama

  Hotaru-ika are small firefly squid associated with Toyama Bay's spring season and its glowing coastal displays.

• Toyama Ika KurozukuriToyama

  Ika kurozukuri combines cut squid with salt, its ink and sometimes liver, then matures it into a glossy black shiokara with concentrated salinity...

• Toyama KankontanToyama

  Kankontan encloses smooth custard cream in a pale, fluffy round steamed sponge, producing a soft Western-style confection.

• Toyama Kanoko MochiToyama

  Toyama's Kanoko Mochi is an exceptionally soft white mochi confection scattered with sweetened beans whose spots recall the pattern on a young deer's...

• Toyama Kombu-jimeToyama

  Kombu-jime sandwiches fish or vegetables between sheets of kombu so gentle curing adds umami and firms the texture.

• Toyama Shiro EbiToyama

  Shiro ebi are small translucent shrimp landed in Toyama Bay and celebrated for their refined sweetness. They are commonly served as sashimi, sushi...

• Toyama Tara-jiruToyama

  Tara-jiru simmers roughly cut cod, often including the head, bones and organs, with vegetables in a miso-based broth so the whole fish enriches the...

• Toyama Tororo Kombu OnigiriToyama

  Tororo kombu onigiri coats a warm salted rice ball in soft, feathery shavings of vinegar-softened kombu, giving it tang, umami and a moist texture.

• Toyama Tsuki SekaiToyama

  Tsuki Sekai is a pale, very light Toyama confection made with egg, wasanbon sugar and kanten, dissolving quickly with a clean sweetness and delicate...

• Toyama Yellowtail Shabu-shabuToyama

  Buri shabu passes thin slices of fatty yellowtail through hot kombu broth for only a few seconds, lightly cooking the surface while keeping the center...

• Hoto NoodlesYamanashi

  Hoto is a Yamanashi noodle stew made with broad, flat wheat noodles simmered directly in a miso-based broth. Pumpkin, root vegetables, mushrooms, and...

• Kofu Tori Motsu-niYamanashi

  Kofu tori motsu-ni rapidly cooks chicken liver, gizzard, heart and sometimes immature eggs in a glossy sweet soy sauce.

• Yamanashi OzaraYamanashi

  Ozara serves broad, hoto-like wheat noodles chilled beside a warm soy- or miso-seasoned dipping broth containing vegetables, mushrooms and sometimes...

• Yamanashi Seida no TamajiYamanashi

  Seida no tamaji cooks small whole potatoes, usually with their skins, until coated in a glossy mixture of miso, sugar and sometimes oil.

• Yamanashi Shingen MochiYamanashi

  Shingen mochi presents small soft rice cakes dusted generously with roasted soybean flour and eaten with a separate dark kuromitsu syrup.

• Yoshida UdonYamanashi

  Yoshida udon is a specialty of Fujiyoshida known for unusually firm, thick, rustic noodles. A soy, miso, or blended broth commonly holds boiled...