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Regional food of Kansai

• AkashiyakiHyogo

  Akashiyaki is an Akashi specialty of soft, egg-rich dumplings containing octopus. Locally they are also called tamagoyaki, although they are quite...

• Ako Shioami ManjuHyogo

  Shioami manju encloses smooth bean paste in a fine, pale outer layer and uses a measured touch of salt to sharpen the sweetness rather than make the...

• Arima Tansan SenbeiHyogo

  Tansan senbei are paper-thin round crackers made from flour, sugar and starch with leavening, baked rapidly in molds for a brittle snap and mild...

• Awaji Hamo-sukiHyogo

  Hamo-suki simmers carefully bone-cut pike conger with sweet Awaji Island onions and other vegetables in a seasoned hot-pot broth.

• Himeji OdenHyogo

  Himeji oden serves familiar simmered ingredients such as daikon, egg and fish cake with ginger soy sauce poured over them or used as a dip.

• Hyogo Ikanago no KuginiHyogo

  Ikanago no kugini cooks fresh young sand lance in soy sauce, sugar, mirin and ginger without vigorous stirring until the liquid reduces and the fish...

• Izushi Sara SobaHyogo

  Izushi soba serves buckwheat noodles across several small white-porcelain plates, allowing diners to order additional plates as they eat.

• Kakogawa KatsumeshiHyogo

  Katsumeshi places sliced beef cutlet, or sometimes pork cutlet, over plain white rice and covers it with a shop-specific brown sauce, usually serving...

• Kobe BeefHyogo

  Kobe Beef is a tightly defined brand applied only to qualifying meat from Tajima cattle raised in Hyogo and meeting specified carcass, quality, and...

• Kobe BokkakeHyogo

  Bokkake slowly braises cleaned beef tendon and konnyaku in soy sauce, sugar, mirin and dashi until glossy, yielding soft gelatinous meat and springy...

• Kobe GaufresHyogo

  Kobe gaufres sandwich vanilla, strawberry or chocolate cream between large, round, paper-thin wafers with an airy crisp bite.

• Kobe Kawara SenbeiHyogo

  Kawara senbei are firm, sweet wheat-and-egg crackers baked flat or gently curved and often stamped with local scenes, recalling traditional roof...

• Setouchi Tako MeshiHyogo

  Tako meshi cooks bite-size octopus with rice in dashi, soy, sake and ginger, or folds separately simmered octopus into seasoned rice, tinting the...

• Tamba Sasayama Botan-nabeHyogo

  Botan-nabe fans thin red boar slices like peony petals, then simmers them with napa cabbage, negi, burdock, mushrooms, tofu and konnyaku in a robust...

• Tanba Black Soybean RiceHyogo

  Tanba black soybean rice cooks the large black soybeans associated with Tanba-Sasayama together with rice, giving the grains a gentle sweetness, aroma...

• Kyoto Ajari MochiKyoto

  Ajari Mochi encloses sweet chunky azuki paste in a thin, moist baked dough made notably chewy with glutinous-rice ingredients, shaped like a monk's...

• Kyoto ImoboKyoto

  Imobo pairs large beveled pieces of Kyoto ebi-imo taro with bodara, cod dried rock-hard, and slowly simmers them so fish gelatin and savory broth...

• Kyoto Kamo Nasu DengakuKyoto

  Kamo nasu dengaku halves or thickly cuts the large round Kyoto eggplant, fries or slowly sears it until creamy, then tops it with sweetened miso and...

• Kyoto Manganji Pepper and Jako TakitanKyoto

  This obanzai side dish gently simmers large, mild Manganji peppers with chirimen jako baby sardines in dashi and soy-based seasoning.

• Kyoto MinazukiKyoto

  Minazuki is a triangular white uiro rice-flour sweet topped with sweet azuki beans.

• Kyoto Nishin SobaKyoto

  Nishin soba places a large fillet of migaki nishin, dried herring slowly simmered sweet-salty, over hot soba in a clear, gently seasoned broth.

• Kyoto SenmaizukeKyoto

  Senmaizuke slices large Shogoin turnips into translucent rounds and pickles them with salt, vinegar, sugar, kombu and chili, creating a delicate...

• Kyoto Shippoku UdonKyoto

  Kyoto shippoku udon arranges simmered shiitake, yuba, wheat gluten, kamaboko and mitsuba over hot udon in a clear dashi. The generous assortment is...

• Kyoto SugukiKyoto

  Suguki pickles the bulb and leaves of a Kyoto turnip variety with salt, presses them heavily and finishes fermentation under controlled warmth...

• Kyoto Uji KintokiKyoto

  Uji Kintoki pours vivid matcha syrup over shaved ice and adds sweet azuki beans, sometimes with shiratama dumplings or condensed milk.

• Kyoto White Miso ZoniKyoto

  Kyoto-style zoni combines a mellow, gently sweet white miso broth with round mochi, small celebratory daikon, taro and other rounded ingredients.

• Kyoto YubaKyoto

  Yuba is the delicate film lifted from the surface of heated soy milk and is eaten fresh, dried, simmered or served like sashimi.

• Kyoto YudofuKyoto

  Yudofu is tofu warmed gently in kombu-infused water and eaten with soy-based dipping sauce and condiments. Kyoto versions rely on good water...

• Ohara ShibazukeKyoto

  Traditional nama-shibazuke ferments eggplant with red shiso and salt until lactic acidity and the herb's purple-red color permeate the crisp...

• YatsuhashiKyoto

  Yatsuhashi is a Kyoto confection flavored with cinnamon. The original baked style is a thin, crisp curved cracker, while nama yatsuhashi is a soft...

• Ise Akafuku MochiMie

  Akafuku Mochi is an Ise specialty made by covering soft mochi with smooth strained azuki bean paste and is widely recognized as a souvenir of the...

• Ise UdonMie

  Ise udon is a Mie noodle dish of exceptionally thick, very soft udon mixed with a small amount of dark tamari-based sauce. The sauce looks intense but...

• Kumano Mehari-zushiMie

  Mehari-zushi wraps a generous ball of seasoned rice in a broad leaf of pickled takana mustard, sometimes adding chopped stems inside.

• Kumano Sanma ZushiMie

  Sanma zushi lays salted and vinegared Pacific saury over sushi rice in a long pressed form.

• Mie Arame-makiMie

  Arame-maki wraps fish or vegetables in strips of arame seaweed and slowly simmers the rolls until the seaweed softens and absorbs the seasoning.

• Mie Ibara MochiMie

  Ibara mochi wraps a simple rice cake, often containing sweet bean paste, between leaves of sarutori-ibara, a wild smilax plant found in the region.

• Tekone ZushiMie

  Tekone zushi is an Ise-Shima dish of vinegared rice topped or mixed with slices of bonito or tuna marinated in a sweet soy-based sauce. Shiso, ginger...

• Kakinoha ZushiNara

  Kakinoha zushi is pressed sushi in which small blocks of vinegared rice and salted or vinegared fish are wrapped individually in persimmon leaves...

• Miwa SomenNara

  Miwa somen is a traditional hand-stretched noodle from the area around Miwa in Sakurai, Nara. The strands are exceptionally fine yet retain a clean...

• Nara Asuka-nabeNara

  Asuka-nabe combines chicken stock, miso and milk into a mellow broth for chicken, tofu, Chinese cabbage, root vegetables and shirataki. Some versions...

• Nara ChameshiNara

  Nara chameshi cooks rice with roasted soybeans or adzuki, dried chestnuts, grains and seasonal vegetables in sencha or hojicha, producing a fragrant...

• Nara ImobotaNara

  Imobota mixes cooked taro into pounded rice to make soft rustic botamochi, commonly finished with sweet azuki paste or kinako.

• Nara KakisugaNara

  Kakisuga layers or rolls naturally sweet dried persimmon around fragrant strips of yuzu peel, creating a dense fruit confection with a bright citrus...

• Nara Kashiwa SukiyakiNara

  Kashiwa sukiyaki simmers chicken with tofu, leafy vegetables, mushrooms and other ingredients in a sweet-savory soy seasoning.

• Nara Mimuro MonakaNara

  Mimuro Monaka fills a crisp round wafer stamped with a stylized cedar motif with smooth, richly flavored azuki paste.

• Nara NarazukeNara

  Narazuke salt-cures white melon, cucumber, small watermelon, ginger or other vegetables, then moves them through fresh beds of sake lees repeatedly...

• Nara NyumenNara

  Nyumen briefly simmers somen in seasoned dashi, or warms the boiled noodles with a ladle of hot broth, and adds shiitake, shrimp, eggplant, yuba...

• Nara Warabi MochiNara

  Warabi mochi is a soft starch sweet coated with kinako and often served with brown-sugar syrup.

• Nara Yamato ZoniNara

  Yamato zoni places round mochi, celebratory daikon, taro and other ingredients in a white miso broth for the Nara New Year table.

• Nara and Wakayama ChagayuNara

  Chagayu cooks rice in tea extracted from roasted bancha or green tea, often using a cloth tea bag so the broth stays clear. The result is a light...

• Yoshino KuzukiriNara

  Kuzukiri cooks kudzu starch with water into a clear sheet, chills it and cuts it into glossy noodle-like ribbons. Fresh dessert kuzukiri is dipped in...

• Yoshino and Koyasan Goma-dofuNara

  Goma-dofu slowly cooks ground hulled sesame with water and kudzu starch, then chills the mixture into a smooth, softly resilient block with a...

• Osaka Awa OkoshiOsaka

  Awa okoshi binds finely puffed or roasted grains with sugar syrup into firm crisp blocks, often adding sesame or a clear ginger fragrance.

• Osaka BatteraOsaka

  Battera layers vinegared mackerel over pressed sushi rice, often beneath a thin sheet of kombu.

• Osaka DoteyakiOsaka

  Doteyaki slowly cooks beef tendon with miso, mirin and sugar until tender, producing a rich sweet-savory dish served in small portions.

• Osaka Hako-zushiOsaka

  Hako-zushi layers vinegared rice with prepared shrimp, sea bream, conger eel, egg and other toppings in a wooden mold, presses the block and cuts it...

• Osaka Harihari-nabeOsaka

  Classic harihari-nabe briefly cooks thin whale meat with a large quantity of crisp mizuna in kombu broth, serving it with ponzu, sansho or shichimi...

• Osaka Iwa OkoshiOsaka

  Iwa okoshi binds finely crushed roasted rice with syrup into dense, notably hard slabs, often adding sesame and a warm ginger aroma.

• Osaka Kayaku GohanOsaka

  Kayaku gohan cooks rice together with diced carrot, burdock, konnyaku, fried tofu and other seasonal ingredients in kombu or bonito dashi and soy...

• Osaka Kitsune UdonOsaka

  Kitsune udon places a plump sheet of fried tofu simmered in sweet-savory seasoning over soft udon in a clear dashi broth.

• Osaka KushikatsuOsaka

  Kushikatsu threads meat, seafood, vegetables and other bite-sized ingredients onto skewers, coats them with batter and breadcrumbs, and deep-fries...

• Osaka Mitarashi KomochiOsaka

  Mitarashi Komochi reverses the usual dumpling format by sealing sweet-savory soy glaze inside soft bite-size mochi, allowing it to be eaten without...

• Osaka NikusuiOsaka

  Nikusui is savory dashi with sliced beef, green onion and often tofu or egg, resembling beef udon without noodles.

• Osaka Semba-jiruOsaka

  Semba-jiru simmers salted mackerel flesh, head and bones with daikon and kombu, then adjusts the clear broth with a little soy sauce and optional...

• Osaka TessaOsaka

  Tessa arranges translucent slices of firm pufferfish in a wide circular or decorative pattern and serves them with ponzu, scallion and momiji-oroshi...

• Osaka White-miso ZoniOsaka

  Osaka white-miso zoni places round mochi with daikon, carrot and taro in a creamy, gently sweet white-miso broth. Ingredients are often cut or shaped...

• Osaka-Style OkonomiyakiOsaka

  Osaka-style okonomiyaki mixes chopped cabbage and chosen ingredients into a flour-and-dashi batter before griddling the round pancake on both sides...

• Senshu Mizunasu AsazukeOsaka

  Senshu mizunasu asazuke lightly pickles the exceptionally juicy, thin-skinned water eggplant grown in southern Osaka's Senshu area.

• TakoyakiOsaka

  Takoyaki is an Osaka specialty of round batter bites cooked in a molded iron pan, each typically containing a piece of octopus. The ideal texture is...

• FunazushiShiga

  Funazushi is a deeply fermented Shiga food made by salting crucian carp, then packing it with cooked rice for a long lactic fermentation. Nigoro-buna...

• Hikone UmoregiShiga

  Umoregi wraps white-bean paste in soft gyuhi and coats the small piece with matcha and wasanbon sugar for a pale green, refined finish.

• Kohoku Kamo-nabeShiga

  Kohoku kamo-nabe simmers slices of fatty winter duck with tofu, negi, Chinese cabbage, shirataki and sometimes mochi. The broth captures the bird's...

• Kusatsu UbagamochiShiga

  Ubagamochi wraps a small soft rice cake in smooth sweet azuki paste and finishes the top with a small white piece made from mochi or yam, creating its...

• Nagahama Yakisaba SomenShiga

  Yakisaba somen serves somen noodles flavored in the sweet-savory cooking liquid of grilled mackerel.

• Omi Hachiman Red KonjacShiga

  Aka konnyaku is the vivid brick-red konjac familiar in Omi Hachiman, Shiga. Food-grade iron oxide provides the color; it is not red from chili and is...

• Otsu Miidera Chikara MochiShiga

  Miidera Chikara Mochi places soft bite-size mochi on skewers and coats them generously with a greenish soybean powder mixture for a fragrant, gently...

• Shiga Ebi-mameShiga

  Ebi-mame simmers small freshwater shrimp from Lake Biwa with soybeans in a sweet-savory soy seasoning.

• Shiga Hinona-zukeShiga

  Hinona-zuke pickles the slender red-purple and white Hinona turnip associated with Hino in Shiga, producing gentle heat, acidity and a crisp bite.

• Shiga Itokiri MochiShiga

  Itokiri mochi is a slender white rice cake marked with red and blue stripes, wrapped around smooth bean paste and cut into small pieces with thread...

• Shiga Koayu Sansho-niShiga

  Koayu sansho-ni gently simmers young sweetfish from Lake Biwa with soy sauce, sugar and aromatic sansho pepper.

• Shiga Okoko no Jako-niShiga

  Okoko no jako-ni rescues over-aged, salty or sour takuan by soaking out excess salt and simmering the pickle with dried small fish or bonito. Okoko is...

• Kinzanji MisoWakayama

  Kinzanji miso is a chunky fermented food associated especially with Wakayama. Soybeans, barley or rice koji, salt, and vegetables such as eggplant...

• Kishu UmeboshiWakayama

  Kishu umeboshi preserves ripe ume plums with salt and drying, ranging from sharply sour traditional styles to milder seasoned products.

• Kue NabeWakayama

  Kue nabe is a prized Wakayama hot pot featuring longtooth grouper, a large reef fish with firm flesh, gelatin-rich skin, and clean but deep flavor...

• Shingu SuzuyakiWakayama

  Suzuyaki are small golden cakes baked in bell-shaped molds, with a moist castella-like crumb and a gentle egg-and-sugar sweetness.

• Taiji Whale Tatsuta-ageWakayama

  Whale tatsuta-age marinates bite-size whale meat in soy sauce and ginger, coats it lightly in potato starch and fries it until the surface is crisp...

• Tanabe Deluxe CakeWakayama

  Deluxe Cake layers jam between dense castella-like cake and covers the rectangular piece in a pale white-chocolate coating.

• Wakayama ChagayuWakayama

  Chagayu cooks rice in fragrant hojicha or green tea to make a light, fluid porridge whose color and bitterness depend on the tea bag, extraction time...

• Wakayama Hon-no-ji ManjuWakayama

  Hon-no-ji Manju is a Wakayama sweet with smooth bean paste inside a simple fermented or sake-fragrant bun, distinguished by the branded character 本...

• Wakayama Mikan MochiWakayama

  Mikan mochi kneads mandarin juice, zest or peel into rice cake, giving the soft sweet a bright citrus aroma and warm orange color.

• Wakayama Shirasu Rice BowlWakayama

  Shirasu-don covers warm rice with whitebait landed along the Wakayama coast, using boiled shirasu or, where safely available, fresh raw fish.

• Wakayama Ume-bishioWakayama

  Ume-bishio strains umeboshi flesh, sweetens it with sugar and gently cooks it into a smooth, concentrated paste balancing salt, acidity and sweetness.