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Regional food of Kyushu & Okinawa

• Fukuoka Abutte-kamoFukuoka

  Abutte-kamo is a coastal Fukuoka dish of small Japanese chromis salted and grilled until the skin is aromatic and the meat around the bones becomes...

• Fukuoka Achara-zukeFukuoka

  Achara-zuke is a Fukuoka side dish of seasonal vegetables such as lotus root, daikon and cucumber pickled in sweet vinegar sharpened with chili.

• Fukuoka Game-niFukuoka

  Game-ni stir-fries chicken with burdock, lotus root, carrot, taro, konjac and shiitake, then simmers everything in a sweet-savory broth.

• Fukuoka Karashi MentaikoFukuoka

  Karashi mentaiko is pollock roe cured in a seasoning liquid containing chili pepper, combining salt, heat, seafood umami and a distinctive granular...

• Fukuoka Kashiwa-meshiFukuoka

  Kashiwa-meshi mixes rice with sweet-savory chicken, burdock and carrot, producing a fragrant meal that remains tasty after cooling.

• Fukuoka Tonkotsu RamenFukuoka

  Fukuoka tonkotsu ramen is built around pork-bone broth, with regional styles including Kurume, Hakata, and Nagahama. Noodles and toppings vary by...

• Hakata GomasabaFukuoka

  Hakata gomasaba dresses fresh sashimi-grade mackerel with ground sesame, soy sauce, mirin and aromatic condiments.

• Hakata OkyutoFukuoka

  Okyuto boils dried ego seaweed into a paste, molds and cools it, then cuts the softly resilient brownish gel into strips served with bonito, ginger...

• Hakata TorimonFukuoka

  Hakata Torimon is a modern Fukuoka confection with a soft outer dough and a smooth white-bean filling enriched with butter and dairy flavors. It...

• Hakata UdonFukuoka

  Hakata udon pairs very soft noodles with a clear, aromatic dashi broth and toppings such as burdock tempura or maruten fish cake.

• Hakata ZoniFukuoka

  Hakata zoni combines grilled flying-fish dashi, round mochi, yellowtail, katsuo-na greens and root vegetables in a celebratory New Year bowl.

• Kokura Nukamiso-dakiFukuoka

  Nukamiso-daki simmers sardines or mackerel with a seasoned nukadoko rice-bran bed, giving the fish deep fermented savor and a rich sweet-salty sauce.

• Kokura Yaki UdonFukuoka

  Yaki udon stir-fries firm udon with pork, cabbage, onion and bean sprouts, seasoning it with Worcestershire-style sauce, soy sauce or salt and...

• Mizutaki Chicken Hot PotFukuoka

  Mizutaki is a Fukuoka chicken hot pot in which chicken is simmered with vegetables and tofu in a clean but deeply flavored broth. Hakata-style...

• Motsunabe Offal Hot PotFukuoka

  Motsunabe is a Fukuoka hot pot built around beef offal, cabbage, garlic chives, garlic, and chili. Soy sauce and miso are the most common broth...

• Omuta Kusagi ManjuFukuoka

  Kusagi manju is a small, smooth steamed bun filled with pale shiro-an, giving Omuta a delicate, easy-to-share confection with a soft white skin and...

• Umegae MochiFukuoka

  Umegae mochi is a Dazaifu specialty made by enclosing red bean paste in a rice-flour dough and griddling it in a plum-blossom mold. The thin toasted...

• Yanagawa Unagi Seiro-mushiFukuoka

  Yanagawa seiro-mushi fills a bamboo steamer with sauce-seasoned rice, lays kabayaki eel and often shredded egg on top, then steams the assembled meal...

• Amami KeihanKagoshima

  Keihan is an Amami Oshima dish in which shredded chicken, thin omelet, shiitake, green onion, citrus peel, pickles, and seaweed are arranged over...

• Kagoshima ChabushiKagoshima

  Chabushi puts bonito flakes, miso, scallion and ginger in a bowl and pours over hot green tea or water, turning the flakes into both broth and...

• Kagoshima Fukure-gashiKagoshima

  Fukure-gashi mixes wheat flour, dark brown sugar, egg, water and baking soda into a simple batter and steams it into a tall, moist brown cake with a...

• Kagoshima GetanhaKagoshima

  Getanha cuts a plain wheat cake into triangular pieces and soaks or coats them in dark brown-sugar syrup, producing a moist, dense and strongly sweet...

• Kagoshima Kakaran DangoKagoshima

  Kakaran dango folds mugwort, adzuki, sweet potato or brown sugar into a soft rice cake, may enclose dark bean paste, and steams it inside the broad...

• Kagoshima Kibinago DishesKagoshima

  Tiny silver-striped kibinago are arranged as chrysanthemum-shaped sashimi with vinegared miso, or cooked whole in salt grilling, tempura, nanbanzuke...

• Kagoshima Sake-zushiKagoshima

  Sake-zushi layers cooled rice with bamboo shoots, shiitake, fish, shrimp, kamaboko and shredded egg in a deep tub, moistens it generously with...

• Kagoshima Satsuma-ageKagoshima

  Satsuma-age seasons ground fish, shapes it and fries it until springy and fragrant; Kagoshima versions often have a noticeable sweetness.

• Kagoshima Satsuma-jiruKagoshima

  Satsuma-jiru simmers chicken with daikon, carrot, burdock, shiitake, konnyaku and scallion in dashi, then dissolves miso into the rich broth; some...

• Kagoshima ShirokumaKagoshima

  Shirokuma covers finely shaved ice with condensed milk and a colorful arrangement of fruit, beans and jelly.

• Kagoshima Tonkotsu StewKagoshima

  Kagoshima tonkotsu browns or blanches chunky bone-in pork, then slowly braises it with daikon, konnyaku, miso, brown sugar and shochu until the meat...

• KarukanKagoshima

  Karukan is a white steamed confection from Kagoshima made with grated yam, rice flour, and sugar. It has a light, springy texture and a restrained...

• South Kyushu AkumakiKagoshima

  Akumaki soaks glutinous rice and bamboo sheaths in food-grade wood-ash lye, ties the rice loosely inside the sheath and cooks it for hours until...

• Aso Akado-zukeKumamoto

  Akado-zuke salt-cures the thick red stalks of a local satoimo taro, sometimes with vinegar, until lactic fermentation softens them and revives a vivid...

• Aso Takana MeshiKumamoto

  Takana meshi finely chops and stir-fries salty, lightly spicy pickled takana greens, then tosses them with rice, scrambled egg, soy sauce and sesame...

• Ikinari DangoKumamoto

  Ikinari dango is a Kumamoto steamed sweet that wraps a thick slice of sweet potato and red bean paste in a simple wheat-flour dough. The result...

• Kumamoto BasashiKumamoto

  Basashi is thinly sliced raw horse meat and one of Kumamoto's best-known regional foods. Cuts range from clean, lean red meat to marbled sections...

• Kumamoto Chosen AmeKumamoto

  Chosen ame kneads glutinous rice, starch syrup and sugar into translucent white, softly chewy rectangular pieces dusted to prevent sticking.

• Kumamoto Hitomoji GuruguruKumamoto

  Hitomoji guruguru lightly blanches wakegi scallions, folds each stalk several times and winds its green tip around the bundle into a neat bite served...

• Kumamoto Karashi RenkonKumamoto

  Karashi renkon fills the natural holes of boiled and dried lotus root with pungent mustard miso, coats the cylinder in a yellow batter and fries it...

• Kumamoto Miso-Pickled TofuKumamoto

  Very firm cotton tofu is thoroughly drained, wrapped and buried in salty miso or moromi for days to months, becoming dense, creamy and cheese-like...

• Kumamoto Myoga ManjuKumamoto

  Myoga manju encloses smooth red-bean paste in a soft dough of shiratamako and wheat flour, wraps the dumpling in an aromatic Japanese ginger leaf and...

• Kumamoto RamenKumamoto

  Kumamoto ramen pairs a comparatively mellow pork-bone broth, often blended with chicken stock, with medium straight noodles, pork chashu, kikurage...

• Kumamoto TaipienKumamoto

  Taipien is a Kumamoto Chinese-style soup filled with glass noodles, seafood, pork, vegetables and often a deep-fried egg.

• Nankan-ageKumamoto

  Nankan-age is a light, low-moisture fried tofu made around Nankan in northern Kumamoto that expands as it absorbs broth.

• Chicken NanbanMiyazaki

  Chicken nanban is a Miyazaki dish of battered fried chicken soaked or dressed in sweet vinegar. Many versions add a generous egg-rich tartar sauce...

• Miyazaki Aoshima SenbeiMiyazaki

  Aoshima Senbei sandwiches vanilla or nut-flavored cream between thin, crisp wafers stamped with southern Miyazaki motifs.

• Miyazaki Cheese ManjuMiyazaki

  Cheese manju encloses a mildly salty cream-cheese filling in a sweet cookie-like dough and bakes it into a small round confection with a...

• Miyazaki HiyajiruMiyazaki

  Hiyajiru grinds grilled horse mackerel, flying fish or barracuda with toasted miso and sesame, loosens the paste with cold niboshi or kombu dashi, and...

• Miyazaki Jidori SumibiyakiMiyazaki

  Chicken thigh pieces are seasoned simply and tossed over very hot charcoal, charring the surface almost black while smoke perfumes the juicy...

• Miyazaki Lettuce MakiMiyazaki

  Lettuce maki rolls vinegared rice, nori, cooked shrimp, large crisp lettuce leaves and mayonnaise into a thick sushi roll whose cool crunch balances...

• Nichinan Gyodon Fish UdonMiyazaki

  Gyodon kneads minced flying fish with wheat flour into pale, fish-rich noodles and serves them in broth drawn from the fish bones, giving both strand...

• Obi-tenMiyazaki

  Obi-ten grinds local sardine, horse mackerel, flying fish or other fish, often including edible skin and small bones, blends the paste with tofu...

• Goto Kankoro MochiNagasaki

  Kankoro mochi pounds steamed glutinous rice with rehydrated kankoro, thin sun-dried sweet-potato slices, into a dense tan-to-brown loaf with natural...

• Goto UdonNagasaki

  Goto udon is a slender yet resilient hand-stretched noodle from the Goto Islands, traditionally made with camellia oil.

• Nagasaki CastellaNagasaki

  Nagasaki castella is a dense, moist sponge cake made mainly from eggs, sugar, flour, and syrup. Its fine crumb, rich egg aroma, and coarse sugar...

• Nagasaki ChamponNagasaki

  Nagasaki champon is a hearty noodle soup loaded with pork, seafood, and vegetables. Its distinctive noodles are cooked in the broth rather than boiled...

• Nagasaki CruzNagasaki

  Cruz sandwiches a lightly ginger-scented white-chocolate cream between thin crisp wafers stamped with a cross.

• Nagasaki HatoshiNagasaki

  Hatoshi spreads seasoned shrimp paste between slices of white bread and deep-fries the sandwich until the exterior is crisp and the filling springy...

• Nagasaki HikadoNagasaki

  Hikado simmers small, evenly diced daikon, carrot, shiitake and fish or chicken in soy-seasoned broth, then stirs in grated sweet potato to thicken...

• Nagasaki IkkokoNagasaki

  Ikkoko wraps a small amount of brown-sugar filling in wheat-and-starch-syrup dough; during baking the filling melts into the inner wall, leaving a...

• Nagasaki KarasumiNagasaki

  Karasumi salts whole mullet roe sacs, carefully desalts, presses and air-dries them into firm amber lobes with concentrated marine umami and a waxy...

• Nagasaki Sara UdonNagasaki

  Sara udon tops crisp thin noodles or browned thick noodles with a glossy sauce of seafood, pork, and vegetables.

• Nagasaki Shippoku CuisineNagasaki

  Shippoku cuisine seats guests around a round table to share large platters in a course that combines Japanese techniques with Chinese and...

• Nagasaki Turkey RiceNagasaki

  Nagasaki Turkey rice crowds pork cutlet, seasoned pilaf, spaghetti and salad onto one plate, often adding demi-glace or curry sauce so several...

• Omura-zushiNagasaki

  Omura-zushi layers sweetened vinegared rice with seasoned fish flakes, shiitake, burdock, carrot, kamaboko and other fillings in a large mold, presses...

• Sasebo BurgerNagasaki

  Sasebo Burger is a collective name for made-to-order hamburgers sold in Sasebo, with each shop choosing its own patties, bacon, egg, cheese...

• Sasebo Lemon SteakNagasaki

  Lemon steak quickly cooks thin slices of beef on a hot iron plate and coats them in a fragrant lemon and soy-based sauce.

• Shimabara GuzoniNagasaki

  Guzoni fills a clear or lightly seasoned dashi with mochi, chicken, fish, burdock, yam, lotus root, napa cabbage, shiitake, tofu, kamaboko and...

• Shimabara IgirisuNagasaki

  Igirisu dissolves dried red igisu seaweed in rice-bran liquid or soybean cooking water, kneads in carrot, fish, peanuts and other fillings, then...

• Shimabara KanzarashiNagasaki

  Kanzarashi serves small, smooth rice-flour dumplings chilled in water and finished with a light sweet syrup.

• Shimabara and Tsushima RokubeNagasaki

  Rokube presses a sweet-potato dough through a perforated rokube-zuki directly into boiling water, producing short, dark, softly chewy noodles served...

• Beppu Jigoku-mushiOita

  Jigoku-mushi places vegetables, seafood, meat, eggs or buns in baskets over a stone or metal chamber and cooks them rapidly with high-temperature...

• Hiji Shiroshita KareiOita

  Shiroshita karei is the local name for marbled sole caught in Beppu Bay off Hiji, where spring water wells up from the seabed. Its thick...

• Oita Dango-jiruOita

  Dango-jiru rests kneaded wheat dough, stretches or tears it into flat chewy pieces, and simmers them with burdock, carrot, taro, mushrooms and often...

• Oita RyukyuOita

  Oita ryukyu marinates sashimi-grade yellowtail, horse mackerel or other fish in soy sauce, mirin, sesame and aromatic condiments.

• Oita Usuki SenbeiOita

  Usuki senbei are thin, firm wheat crackers brushed with a white ginger-sugar glaze, combining a clean sweetness with a lingering warm bite.

• Oita YaseumaOita

  Yaseuma stretches rested wheat dough into broad flat ribbons, boils them until chewy and coats them generously with roasted soybean flour and sugar or...

• Oita ZabieruOita

  Zabieru wraps smooth white-bean paste, either plain or enriched with rum-soaked raisins, in a rich buttery baked shell.

• Saiki Buri AtsumeshiOita

  Buri atsumeshi lays bite-size yellowtail marinated in soy sauce, sake and sugar over steaming rice, adds scallion, sesame, ginger, shiso or wasabi...

• Saiki Gomadashi UdonOita

  A spoonful of gomadashi, a ground paste of grilled lizardfish or other fish, sesame and soy sauce, sits on udon and dissolves under hot water into an...

• Taketa Atama RyoriOita

  Atama ryori carefully separates a large white fish's cheeks, jaws, gills, skin, fins, roe, milt and cleaned organs, boils each part for the...

• ToritenOita

  Toriten is Oita-style chicken tempura: bite-size seasoned chicken coated in a light flour-and-egg batter and fried. Breast, thigh, or tenderloin may...

• Usuki Kirasu MameshiOita

  Kirasu mameshi coats small pieces of fresh fish and vegetables in crumbly soybean pulp seasoned with soy sauce, vinegar or kabosu, creating a moist...

• Usuki Ohan and KayakuOita

  Ohan colors plain rice a clear yellow with strained gardenia-fruit water and serves it beside kayaku, a savory stew of lizardfish or other white fish...

• ChinsukoOkinawa

  Chinsuko is a crumbly Okinawan biscuit traditionally made from flour, sugar, and lard. Its short texture and compact shape make it easy to package and...

• Goya ChampuruOkinawa

  Goya champuru is an Okinawan stir-fry of bitter melon with firm island tofu, egg, and usually pork or canned pork. The dish balances the vegetable's...

• Okinawa RafuteOkinawa

  Rafute slowly braises skin-on pork belly in awamori, soy sauce, sugar and dashi until the meat is tender and the fat silky.

• Okinawa SobaOkinawa

  Okinawa soba is a wheat noodle soup that contains no buckwheat flour despite the word soba. The firm noodles are made with alkaline water and served...

• Okinawa Taco RiceOkinawa

  Taco rice layers spiced minced meat, lettuce, tomato and cheese over Japanese rice, usually with salsa or hot sauce.

• Okinawa TannafakuruOkinawa

  Tannafakuru are plain round brown-sugar cakes with a dark surface, soft dense crumb and deep molasses-like sweetness.

• Okinawa Yushi-dofuOkinawa

  Yushi-dofu is eaten before Okinawan island tofu is pressed into a firm block, leaving soft curds suspended in a warm savory broth.

• Okinawan AndansuOkinawa

  Andansu fries miso in lard or oil with sugar and often minced pork until glossy and concentrated; fish, shellfish or octopus versions replace the meat...

• Okinawan Asa-jiruOkinawa

  Asa-jiru floats rinsed fresh or dried asa green laver and small tofu cubes in clear bonito dashi seasoned lightly with salt, allowing the seaweed's...

• Okinawan HirayachiOkinawa

  Hirayachi stirs wheat flour and water or dashi into a loose batter with garlic chives, scallions and sometimes tuna, then fries it thin and flat until...

• Okinawan Ika-sumi JiruOkinawa

  Ika-sumi jiru simmers cleaned squid, squid ink, pork and leafy greens such as nishiyomogi in dashi, producing an opaque black soup with marine depth...

• Okinawan Jimami-dofuOkinawa

  Jimami-dofu cooks strained peanut milk with sweet-potato starch, stirring until it sets into a glossy, rich and stretchy white block often served with...

• Okinawan JushiOkinawa

  Kufa-jushi cooks rice relatively dry with pork, hijiki, carrot, shiitake and pork or bonito stock, while yafa-jushi uses more liquid for a soft...

• Okinawan MimigaOkinawa

  Mimiga boils or steams cleaned pig ears and slices them into narrow strips whose skin, fat and cartilage create a distinctive crunchy-chewy bite. They...

• Okinawan Nakami-jiruOkinawa

  Nakami-jiru repeatedly washes, rubs and preboils pork stomach and intestines, cuts them into strips and simmers them with shiitake and konnyaku in a...

• Okinawan Pork TamagoOkinawa

  Pork tamago browns thick slices of canned luncheon meat and pairs them with an omelet, scrambled egg or fried egg, usually alongside rice and miso...

• Okinawan Purple Sweet Potato TartOkinawa

  Beniimo tart is an Okinawan souvenir sweet with vivid purple sweet potato paste piped into a small tart shell. Its color comes from beniimo, a...

• Okinawan TebichiOkinawa

  Tebichi cleans, blanches and slowly simmers pig's feet until skin, tendon and connective tissue become soft and gelatinous, serving them in clear...

• Okinawan TofuyoOkinawa

  Tofuyo cures small cubes of firm shima-dofu in a red paste of rice koji, beni-koji and awamori until they become intensely savory, creamy and...

• Sata AndagiOkinawa

  Sata andagi is an Okinawan deep-fried dough sweet with a crisp, cracked exterior and a dense, cakey center. Its name comes from Okinawan words for...

• Yaeyama SobaOkinawa

  Yaeyama soba serves thin, round, straight wheat noodles in a gently sweet pork-and-bonito broth, topped with narrow strips of seasoned pork and...

• Ariake GanzukeSaga

  Ganzuke grinds or crushes small Ariake tidal-flat crabs with salt, chili and seasonings, then ferments them into a reddish, intensely savory and...

• Ariake Mutsugoro KabayakiSaga

  Mutsugoro kabayaki skewers or opens Ariake mudskipper, grills it repeatedly with sweet soy tare and develops a smoky glaze over the small fish's firm...

• Arita Go-dofuSaga

  Go-dofu cooks soy milk with kudzu or starch and chills it into a glossy, pudding-soft yet elastic block, served with sweet Kyushu soy sauce, sesame...

• Karatsu Shoro ManjuSaga

  Shoro manju encloses smooth azuki paste in a very thin, tender castella-like shell and bakes it into a small round shape resembling a pine mushroom.

• Kashima FunankoguiSaga

  Funankogui wraps crucian carp in kombu and simmers it with daikon in a sweet-savory broth for many hours until the fish, skin and smaller bones become...

• Ogi YokanSaga

  Ogi yokan is a celebrated sweet from Ogi City in Saga. The traditional style develops a crystallized sugar crust that feels crisp at first bite...

• Saga IkkokoSaga

  Ikkoko is a round baked sweet whose dough puffs into a hollow shell while a sesame-and-brown-sugar filling clings to the inside, creating a surprising...

• Saga MaruboloSaga

  Marubolo is a plain round baked sweet made from wheat flour, egg and sugar, with a dry golden surface and a soft, slightly chewy cake-like center.

• Saga Sicilian RiceSaga

  Sicilian rice tops warm rice with sweet-savory beef or pork, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a single plate.

• Shiroishi Suko-zushiSaga

  Suko-zushi spreads vinegared rice in a shallow wooden box, scores it into individual squares and tops each with glazed mudskipper, egg, shiitake...

• Ureshino Onsen YudofuSaga

  Ureshino onsen yudofu gently simmers tofu in local hot-spring water until its edges soften and the broth turns pale and creamy.

• Yobuko Matsuura-zukeSaga

  Matsuura-zuke cuts whale cartilage into fine crunchy pieces, repeatedly soaks or washes it to temper oil and salt, then matures it in seasoned sake...

• Yobuko Squid CuisineSaga

  Yobuko in Karatsu is famous for squid served as ikizukuri, cut and presented immediately to emphasize translucence, sweetness, and firm texture...