About Gourmet Food in Chiba Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture is blessed with abundant nature and fertile land, and is a region where different agricultural products are abundantly harvested in each of the four seasons. Cuisine that makes the most of the seasonal produce unique to this region is considered one of Chiba Prefecture's most appealing features. Fresh asparagus in spring, juicy tomatoes in early summer, sweet watermelon and green peppers in summer, and sweet potatoes and pears in fall are just a few of the seasonal delights.

One particularly representative dish is funa-zushi (funa-zushi). Funa-zushi is made from fresh fish caught locally and fermented with vegetables grown in the area. This dish reflects the rich fishing and farming industry of the Boso Peninsula, and the tradition of utilizing local ingredients in abundance is strongly evident.

Three Selected Gourmet Dishes of Chiba Prefecture

1. namero

●The Appeal of Nameko

Namero is made mainly from bluefish, with horse mackerel being the most common, but depending on the season, sardines, saury, flying fish, and even squid and baka-gai are also used. These fish are then pounded with a knife until they become sticky, and then cooked in a bowl with condiments such as green onions and ginger, and miso (soybean paste). Miso is said to have come into use because soy sauce is difficult to use on a boat with high waves.

Typically eaten fresh, nameko is a simple yet deeply flavored dish that makes the most of the taste of the ingredients. Its appeal is widely served at set restaurants and izakayas (Japanese style pubs) in Chiba Prefecture, and it is loved by locals as well as visiting tourists.

In addition, an evolved gourmet dish based on nameko has also appeared, called sangayaki, in which nameko is softly baked on the shells of scallops and abalone, allowing visitors to enjoy a different texture.

 ●History of Namelo History of Namelo

It is said that the origin of the name "nameko" comes from the word "lick," which means "to lick," and the taste is so good that one "wants to lick even the plate after finishing it. Originally a home-style dish passed down only among fishermen, the simple yet deep flavor of the dish spread among the local people, and it gradually became known as a representative local dish of Chiba Prefecture.

It is a traditional dish for fishermen that has long been popular in the coastal areas of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, and was born out of an ingenious idea to efficiently cook fresh fish on board a boat, which is unstable. Originally, fishermen devised this dish as the quickest and most delicious way to eat freshly caught fish.

Traditionally, bluefish such as horse mackerel and saury are the main ingredients, and the fish is finely pounded into a paste that can be easily prepared on the boat, mixed with locally available green onions, ginger, and miso paste. This method of cooking uses miso, which is resistant to spilling even when the boat is rocked by high waves, so that the ingredients and seasonings are used efficiently.

 ●The best place to eat namero is here! The best place to eat namero!

• Name of restaurant: Daitokuya
  
• Attraction:
  Located right in front of Chikura Fishing Port, this very long-established restaurant was established in 1869.
  In addition to sushi and fish dishes using fresh local fish landed in Minami-Boso and Chikura, you can also experience rare dishes such as sunfish and whale.
  The restaurant was named after the first owner, a large woman named Tokusan.
  The "nameko" served at this restaurant is a faithful reproduction of the recipe that has been handed down for more than 150 years since the establishment of the restaurant. The outstanding stickiness and rich flavor of the fish can be enjoyed thanks to the skilled technique of "beating" the fish to bring out the best flavor to the limit. The owner was the first president of the Minami-Boso Namero Research Association.
  
• Access: 5 minutes by car from Chikura Station on the JR Uchibo Line
• Address: 1079 Minami-asaoi, Chikura-cho, Minamiboso City, Chiba Prefecture
  
• Official HP: https://www.daitokuya.co.jp/
• Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zkHDENqm8cwZfsk59
  

Katsuura Tantanmen

 ●The appeal of Katsuura tantanmen

Katsuura tanmen is a local gourmet dish originating from Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture, and is a rare B-class local delicacy in Japan. This dish, born in the fishing town of Katsuura City facing the Pacific Ocean, has won the B-1 Grand Prix and is attracting attention from food connoisseurs nationwide.

The most distinctive feature of Katsuura tanmen is its originality. Unlike the typical Chinese Szechuan tanmen, which uses pepper and chili peppers in a sesame-based broth, Katsuura tanmen features a soy sauce-based broth with plenty of hot red pepper oil and a vivid orange and red hue. This brightly colored soup is not only appetizing, but its flavor is unique as well.

While the use of minced meat as an ingredient is common to most tanmen, Katsuura tanmen does not use sesame or sesame sauce, but instead features a spicy flavor that brings the hot taste to the forefront. The degree of spiciness varies from restaurant to restaurant, catering to a wide range of customers, from those who like spicy food to those who prefer less spiciness.

 ●History of Katsuura Tantanmen

It began about 70 years ago in the small fishing town of Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture. The first owner of Ezawa, a Chinese restaurant established in 1954, attempted to incorporate traditional Sichuan tantanmen into the local menu. However, in doing so, he was faced with the problem of difficulty in obtaining "shiba-ma-jang," the key seasoning that gives sesame flavor.

To solve this problem, the first owner developed a new style of tantanmen using his own approach, using hot sauce and chili peppers. This new recipe later became known as "Katsuura tanmen" and spread among local fishermen and divers as a warm dish to overcome the winter cold in Katsuura City.

 ●Katsuura Tantanmen is the best place to eat Katsuura Tantanmen! Katsuura Tantanmen!

• Name of restaurant: Ezawa
  
• Attraction:
  Known as the birthplace of Katsuura tantanmen, this popular and prosperous restaurant continues to preserve its legendary taste. The restaurant's signature dish, tantanmen, is so popular that lines form daily, attracting many food lovers who visit.
  This distinctive dish is made with chopped onions, minced meat, and white onions as ingredients, and a bright red broth with a generous amount of homemade hot sauce. This hot and spicy hot oil is available in "medium spicy" and "large spicy" levels, depending on your preference for spiciness. The soup has a double structure, with the thick soy sauce ramen hidden beneath the spicy hot hot sauce. By stirring the soup well, the spiciness is neutralized and the sweetness of the onions is added, transforming the soup into a unique and flavorful one.
  
• Access: 8 minutes by car from Katsuura Station on the JR Sotobo Line
• Address: 296-8 Shirai-Kubo, Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture
  
• Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YRj3kAGj7rjNY6em6