🕓 2024/7/10
＃グルメ

About Fukui Prefecture’s Gourmet Cuisine

Fukui Prefecture’s gourmet scene is characterized by a diverse range of dishes that make the most of the region’s history and natural bounty. Being located on the coast of the Sea of Japan, Fukui offers fresh seafood, and its rich inland environment also fosters delicious local ingredients. Here, we introduce three must-try gourmet foods in Fukui: Echizen Oroshi Soba, Wakasa Fugu, and Echizen Crab.

We hope this information will be helpful when you visit Fukui Prefecture. Let’s take a look at these three selected gourmet foods.

Top 3 Must-Try Gourmet Foods in Fukui Prefecture
1. Echizen Oroshi Soba
2. Wakasa Fugu

Top 3 Must-Try Gourmet Foods in Fukui Prefecture

1. Echizen Oroshi Soba

https://www.echizen-tourism.jp/

● The Charm of Echizen Oroshi Soba

Echizen Oroshi Soba is typically served with cold soba noodles topped with a generous amount of grated daikon radish, bonito flakes, and chopped green onions, all drenched in a savory dashi broth. Unlike soba dishes in other regions, the dashi is poured directly over the noodles. There are three common ways to serve the dashi: separately with grated daikon, mixed with grated daikon, or with only the juice from the grated daikon added.

The soba flour is made from locally grown buckwheat, ground slowly with a stone mill to enhance the soba’s natural flavor and sweetness. This traditional milling process is time-consuming but essential for bringing out the best qualities of the soba. It is also customary to enjoy soba-yu, the hot water in which the soba was boiled, mixed with the remaining dashi after finishing the noodles. Many soba restaurants in Fukui offer their own unique takes on Echizen Oroshi Soba.

● History of Echizen Oroshi Soba

The history of Echizen Oroshi Soba dates back to the 1600s when buckwheat dishes began to spread in the Hokuriku region of Fukui Prefecture. The culture of cutting soba into thin strips, known as soba-kiri, emerged, and the use of grated daikon as a topping became popular.

The dish gained fame in 1947 when Emperor Showa (Hirohito) visited the Hokuriku region and enjoyed Echizen Oroshi Soba in Fukui. The Emperor’s praise for the dish helped to popularize its name and reputation.

● Where to Eat Echizen Oroshi Soba: Miyoshiya

Where to Eat Echizen Oroshi Soba: Miyoshiya
Highlights:
Miyoshiya is a long-standing soba restaurant with over 90 years of history, located in the heart of Fukui City. It is known for preserving the traditional hand-making techniques of soba, passed down through generations. The restaurant focuses on the rich aroma, smooth texture, and chewy consistency of their soba, using carefully blended flour from locally grown buckwheat.
Access: 40 meters from Fukui Jōshi Daimyōmachi Station
Address: 1 Chome-11-3 Junka, Fukui, 910-0023, Japan
Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/EeZmQ74ig4sN95mY7

2. Wakasa Fugu

● The Charm of Wakasa Fugu

Wakasa Fugu is a high-quality tiger pufferfish farmed in the waters of Wakasa Bay in Fukui Prefecture. The bay’s cold water temperatures during winter provide a unique environment that enhances the flavor and texture of the fish. This extended period of cold weather tightens the flesh and enriches the fat content, making the fish more flavorful.

One of the most popular dishes is “Tessa” (fugu sashimi), which is sliced thickly to provide a distinctive chewy texture and rich umami flavor. Other popular preparations include “Tecchiri” (fugu hot pot), grilled fugu, and fugu karaage (deep-fried fugu). The juvenile fish produced at the Fukui Prefecture Cultivation Fishery Center are raised by local aquaculture farmers for over a year and a half, ensuring the best quality and taste through meticulous farming methods.

● History of Wakasa Fugu

The history of Wakasa Fugu dates back to 1954 when fishermen in Takahama Town, located in the southwestern part of Fukui Prefecture, began farming wild tiger pufferfish. They utilized the cold natural environment of Wakasa Bay to cultivate the fugu. Despite initial challenges due to the harsh cold and water quality conditions, the fishermen’s perseverance led to successful farming over time.

Top 3 Must-Try Gourmet Foods in Fukui Prefecture (Famous Local Delicacies)