🕓 2024/7/10
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Echizen Crab, a variety of snow crab caught in the Sea of Japan off the coast of Fukui Prefecture, is renowned for its high quality and flavor, making it one of the top delicacies in Japan. The rich feeding grounds and cold seawater off the Echizen coast contribute to the crab’s firm, juicy meat with a sweet, rich taste. A distinctive feature of Echizen Crab is its abundance of kani miso (crab tomalley) found in the shell, which, when mixed with the leg meat, creates an exquisite taste.
Echizen Crab is recognized by a yellow tag that certifies its origin in Fukui Prefecture. In 2018, it was registered under the Geographical Indication Protection System (GI), further solidifying its reputation. The "Kiwami" brand represents the highest grade of Echizen Crab, meeting stringent criteria for weight and shell width, making it exceptionally rare.
The fishing of Echizen Crab began in earnest in the mid-Edo period. During this time, fishermen in the Hokuriku region captured snow crabs along with flatfish and other fish. Echizen Crab has a long history of being offered to the Imperial family. The tradition, which began in the Meiji era, continues today, with selected crabs from Mikuni Port being presented to the Emperor and Empress and other members of the Imperial family each year.