3 carefully selected gourmet foods in Tochigi Prefecture (specialties/local dishes that you must try)

Mar 31, 2024 3:03:08 AM

🕓 2023/3/23
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About gourmet food in Tochigi Prefecture

Tochigi Prefecture is known for its beautiful natural scenery throughout the four seasons and its rich agricultural products. One of the charms of Tochigi Prefecture is that you can enjoy seasonal cuisine unique to this region. You can enjoy different flavors each season, such as fresh wild vegetables in spring, various vegetables in early summer, sweet and juicy fruits in summer, and chestnuts and sweet potatoes in autumn.

Tochigi Prefecture also has a unique food culture that takes advantage of its historical background and rich nature. Shimotsukare is a typical example of this, a local dish created to help people overcome the long winter. This is a rich dish made with stewed minced fish, vegetables, and tofu, and is perfect for warming you up in the cold season.

3 carefully selected gourmet foods in Tochigi Prefecture

1. Sano Ramen

● The charm of Sano Ramen

Sano Ramen is characterized by its unique soup based on soy sauce, and it has captured the hearts of ramen lovers from Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, to all over Japan. The secret lies in the soup, which is made by slowly simmering chicken bones, pork bones, vegetables, etc. using locally produced soy sauce, and is characterized by its deep flavor and mellow texture. In addition, the special medium-thick curly noodles have a chewy texture that goes perfectly with the soup.

The simple yet exquisitely balanced ingredients such as chashu pork, menma, and green onions make this ramen even more flavorful. Sano Ramen is a dish that is simple yet full of deep flavor and local love.

● History of Sano Ramen

The history of Sano Ramen is deeply tied to the local culture of Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, and its origins date back to post-war Japan. The first ramen shop opened in Sano City in 1947. At this time, Japan was in the postwar recovery period, and there was a growing demand for easily available and nutritious meals in Sano City. Sano Ramen was born in this social context and has become a food loved by local people.

The characteristic medium-thick curly noodles and soy sauce-based soup have remained unchanged since those days. This unique style was formed as many ramen shops developed their own recipes. In Sano City, ramen shops competed with each other, but each other improved their techniques and created the unique flavor of Sano ramen.

● If you want to eat Sano Ramen, this is the place! !

Store name: Aotake Handmade Ramen Yamato
charm:
This ramen restaurant features a stylish modern Japanese exterior. The interior is filled with the warmth of wood and has a total of 42 seats including counter seats, table seats, and raised tatami mat seats, providing a relaxing dining experience for any customer. Yamato is proud of its unique ramen, which is called the next generation of Sano ramen.
The light taste of chicken bones and soy sauce, the flavor of ginger, the umami of chicken oil, and the richness of pork bones and seafood combine exquisitely to create a deep flavor. In particular, the soup made with Oka Naozaburo Shoten's Nihonichi soy sauce is mellow and concentrated in flavor, and goes perfectly with the chewy green bamboo handmade noodles and melty pork belly chashu. Please come to ``Yamato'' and experience the new charm of the evolved Sano ramen provided by the owner who has been familiar with Sano ramen since he was a child.
Access: 2,055m from Sanoshi Station
Address: 4-8 Moroyamacho, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture
google map：https://maps.app.goo.gl/2iqJpdvLfxDnpd69A

2. Shimotsukare

● The charm of Shimotsuka

Shimotsukare is a traditional local dish from Tochigi Prefecture, known for its unique flavor and variety of ways to eat it. It has the meaning of warding off evil spirits, warding off misfortune, and bringing good health, and it also serves as an ceremonial food offered to Inari Shrine on the first day of the first horse.

The basic ingredients are salted salmon head, soybeans, daikon radish, carrots, fried tofu, and sake lees, but various arrangements are added depending on the region and family. There are many ways to eat it, from eating it as it is to pouring it over rice, or enjoying it as an accompaniment to tea or alcoholic beverages. It is also highly valued for its nutritional value, and is rich in nutrients beneficial to health, such as protein, calcium, B vitamins, and dietary fiber.

Some people may not like the appearance or unique flavor, but by learning about the variety of arrangements and the history and culture rooted in the region, you may discover new charms.

● History of Shimotsuka

It has a long history, and its name can even be found in literature from the Kamakura period. There is also a story that it was offered to Inari Shrine to pray for a good harvest during the Tenpo famine. There are various interpretations of the etymology, including one theory that it comes from the words ``soaked with flavor'' or ``eating it with vinegar,'' and another theory that it is an accent of ``Shimono family example.'' Shimotsukare is made by boiling salmon head, soybeans, daikon radish, carrots, fried tofu, and sake lees as its main ingredients. It is especially known as an ceremonial food offered to Inari Shrine along with sekihan on the first day of the first day of the horse.

A variety of products and events based on this motif have also appeared, cementing its status as Tochigi Prefecture's representative local cuisine. For example, its cultural influence extends beyond the boundaries of food culture, with local gourmet dishes such as Shimotsukare curry, the release of short films based on Shimotsatsure, and Calbee's sales of Shimotsatsure-flavored potato chips.

● If you want to eat Shimotsure, this is the place! !

Store name: Roadside station Batou
charm:
The roadside station "Bato" in Nakagawa-cho is known for serving Shimotsuka with a history of over 20 years. This dish, made with plenty of fresh vegetables grown in the town, continues to be loved by visitors for its odorless taste and ease of eating. In particular, on Hatsuuma Day in February every year, visitors are served free shimotsatsure, paying homage to the local culture and working to spread this traditional dish to more people. .
Address: 181-2 Kitamukoda, Nakagawa-cho, Nasu-gun, Tochigi Prefecture
Access: 30 minutes by bus from JR Karasuyama Line Karasuyama Station
google map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oV61CLU89KzcUfMfA

3. Utsunomiya gyoza

● The charm of Utsunomiya gyoza

Many gyoza shops in Utsunomiya city are gathered here, and it is said that there are over 200 shops that sell gyoza. There is no clear definition of ``Utsunomiya Gyoza,'' and basically, ``Utsunomiya Gyoza'' refers to gyoza made within Utsunomiya City, as well as those made outside the city, including branches of gyoza shops within Utsunomiya City. I am. The biggest feature is that it is mainly made with vegetables, has a light taste, is not greasy, does not weigh on the stomach, and is available at a relatively low price. You can enjoy it for around 200 yen per plate, and it's not uncommon to find restaurants that only serve gyoza.

● History of Utsunomiya Gyoza

The origin of Utsunomiya gyoza dates back to World War II. At the time, Japanese soldiers stationed in China brought back the recipe for gyoza. After returning home, these soldiers opened a restaurant in Utsunomiya and shared the gyoza recipes they had learned. This led to the establishment of the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association, and the popularity of gyoza increased, making gyoza a major source of income for the city.

Gyoza is popular in Utsunomiya, and it is said that high school girls often eat gyoza on their way home from school, but it is only recently that they have become famous. When a city official was looking for ways to revitalize the region, he discovered that Utsunomiya City had the highest consumption of gyoza in Japan, and came up with the idea of ``let's use gyoza to revitalize the city.'' This proposal led to activities such as the tourism association creating a map to introduce gyoza shops in the city and several gyoza shops coming together to establish the ``Utsunomiya Gyoza Association.'' Utsunomiya is now recognized as Japan's largest city in terms of gyoza consumption.

● If you want to eat Utsunomiya gyoza, this is the place! !

Address: Masatsugu Miyajima Main Store
charm:
Masatsugu Miyajima Main Store, which has roots in Utsunomiya City, is known as a famous Utsunomiya gyoza restaurant, and its popularity is not limited to Tochigi residents, but also to visitors from far away. The menu is limited to grilled gyoza, boiled gyoza, and fried gyoza, and there is no rice or beer available.
This restaurant's gyoza is known for its thin skin and filling made with a variety of vegetables. In particular, the crispy skin and crunchy vegetables are a perfect match, and the sweetness of the vegetables melts in your mouth, so once you start eating it, you won't be able to stop eating it. Currently, there are four stores in Utsunomiya City, and although each store has a limited number of seats, mainly at the counter, they have a high turnover rate and always maintain a lively atmosphere. .
Address: 4-3-1 Babadori, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture
Access: 11 minutes walk from Tobu Utsunomiya Station on the Tobu Utsunomiya Line
google map： https://maps.app.goo.gl/Kch8ecTePfAmcGXi9