"Local cuisine" is what you want to eat for lunch when you're traveling or when you feel a bit hungry. Japan has a lot of hidden gourmet foods that you may not know about, such as B-grade gourmet foods loved by locals and regional dishes that can only be found in a certain area.

In this article, we will introduce hidden local gourmet foods from all over Japan. We will also introduce some easy-to-eat B-class gourmet foods, so please read to the end.

Japan's hidden local gourmet foods and their characteristics

From here, we will introduce some hidden local gourmet foods in Japan and their characteristics.

Sapporo soup curry Hokkaido

In recent years, soup curry has become established as soul food in Sapporo. Its main features are its easy-to-eat spicy curry soup and its visually gorgeous topping of colorful vegetables, seafood, and meat.

Miso curry milk ramen Aomori Prefecture

Miso curry milk ramen is made with a perfect balance of miso, curry powder, and milk. It is topped with bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, wakame seaweed, and butter.

The chewy, medium-thick, curly noodles go perfectly with the mellow flavors of miso and milk, and the flavors of curry and butter, and many people become addicted to this new and unique taste sensation.

Sendai Mabo Yakisoba Miyagi Prefecture

Sendai Mabo Yakisoba is a popular local yakisoba mainly from Sendai. It was originally served as a staff meal at a Chinese restaurant.

The sauce varies depending on the store, with some being very spicy and others being milder with less spiciness, and the soft mapo tofu and chewy yakisoba go well together to create an addictive flavor.

Chilled Meat Soba Yamagata Prefecture

The specialty of Kahoku Town in Yamagata Prefecture is chilled meat soba. It is a delicious dish that can be enjoyed all year round, with firm country soba noodles topped with rich chicken stock soup.
It is topped with roast chicken slices and spring onions, and is popular among locals.

Although it has a simple appearance, this cold soba has a depth of flavor that will make you want to eat it again and again.

Tsukishima Monja Tokyo

Tsukishima Monja is a popular downtown gourmet dish.
The dough is made by mixing flour, stock, and sauce, and then topped with your favorite ingredients such as cabbage, squid, fried tempura balls, and sakura shrimp. The cabbage is cut into roughly rectangular strips, and the ingredients are finely chopped with a spatula while being stir-fried.

This apparently brings out the sweetness of the cabbage. It's especially delicious when you poke the slightly burnt monjayaki with a small knife.

Gyoda Jelly Fry Saitama Prefecture

The name "jelly" comes from the oval-shaped "zeni" (money) part of the name "zeni fry," which changed to "jelly fry."

It is a croquette-like dish without a batter, filled with plenty of potatoes, onions, carrots, and soy pulp. Its rich sauce has a delicious flavor and aroma, and its chewy texture makes it a soul food popular with children and adults alike.

Stamina Ramen Ibaraki Prefecture

This is a local Ibaraki ramen dish filled with plenty of ingredients such as liver, cabbage, pumpkin, carrots, and chives, and topped with a sweet and spicy soy sauce-based sauce.
The sweet and spicy, rich sauce clings to the noodles perfectly, making it so delicious you won't be able to stop eating.

This dish has a deep flavor, with strong soy sauce, the spiciness of chili peppers, and the colorful deep-fried green and yellow vegetables.

Beppu Motsuni, Yamanashi Prefecture

This is a dish unique to Kofu, made by simmering chicken gizzards, hearts, liver, and kumquats (unhatched eggs) in a rich, sweet and spicy soy sauce sauce.

You can enjoy the crunchy gizzards, chewy hearts, and the unique textures of liver and kumquats in this dish, which is packed with rich sauce and the delicious flavor of chicken.

Komagane Sauce Katsudon Nagano Prefecture

Komagane Sauce Katsudon is rice topped with shredded cabbage and a thick cutlet. The crunchy cabbage and rich, sweet secret sauce go perfectly together.

This rice bowl has been served in Komagane city since the early Showa period, and when locals say katsudon, they are referring to this sauce katsudon.

Sanjo Curry Ramen Niigata Prefecture

Sanjo curry ramen has a history of over 70 years. It was a popular dish that energized blacksmiths who flourished as a town of metalwork.

Depending on the restaurant, you can enjoy different flavors, such as those with curry-flavored soup or those with curry on top of the ramen.

Hanton Rice Ishikawa Prefecture

This local Kanazawa delicacy consists of rice topped with a thin omelet, white fish, fried shrimp, etc., and topped with tartar sauce and ketchup.

"Hanton" is a combination of the Hungarian word "han" and the French word for tuna "ton," and it is said to have been created based on Hungarian home cooking.

Fuji Tsuke Napolitan Shizuoka Prefecture

This is a tsukemen-style Neapolitan pasta made by combining two soups: tomato soup, chicken bones, and bouillon stock.

The noodles vary from store to store, from thick, chewy noodles to pasta, Chinese noodles, etc. It is full of ingredients and has a mellow flavor, including fragrant sakura shrimp, chicken char siu, mushrooms, and melted cheese.

Ogura Toast Aichi Prefecture

Ogura toast, buttered toast topped with red bean paste, is one of the favorite snacks of Aichi residents.
The freshly baked toast goes perfectly with butter and sweet red bean paste.

It is said that the inspiration for this dish came from a student at a coffee shop during the Taisho period who dipped buttered toast into zenzai and ate it.

Kushikatsu Osaka Prefecture

Kushikatsu is a variety of meat, vegetables, seafood, and other ingredients wrapped in a crispy batter. It is said to have originated in Shinsekai, Osaka, and the variety of kushikatsu you can enjoy in the original place will surprise you.

Another appeal of kushikatsu is that it is reasonably priced and you can enjoy it by choosing your favorite ingredients.

Kinugasa-don, Kyoto Prefecture

This bowl of rice originated in Kyoto and consists of fluffy eggs stuffed with fried tofu and spring onions. The juicy, sweet and spicy broth seeps into the thin strips of fried tofu, coating the rice and eggs.

The gentle Kyoto-style seasoning gives it a comforting taste.

Tenri Ramen Nara Prefecture

Tenri ramen is made by simmering a generous amount of Chinese cabbage and pork in a soy sauce soup flavored with chili bean paste (or spicy sauce) and garlic.

The soy sauce and garlic are fried and then simmered to add a fragrant flavor, bringing out the richness and umami of the ingredients. It's also very filling.

Sobameshi Hyogo Prefecture

Sobameshi is a local gourmet dish that originated in Kobe.
It is made by chopping yakisoba noodles finely and stir-frying them with rice. It is a standard dish that is almost always on the menu at okonomiyaki restaurants in Kobe.

In Shin-Nagata, where it originated, it is served with a thick, rich, spicy sauce, creating an addictive flavor.

Offal Tempura Hiroshima Prefecture

Hormone tempura, a popular B-class gourmet dish in Hiroshima, is a dish of deep-fried horumon that is full of flavor and juicy taste.

The crispy batter and crunchy texture are very pleasant, and we recommend eating it with vinegar soy sauce and chili powder.

Be sure to try the different textures of each cut.

Shrimp rice Okayama Prefecture

Shrimp rice, a local delicacy of Okayama, also known as "black pilaf," is fried rice made with spices such as caramel sauce, ketchup, and curry powder.

The savory flavor and sweet-and-sour taste will become addictive, and topping it with shredded egg, parsley, and shrimp makes it very colorful.

Kawara Soba Yamaguchi Prefecture

Kawara soba is an impressive dish with green tea soba noodles, sweetly simmered beef, and shredded egg served on a large tile. It is eaten by dipping it in the warm, rich soup.

The further down you go, the more crispy the soba becomes, and if you add condiments such as lemon or grated momiji leaf, you can enjoy a refreshing change in flavor.

Seared puffer fish, Kochi Prefecture

In Kochi Prefecture, where tataki cuisine is widespread, tataki moray eel is one of the hidden local delicacies. The light texture of the meat and the rich flavor of the skin are addictively delicious.

We recommend eating it with refreshing ponzu sauce, onions, and garlic leaves.

Imabari roast pork and egg rice Ehime Prefecture

This soul food of Imabari city combines the three elements of being delicious, affordable, and filling, with roast pork topped with a fried egg.

The deliciousness of the soft-boiled fried egg with the special soy sauce sauce and the roast pork is superb. This dish has been loved for over 40 years and even won the B-1 Grand Prix.

Mojiko Yaki Curry Fukuoka Prefecture

Mojiko Yaki Curry, which has a history of about half a century, is a masterpiece made by baking fragrant spicy curry, melted cheese, and a soft-boiled egg in the oven.

The combination of spicy curry, mellow cheese, and eggs creates a milder flavor, further enhancing the deliciousness of the curry.

Sasebo Burger Nagasaki Prefecture

The Sasebo Burger is something you'll want to bite into. After the war, this area became the home of a US military base, and American culture flowed through the area. This dish was created by adding a unique twist to the hamburgers that were eaten in America at the time.

It is characterized by fresh vegetables and the restaurant's original special sauce, and each restaurant offers a unique menu.

Taco rice Okinawa Prefecture

"Taco rice" is Okinawa's soul food. At first glance, it may seem like a foreign dish, but it is an Okinawan dish that combines tacos and rice and tops them with seasoned minced meat (taco meat), lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

It is said that this dish was created in the 1980s as an adaptation of the Mexican taco, which was brought to Okinawa at the time as a way to provide something cheap and filling for US soldiers.

summary

This time we introduced some hidden local gourmet foods in Japan.

There are still many more local delicacies that are full of regional flavor and use creative ingredients and seasonings. Knowing the local delicacies that can only be eaten in a certain area will broaden the ways you can enjoy your travels.

Why not try to find some hidden local gourmet restaurants in your area?