Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, is said to be the largest city in northern Kanto. Its representative local delicacy is probably "Utsunomiya gyoza." However, not many people may know about its characteristics or origins.

So, this time we will introduce you to all the charms of Utsunomiya gyoza, including its characteristics, history, and delicious ways to eat it.

Characteristics of Utsunomiya gyoza

Recently, a wide variety of gyoza have appeared, from the classic meat gyoza to more unusual gyoza with different fillings.
The main feature of Utsunomiya gyoza is that it uses plenty of vegetables such as green onions, chives, and cabbage in the filling. It has a mild garlic flavor, and makes use of the sweetness and umami of the vegetables, making it easy to eat.

One of the attractions of the shop is that you can get 5 to 6 bite-sized gyoza for less than 500 yen. It seems that students often eat it as a snack when they feel a bit hungry.

When you think of gyoza, many people may think of pan-fried gyoza, but boiled gyoza and deep-fried gyoza are also popular in Utsunomiya. Each restaurant has its own unique gyoza size, filling, thickness and texture of the skin, and dipping sauce.

There are said to be around 200 gyoza restaurants in the city, so finding gyoza that suits your taste is one of the fun things to do.

For those who think it would be difficult to visit many restaurants, we recommend Kirasse, a gyoza theme park located about a 10-minute walk from Tobu Utsunomiya Station. Here you can try the flavors of famous Utsunomiya gyoza restaurants on a daily basis.

It is also not uncommon to find restaurants in the city that only offer gyoza on the menu. It's fun to compare the different restaurants, so this is a must-visit place for gyoza lovers.

The history and origins of Utsunomiya gyoza

Nowadays, Utsunomiya City boasts one of the highest consumption rates in the country, but the reason why the number of shops there began to increase was during the war.

At the time, the 14th Army Division, stationed in Utsunomiya, was dispatched to Manchuria, where they learned about gyoza and brought it with them when they returned home. After that, in the 1940s and 50s, shortly after the war, gyoza restaurants began opening one after another all over Utsunomiya city.

Then in 1990, a city official who was looking for ways to revitalize the town noticed that a household survey showed that the annual consumption of gyoza in the town was the highest in Japan, and so he began various activities.

For example, the creation of a gyoza map and the launch of the "Utsunomiya Gyoza Association" were some of the activities that were carried out steadily and tenaciously. Little by little, the city began to be featured in newspapers and on television, which is said to be what led to the city becoming known as the "city of gyoza."

More recently, in 1998, the "Delicious Gyoza, Hometown and Gyoza Hall: Kirasse" was opened, and the following year the "Utsunomiya Gyoza Festival" was held, which became a major event that excited the local residents. The reason gyoza became so famous in Utsunomiya was the culmination of the efforts of the entire city residents to revitalize the town.

How to eat Utsunomiya gyoza deliciously

Now, let me introduce you to the delicious way to eat Utsunomiya gyoza.

The gyoza itself is well-seasoned and is delicious as is, with the deliciousness of the vegetables and the crispy, chewy texture of the gyoza skin. It is also recommended to add vinegar or chili oil to taste.

When you've finished about half of it, you can add soy sauce to change the flavor. Some restaurants also offer their own original sauce.

In addition, boiled dumplings are delicious just by dipping them in the sauce, but it is recommended to add vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil to the boiled water in the bowl to make them like soup dumplings. You can also add leftover sauce from fried dumplings to them, which will bring out the flavor of the dumplings and add a spicy kick from the chili oil, creating a different taste.

How to cook delicious gyoza

When you find your favorite gyoza and buy it as a souvenir, you want to cook it nicely and deliciously. So from here, we will introduce some tips on how to cook gyoza deliciously.

Frozen dumplings for souvenirs take a longer time to steam than regular fresh dumplings.

First, heat the frying pan and add oil, spreading it evenly. Once the frying pan is hot, turn off the heat and arrange the gyoza. The key here is to arrange them with a little space between them. This will prevent the gyoza from sticking together and tearing the skin.

After putting the dumplings in, add boiling water up to about 1/3 of the height of the frying pan and steam them. Once the water has evaporated, add sesame oil or salad oil around the edge of the pan and continue cooking to give them a nice brown color. Adding sesame oil gives the dumplings a rich flavor, so please give it a try.

What is the difference between Hamamatsu gyoza?

Speaking of popular local gyoza, Hamamatsu gyoza is a must-have. The difference between Hamamatsu gyoza and Utsunomiya gyoza is that the gyoza are fried in a circular shape and served with boiled bean sprouts.

The method of arranging gyoza in a circular disk shape on a frying pan was invented to cook a lot of gyoza at once. Boiled bean sprouts were placed in the middle, and it became popular among Hamamatsu residents as a palate cleanser between gyoza.

Access to Utsunomiya City

Now, let me introduce how to get to Utsunomiya City.

Speaking of Utsunomiya City, it is also known for the "Oya Museum," which has been certified as a Japanese Heritage Site. In the stone town of Oya, stone was carved by hand from the mid-Edo period until around 1959.

The main routes to access Utsunomiya city are the JR Tohoku Shinkansen and JR Utsunomiya Line, which start from Tokyo Station and Ueno Station, and the Tobu Railway Tohoku Expressway.

If you take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, you can get to Utsunomiya in about 50 minutes on the JR Tohoku Shinkansen. If you take the conventional line, you can get on the JR Utsunomiya Line (Ueno-Tokyo Line bound for Utsunomiya) from Tokyo Station or Ueno Station, and the journey will take about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

If you are going by car, it is convenient to take the Tohoku Expressway and get off at Kanuma IC. The journey takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Location of Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture

summary

This time, we introduced the appeal of Utsunomiya gyoza, which is full of the deliciousness of vegetables. From the classic pan-fried gyoza to boiled gyoza and deep-fried gyoza, you can eat gyoza made with the utmost care in the shops in Utsunomiya City.

There are also some unique gyoza options available, such as miso-flavored gyoza and medicinal gyoza, so if you visit, why not head out to "Gyoza Town" and try them out?

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