7 most famous regional dishes in Nara

06/05/2019   1.255  4.25/5 trong 2 rates 
7 most famous regional dishes in Nara
Nara was not only Japan’s political capital but also the center of Japanese food culture, and many of the traditional Japanese foods we know today originated during the Nara period.

 
  • Miwa Somen

    Miwa SomenMiwa Somen

    Somen noodles originated in China and arrived to Japan during the Nara period when they became a popular court food. These hand-stretched noodles are long and thin and have a smooth texture with a velvety mouthfeel. The noodles can be eaten chilled as reimen, served in a bowl of ice water and dipped into a concentrated dashi soy sauce before eating, or eaten in a warm noodle soup called nyumen. Somen can also be enjoyed in a dish called nagashi somen, where the noodles flow through a stream of cold running water and are deftly scooped up by diners as they quickly float by.

  • Manju

    ManjuManju

    Manju are a traditional Japanese food featuring a steamed bun filled with semi-sweet bean paste. Although they are sold throughout Japan in many regional varieties, manju first originated in Nara based on a food from China called mantou, which was brought to Nara by a Chinese envoy named Jōin Rin in the 1300s. Manju are considered one of the meibutsu, or famous local dishes, of Nara and are frequently purchased as a souvenir for travelers to share with friends, families, and coworkers in other parts of Japan. Jōin Rin is enshrined in Nara at Rin Shrine, which holds an annual manju festival every April.

  • Narazuke

    NarazukeNarazuke

    Narazuke is the name for the traditional pickles that originated in Nara during the 8th century. Made from vegetables like uri gourd, young watermelon, daikon radish, and cucumber pickled in the sake lees left over from the sake making process, narazuke have a deep brown color and a pungent flavor mingled with the aroma of sake. In the days before modern refrigeration, fermenting and pickling were essential techniques for food preservation and these pickles were considered a great luxury. Today, they’re a staple food item that accompanies meals eaten throughout Nara.

  • Kakinoha-zushi

    Kakinoha-zushiKakinoha-zushi

    Kakinoha-zushi is a type of sushi that’s native to Nara, which was invented around the Edo period. Unlike Edo-style sushi which was made with fresh fish from Tokyo Bay, sushi from Nara used mackerel fish preserved in salt as the prefecture shares no borders with the sea and it was difficult to enjoy fresh fish away from the coast. The preserved fish was stored together with rice to keep the flavor from becoming too salty and wrapped in persimmon leaves, which is said to have antibacterial properties. Today, preserved sushi wrapped in an individual persimmon leaf is another meibutsu product that’s sold as a popular souvenir in Nara.

  • Kuzu Mochi

    Kuzu MochiKuzu Mochi

    Kuzu mochi is a type of dessert made with starch from the kuzu (Japanese arrowroot) plant that’s native to Japan. It has a fine texture and is very refreshing to eat in the summertime. Like many Japanese sweets, kuzu mochi is not inherently very sweet but can be enjoyed with kuromitsu, a brown sugar syrup, and kinako, sweet toasted soybean flour.

  • Asuka Nabe

    Asuka NabeAsuka Nabe

    Asuka nabe is a hot pot dish of chicken, tofu, and vegetables cooked in milk and chicken broth with white miso paste. It’s based on a dish made with goat’s milk that was introduced by Buddhist monks during the Asuka period, before the capital city was established in Nara in the 700s. The Asuka region was located just 25 kilometers south of Heijo-kyo, so the dish became a popular food in Nara as well.

  • Chagayu

    ChagayuChagayu

    Chagayu is a traditional breakfast food from Nara that’s made by boiling rice in roasted green tea with salt until it becomes a soupy porridge. The dish was originally enjoyed by monks at Nara’s Todai-ji temple as part of the Omizutori festival, but eventually became a common food enjoyed by locals throughout the region. Chagayu can be eaten hot or cold, and the roasted aroma of the green tea gives this wholesome dish a complex, but highly satisfying flavor.

Source gurunavi

The poster

Nhu Dang

Nhu Dang


is member from: 22/08/2018, has 540 posts

COMMENTS

You need login before posting a comment.
No Avatar

There are no comments for this post, why are you not the first?

Others posts