Food of Shizuoka

31 dishes

• 🍡Abekawa Mochi📍 Shizuoka"Abekawa Mochi" is a regional dish in the Chubu region, with Shizuoka City at its center. It consists of freshly made mochi (rice cakes) coated with kinako (roasted soybean flour) mixed with sugar. The name "Abekawa Mochi" is derived from the Abekawa River that flows through the prefecture. There are two theories about the origin of the name: one suggests that it was named by Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Edo period, and the other claims that it became famous as a specialty sold at the Abekawa River teahouses among travelers on the Tokaido highway. Even in the present day, at the foot of the Abekawa Bridge, there are shops offering Abekawa Mochi, with some establishments boasting a history of over 200 years. This treat also makes an appearance in the travelogue "Tokaido-chu Hizakurige" written by Jippensha Ikku during the Edo period.
• 🍱Bokumeshi📍 ShizuokaWithin Shizuoka Prefecture, there are two main production zones for farming eels: Lake Hamana and the Oi River basin, with Yoshida Town corresponding to the Oi River basin production zone. Eel farming began in Yoshida Town with the formation of eel ponds on unused rice paddies flooded out by the Oi River during the Taisho era, and utilized the basin's underground water. Yoshida Town's eels are well known for being fatty and soft. “Bokumeshi” is a mixed rice made by combining boiled eel and burdock root to cooked rice. The name is derived from a thick stake called a “bokkui.” At the time, eels that were too fat were unsellable, so the eel farmers began to eat them and it is said that the meal eventually came to be called “bokumeshi.” Since the latter half of the 1950s, eels have been farmed so much that they account for 40% of Japan's eel production（※）. Because eel could be bought locally and in large quantities, bokumeshi was a staple in many households, but in recent years the price of eel has increased and there are less opportunities to make it at home. Source: Yoshimachi Public Corporation website
• 🍜Fujinomiya yakisoba📍 ShizuokaFujinomiya Yakisoba is a local gourmet yakisoba dish from Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture. The name was given to a style of yakisoba that has been eaten in the area for a long time. It originated in 1999 when local discussions on town revitalization focused on this unique local dish.
• 🍱Gawa📍 ShizuokaShizuoka Prefecture boasts one of the largest catches of bonito in Japan. The bonito landed in May is called "Hatsukatsuo" (first bonito) and is especially popular, and the "bonito streamers" displayed around Omaezaki Port on the occasion of Dragon Boat Festival have become a summer tradition. Gawa" is a chilled miso soup made by chopping raw bonito, cucumbers, pickled plums, green perilla, etc., and adding them to water with miso paste, and was first made by fishermen on board their boats when they went bonito fishing. It is said that the name "gawa" came about because of the "gawa-gawa" sound made when ice is added and the miso is stirred to dissolve it. Originally a fisherman's meal, it also appears on summer tables in ordinary households in Omaezaki.Source: Shizuoka Prefecture's official website
• 🍱Gennarizushi📍 ShizuokaSplendid alfonsino fishing in Inatori began in the Meiji era. The dish handed down in this area for special occasions is pressed sushi topped with red and white soboro (locally known as oboro) made from splendid alfonsino. It is made during celebratory events such as weddings, Shichi-Go-San, and coming-of-age ceremonies. It is said that it got its name because of its size and the fact that just eating it makes you feel miserable. In addition to splendid alfonsino oboro, gennarizushi is also sometimes made as a set with pressed sushi topped with lean tuna sashimi, simmered shiitake mushrooms, and tamagoyaki.
• 🍚Heso Mochi (Dented Rice Cakes)📍 Shizuoka"Heso mochi" is offered on the 15th day of August or the 13th day of September of the old calendar when the night is perfect for moon-viewing. This sweet is unique to the central and western regions of Shizuoka prefecture, located on the west of the Fuji River. Another name for this sweet is "heso dango". It is made with Joshinko(=short-grain rice flour), which is shaped into flattened "dango" (=Japanese dumpling) with a dent in the center of each piece. In the past, it was always made with freshly harvested rice from that year and 12 pieces, 13 pieces in the case of a leap year, were offered on a bundle of fresh straw on the day of "tsukimi" (=moon-viewing). It was a tradition for children to go door to door on this day to receive the "heso mochi" being offered.
• 🍲Iruka no Miso-ni (Dolphin Miso Stew)📍 ShizuokaThe practice of dolphin fishing in Shizuoka Prefecture has been conducted primarily in the Izu region. The gulfs of the Izu Peninsula serve as migration routes for the dolphins, while the complex geography of the peninsula makes it a suitable location for the dolphin drive fishing method, whereby dolphins are herded and driven into a bay or beach using boats. Dolphin bones found at Jomon period archaeological sites, as well as records from medieval and early modern eras, indicate that dolphin fishing has been practiced since ancient times. Following the Meiji era, dolphins caught in Izu were sold throughout other areas within Shizuoka, as well as to outside prefectures such as Aichi, Gifu, and Yamanashi. Currently, the only organization that continues the tradition of dolphin drive fishing is the Ito Fisheries Cooperative (Ito City, Futo Port). However, due to the intensifying focus, both domestically and internationally, on protecting and conserving dolphin populations, as well as regulations limiting the quantities and types of species allowed to be caught, dolphin fishing has not been conducted since 2004. Nonetheless, drive fishing has been permitted since 2019 for the expressed purposes of capturing dolphins for captive breeding. “Iruka no Miso-ni” is a traditional, local delicacy of Izu. In the past, when dolphin meat was commonly sold at fish stores, it was served regularly in households―stir-fried with burdock roots (gobo), or perhaps other ingredients such as carrots and konnyaku (yam cake), then seasoned with sake, soy sauce, sugar, and miso, and simmered into a stew.
• 🍲Kinme no Nitsuke (Stewed Red Snapper)📍 ShizuokaThe Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture is a production area for Kinmedai (splendid alfonsino), and Shimoda Port is Japan's leading fishing port for the catch of Kinmedai. There are three types of Kinmedai caught in Izu: Jikinmedai (local Kinmedai, also known as Inatori Kinmedai or Himodori Kinmedai), Shimakinmedai (Island Kinmedai), and Okikinmedai (Offshore Kinmedai). Among them, Jikinmedai is considered the finest Kinmedai, known for its excellent richness and flavor. It is caught through single-line fishing, but the catch has dramatically decreased, making it a difficult-to-obtain brand of Kinmedai. The Kinmedai landed at Inatori Fishing Port in Higashi-Izu Town is this local Kinmedai, referred to as "Inatori Kinme." The representative dishes for Kinmedai include sashimi and simmered dishes. In the case of simmering, the fish, either in slices or as a whole, is sweetly simmered in soy sauce, sake, and sugar. In recent years, various menus beyond sashimi and simmered dishes have also been developed.
• 🍱Kinzanji-Miso📍 Shizuoka"Kinzanji-Miso" is a fermented food made by fermenting grains, and contains Tougan(=White gourd), eggplant, perilla seeds, ginger, etc. It is a type of "Name-miso" that is eaten as is as a side dish or snack rather than as a seasoning. Originally, it was a preserved food for eating summer vegetables in winter at temples. There is a theory that miso was first introduced to Wakayama Prefecture in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) by a monk, Shinchikakushin, who returned from his training in the Sung Dynasty. Some believe that Kukai, the founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, brought it back from Tang. "Kinzanji-Miso" is made in various regions of the prefecture, including the western, central, and eastern parts of the prefecture and the Izu area. In the past, households used to make their own homemade "Kinzanji-Miso", but now many households purchase miso produced by miso suppliers. In addition to Shizuoka Prefecture, it is also eaten in Wakayama, Chiba, and Aichi Prefectures.
• 🍡Kiriboshi Imo (Dried strips of Sweet Potato)📍 ShizuokaIt is said that the origin of ‘kiriboshi imo' is Shizuoka Prefecture. In Edo Era, Gon'emon Ohsawa rescued the ship from Satsuma (current Kagoshima Prefecture) wrecked at the offshore of Omaezaki. This made sweet potato introduced in Shizuoka Prefecture. After that, the cultivation of sweet potato has been prevailing in the prefecture, and ‘nikiriboshi-hou', the method to dry sliced boiled sweet potato under the sunshine, was invented. They say that it is the origin of ‘hoshi-imo' (dried sweet potato). Drying sweet potato under the sunshine makes potato more distinctive of its sweetness and softness. The area suits to produce dried sweet potato due to ‘enshuu karakkaze' (strong dry wind in winter in Shizuoka) and long daylight.
• 🍱Kuro hanpen furai📍 ShizuokaKurohanpen is made by boiling ground mackerel, horse mackerel, or sardine, and is semi-circular in shape and gray in color. It is a specialty of Yaizu, but is eaten almost everywhere in the prefecture. Outside of the prefecture, hanpen is a white paste, but in Shizuoka Prefecture, it is usually called kuro-hanpen. White hanpen is white because only the meat of the fish is used, while black hanpen is gray because the bones and skin of the fish are kneaded into the paste. In addition to fried hanpen, kuro-hanpen is also used in simmered and grilled dishes, and even as an ingredient in Shizuoka oden. Fried kuro-hanpen are also made at home and sold in the deli section of supermarkets. The fish flavor is concentrated in the hanpen, and the deep frying adds a savory flavor to the dish, making it a popular side dish for all ages, from children to adults.
• 🍚Mackerel hakozushi (pressed sushi)📍 ShizuokaThis local dish is made in the Izu region for special days such as festivals. As it was originally made as a meal for fishermen, it uses locally caught mackerel. The fish is broken into small pieces, then seasoned and fried into a kind of mince (known locally as oboro). This is then laid on top of vinegared sushi rice in a serving box, along with stewed vegetables such as carrots or shiitake mushrooms, to make hakozushi - literally, box sushi. When the Buddhist priest Nichiren was exiled to Izu by the Kamakura shogunate in 1261, the fishermen who sheltered him gave him his morning and evening meals in multi-tiered boxes. This is said to be the origin of hakozushi. The oboro mince uses locally caught mackerel, but this varies depending on the region - scad (horse mackerel) or golden eye snapper (alfonsino) are also used.
• 🍚Mago-chazuke (Horse mackerel rice bowl with tea)📍 ShizuokaMago-chazuke is a local dish eaten throughout the Izu Peninsula, and was originally a fisherman's meal eaten on boats during fishing. The name is said to have come from the meaning of "eat quickly and don't be lazy," as it was eaten in between fishing trips. Mago-chazuke is easily prepared at home by pounding fresh horse mackerel, placing it on top of rice, and pouring hot tea or hot water over it.
• 🍜Mikuriya Soba📍 ShizuokaA local dish of the Mikuriya area in Gotemba City. As this area grew a lot of wheat and soba (buckwheat), farmers made soba noodles using native yams instead of water, eating it with a dipping sauce made with chicken stock. The soba had an unassuming flavor, with the added yam creating a pleasant eating experience. Chicken stock is used for the broth, with chicken, carrots and shiitake mushrooms as the characteristic ingredients.
• 🍱Mizukakena no tsukemono📍 ShizuokaGotemba City and Oyama Town are semi-high temperature areas with cold winters and cool summers. In this area, there is an abundance of groundwater from the snowmelt of Mt. Mizukakena" is a traditional vegetable of this area, and is a specialty that can only be enjoyed in early spring from February to March. It is cultivated in winter by making high ridges in the rice paddies and letting the spring water flow through them to keep the fields warm. The name "mizukakena" comes from the Japanese word "mizukake," which means "to pour water over," hence the name "mizukakena. Cultivation is said to have begun in 1887, when the head of a household in Atano, Kitago Village (present-day Oyama Town) brought back seeds from Echigo (Niigata Prefecture). Around the middle of the Meiji period, a woman from Echigo who came to Japan with workers for the construction of the Tokaido Line (present-day JR Gotemba Line) made mizukakegai pickles, which were later widely cultivated and eaten in the Gotemba and Oyama areas.
• 🍱Nama Shirasu-don (Raw Baby Anchovy Bowl)📍 ShizuokaShirasu are the 1-2 month old young of Japanese anchovy and Japanese pilchard, and Shizuoka Prefecture boasts the largest catch of shirasu in Japan. Suruga Bay is one of the most productive fishing grounds in Japan with a large amount of plankton, and the shirasu are caught by boat seine fishing from the end of March to mid-January. Fresh shirasu can be enjoyed as "nama-shirasu" (raw shirasu), and processed products such as "kama-age-shirasu" (boiled in a pot), "shirasu-boshi" (dried shirasu), "chirimen" (dried shirasu), and " tatami-iwashi" (dried shirasu stretched into a thin sheet like seaweed) are also well known.
• 🍱Namari-bushi to Shiro-tamanegi no Salad (Bonito and Onion Salad)📍 ShizuokaNamaribushi is one step before becoming dried bonito, which are soft and can be cut into thin slices and eaten like sashimi. Shizuoka Prefecture accounts for 51% of the nation's production of bonito namaribushi, ranking first in Japan (2019). Bonito landed at the port of Yaizu is boiled in an iron pot and smoked. Because of its concentrated flavor and rich umami, it can be eaten as is or used in salads, stir-fried dishes, and boiled dishes. White onions, on the other hand, were introduced to Hamamatsu City from the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture in the late Meiji and early Taisho periods, and are rarely grown in other regions. Through repeated breeding while taking advantage of the climate and soil, the variety was developed into a variety that could be shipped early in the new year, and is currently marketed under the trade name Salad Onion.
• 🍱Okiagari📍 ShizuokaSakura shrimp are only caught in the Suruga Bay , at Yui Port in Shizuoka City and Yaizu City's Oigawa Port. The shrimp were first fished in 1894, when they were coincidentally caught when pulling in horse mackerel. For purposes of conservation, the fishing season for sakura shrimp is limited to twice a year: in spring from mid-March to early June, and in fall from late October to late December. Okiagari is a hot pot dish where fresh sakura shrimp are simmered with tofu and spring onions in sukiyaki-style seasoning. The fishermen who caught the shrimp from the open sea would eat it as a accompaniment with drinks, while contemplating their fishing. Source: Yui Port Fisherman's Cooperative Association
• 🍱Orido-nasu no Dengaku (Grilled Eggplant with Miso Sauce)📍 Shizuoka"Orido-nasu" is a native species of eggplant from Miho area in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, and its characteristics are round shape, sharp thorns, dark purple skin and rich and sweet teste. Its richer flavor compared with regular eggplants goes well with dishes with miso like "dengaku", and makes popular. It is said that it is an eggplant in Japanese saying "First Mt. Fuji, Second Hawk, Third Eggplant." (This saying explains what is the lucky sign when you have the first dream of the new year. Mt. Fuji is the luckiest thing in your first dream of the year, and so on.) Also, it is known as Tokugawa Ieyasu's favorite food. The cultivation of "Orido-nasu" had stopped since Meiji Era. However, the seeds kept in the national laboratory were taken over and the cultivation successfully resumed in 2005 thanks to the collaboration of farmers, JA and other related organizations.
• 🍱Ozaku📍 Shizuoka"Ozaku" is a vegetable soup made by boiling vegetables such as satoimo(=Japanese taro), daikon radish, and carrots in Dashi (=Japanese soup stock), soy sauce, and sugar. It is said to have come to be called "Ozaku" because it is made by chopping vegetables into chunks. In winter, root vegetables taste better because of frost and snow, and they are more flavorful and delicious when made in generous portions and cooked back. It was considered a feast when there were no bento stores or convenience stores. In some regions, gobou(=Burdock), tofu, and cormorant meat are added.
• 🍱Rakkasei Namasu (Vegetable Salad Marinated with Vinegar and Peanuts)📍 Shizuoka"Kouhaku Namasu" (vegetable salad marinated with vinegar), one of the must dishes in "osechi" new year dishes, is known with vinaigrette mixed vinegar and sugar and tastes sweet and sour. On the other hand, it is common to add roasted grounded peanuts to "kouhaku namasu" in Fujinomiya City, Fuji City and its surrounded eastern area, where peanuts is the main product. Adding grounded peanuts makes the salad less sour and adds rich flavor of peanuts, so it is easier for those who don't like sour food to eat. Besides, "boiled peanut" (boiled peanuts with shell, then eating them after removing shell) is popular among the locals in that area as a unique way to enjoy peanuts.
• 🐟Sakura Ebi no Kakiage (Sakura Shrimp Tempura)📍 ShizuokaAll sakura shrimp caught in Japan come from the Suruga Bay of Shizuoka prefecture. Sakura shrimp live in schools at sea depths of 400 to 600 meters. Their spawning season is between June to August, and during this period, fishing is prohibited to protect natural resources. Fishing in the spring takes place from mid-March to early June, and fishing in the autumn takes place between the end of October to the end of December. When catching sakura shrimp, only those floating on the surface of the ocean at night are caught. "Sakura ebi no kakiage" (=sakura shrimp tempura) is a local dish that is eaten throughout Shizuoka prefecture and is made at home or served at local restaurants.
• 🍱Shizuoka Oden📍 Shizuoka"Shizuoka Oden" is a local dish of Shizuoka City where all the ingredients such as beef tendon, black hanpen, fish paste, daikon radish, and eggs are skewered, stewed in a black colored Dashi (=Japanese soup stock), and served with "Aonori (green laver)" or fish stock powder. In the city, they are sold at candy stores, so many people have been familiar with them since childhood as a substitute for snacks. "Shizuoka Oden" began in the Taisho era (1912-1926), but its popularity grew after World War II when beef sinew and pork innards, which had been disposed of, were used as oden ingredients. Since that time, fish and shellfish landed in Suruga Bay were available, and fish paste products made from fish surimi, such as kurohampen, were used as ingredients for oden.
• 🍵Shizuoka tea📍 ShizuokaShizuoka Tea refers to tea (green tea) produced in Shizuoka Prefecture and its brand name. The Makinohara Plateau and surrounding areas are the largest production center. While it holds the top production volume in Japan, the gap with the second-place Kagoshima Tea is narrowing year by year (a 1,300-ton difference in 2020 statistics). In terms of production value, it was overtaken by Kagoshima Tea in 2019, losing the top spot it had held for 49 years since 1970.
• 🍚Someii (Colored Rice)📍 ShizuokaSomeii, also known as "Seto's Someii," has been sold at teahouses in the former Sechimachi Village (now part of Fujieda City) along the old Tokaido highway since the Warring States period. It has been known as a specialty of the Tokaido region. The process involves steaming glutinous rice, dyeing it with gardenia fruit, and then crushing and spreading it thinly into the shape of an oval coin, which is then dried and served as portable food or ration. The dried gardenia fruit was believed to have medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, and diuretic effects, making Someii popular as a food that helped relieve fatigue in the legs and lower back. Someii is an ancient dish that even appeared in the novel "Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige" written by Jippensha Ikku, a famous classical writer. However, over time, it became a dish enjoyed only by a limited number of households. About 60 years ago, it was on the verge of being forgotten, but then a bento (boxed lunch) vendor in Fujieda City collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce to revive it. They transformed the dried rice into a modern onigiri (rice ball) that could be quickly consumed.
• 🍲Takenoko no Arame-ni (Simmered Bamboo Shoot with Arame)📍 Shizuoka"Takenoko no Arame-ni" is a local dish mainly in the central area, and simmered bamboo shoot and "arame". ‘Arame' is a type of kelp. Many kinds of kelps or sea weeds drifted to the sea shore along the central area and the locals brought them to home to cook. However, the catch of ‘arame' has decreased for these 40 years, and it is not possible to catch one. In spite of this situation, "Arame-ni", simmered bamboo shoot with "arame" caught in other areas, is still served at home and the school lunch as a taste of spring.
• 🍱Tamago Fuwa Fuwa (Fluffy Eggs)📍 Shizuoka"Tamago fuwa fuwa" was served at Fukuroi-juku station during the Edo period and the Fukuroi-city Tourism Association has revived the dish as a new local specialty. According to "Sendai Gekkou Nikki", a written account from the Edo period, "tamago fuwa fuwa" was served for breakfast at Otawakihonjin of Fukuroi-juku station to guests staying there. The dish is made with two simple ingredients, eggs and dashi (=Japanese soup stock). The "fluffy" texture of the dish is what people enjoy the most about the dish.
• 🍱Tokoroten📍 ShizuokaThe Izu Peninsula is Japan's largest producer of red algae, the raw material for tokoroten. Red algae has been harvested for about 1,600 years, and it was used as raw material for Tokoroten as well as fertilizer. Red algae from the Gelidiales order and Gelidiaceae family, known as makusa and oobusa, are commonly used to make tokoroten. Makusa is mainly harvested in West Izu and produces soft and sticky tokoroten, while oobusa is mostly harvested in East Izu and is said to produce thick, hard, and firm tokoroten. In Izu, long, thin pieces of home-made tokoroten made from red algae is placed inside containers and pushed out before being eaten. Tokoroten is also sold at candy stores, making it an indispensable snack and soul food for children. On the Yagisawa coast of Toi Town in west Izu, the harvesting and sun-drying of the red algae is carried out from spring to early summer, carpeting the beach in red. Source: Izu Tokoroten Club
• 🍱Tororo jiru📍 ShizuokaTororo soup is made by grating yam and mixing it with soup stock and miso paste, and served over barley rice. The yam, also called "yam," is 1.5 meters long and about 3 centimeters in diameter. It grows wild in the mountains and fields of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and is also cultivated in some places. Wild yam in Shizuoka Prefecture is mainly grown in the Chubu region, but is also harvested in the western and eastern regions. The history of yam soup dates back to Maruko, the 20th post town on the 53rd leg of the Tokaido Highway, which is now Maruko, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City. It is said to have been popular among travelers as a stamina-boosting dish. It also appears in the novel "Tokaido Chu Hizakurige" by Jippensha Ikku, the ukiyoe "The Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido" by Utagawa Hiroshige, and in Matsuo Basho's haiku "Ume-wakana Maruko no yado no tororojiru".
• 🍱Wasabi zuke📍 ShizuokaWasabi pickles are made by marinating chopped wasabi leaves, stems, and roots in sake lees. Wasabi is said to have originated during the Keicho era (1596-1615), when wild wasabi, which had been growing wild on Bukkoku-san (Mt. Butsudani) in the Aoi Ward of Shizuoka City's Aoi Ward since before that time, was planted near a spring source in the same area. Tokugawa Ieyasu, who spent his later years at Sunpu Castle, forbade the wasabi from leaving the area, and for many years it never left the Aritogi district. However, in the mid-18th century, the cultivation method spread to the Izu area, and later, when the "tatami-ishiki" method of cultivation was developed in the Naka-Izu area, it spread throughout Shizuoka Prefecture and even throughout Japan. Shizuoka Prefecture boasts the highest yields and quality of wasabi in Japan due to its abundant rainfall, geological features, and spring water that is around 13 C year-round, making it ideal for wasabi cultivation. Currently, wasabi is cultivated without the use of fertilizers as much as possible by creating stepped wasabi fields in mountainous areas with spring water, and the "Traditional Cultivation of Shizuoka Water Wasabi" has been recognized as a World Agricultural Heritage and Japan Agricultural Heritage. Wasabi pickles were first sold in Shizuoka Station, which opened in 1889, and are still one of the most popular Shizuoka souvenirs, and are often served at home. It is a favorite dish mainly among adults because of the pungent taste of wasabi and sakekasu (sake lees). Source: Shizuoka Wasabi Agricultural Heritage Promotion Council
• 🐟kabayaki📍 ShizuokaKabayaki (蒲焼) is a preparation of fish, especially unagi eel, where the fish is split down the back, gutted and boned, butterflied, cut into square fillets, skewered, and dipped in a sweet soy sauce-based marinade before being cooked on a grill or griddle.