Food of Tokushima

30 dishes

• 🍱Amego-no-Hirarayaki (BBQ Trout on hot stone)📍 TokushimaHirara-yaki is made by heating a flat stone and grilling fish and vegetables on it with miso. The name "Hirara-yaki" comes from the flat stone called "Hirara" in Japanese. It is one of the local dishes eaten in the Iya region of Miyoshi City, and was popular as an outdoor dish in the old days. A flat stone is placed on top of the kamado and heated to warm the stone like an iron plate, and then the ingredients are grilled on the stone. It is said to take several hours for the stone to warm up, during which time the people would go out to gather amego, the main ingredient in the dish, and other wild vegetables. In addition, the restaurant offers other ingredients unique to the region, such as "Ishi Tofu (rock tofu)," a specialty of the Iya region, and konjac(=yam cake). It is said to be a local dish that came naturally from the people who have lived in the Iya region for a long time.
• Awa Uiro📍 Tokushima"Awa uiro" is called one of Japan's top three uiro (sweet rice jelly) along with "Nagoya uiro" and "Yamaguchi uiro." Its history is long, dating back to the time of the 11th Tokugawa shogun, TOKUGAWA Ienari. During this period, sugarcane spread to Awa, and "Awa wasanbon (refined Japanese sugar)" came to be made from cultivated sugarcane; Awa uiro was then made to celebrate the completion of Awa wasanbon. Originally it was flavored simply with red bean paste, wasanbon, sugar, and salt, but in recent years, besides chestnut and persimmon being added to match the seasons, there have been an increasing number of contemporary flavors such as chocolate-flavored ones. It also comes in many shapes, from yokan-like cut squares to round ones shaped like manju. It is distinct for its springy texture, and gentle sweetness that comes from the simplicity of the Awa wasanbon.
• 🍲Awa no Itokoni (simmered azuki beans with sweet potatoes)📍 TokushimaThe dish called "Itokoni" refers to a simmered dish with azuki beans and vegetables. While it is commonly made with ingredients like pumpkin, "Awa no Itokoni" uses sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are first dried into sweet potato chips and then simmered together with azuki beans, resulting in a gentle sweetness. Incidentally, there are two methods of drying sweet potatoes: "Shiroboshi" involves cutting fresh sweet potatoes and air-drying them, while "Yudeboshi" involves boiling them once before drying. In the case of Awa no Itokoni, the latter method, Yudeboshi, is employed for drying sweet potatoes. In the past, azuki beans were considered a special ingredient eaten on festive occasions, leading to variations like adding alternatives such as small millet to boiled sweet potatoes. During times of sugar scarcity in wartime, Itokoni was prepared without sugar, but later, sugar was added, making it a popular accompaniment to tea and a cherished snack, as well as a side dish. Incidentally, it is said that many households may have grown sweet potatoes in their fields in the old days. Therefore, it is thought that they dried them as a way of preserving them and used them to cook with.
• 🍚Ayu rousui (Sweetfish porridge)📍 Tokushima"Ayu-rousui" refers to a porridge containing a whole Ayu (Sweetfish). Ayu-rosui is a Japanese word for "zosui," which is sometimes called "ire-rosui". Vegetables such as eggplant, potatoes, and onions, rice, and Ayu (Sweetfish) are simmered in dashi (Japanese soup stock) and seasoned with miso. The flavor of the Ayu (Sweetfish) makes this dish distinctive and rich in flavor. The Katsuura River, which runs through the center of Katsuura Town in Tokushima Prefecture, is a clear stream that is home to a variety of river fish, including ayu, eel, amego (trout), and carp. During the ayu fishing season, many people from outside the prefecture come to enjoy ayu fish.
• 🍱Bouze no sugatazushi📍 TokushimaDuring the autumn festival season, "tadasushi," a type of sushi made by leaving various types of fish in their original form, is often eaten in Tokushima. Sushi rice is wrapped with fish that have been cut open on their backs. In addition to horse mackerel and konoshiro (white croaker), the main fish used in this dish is bouze, which was once considered a luxury fish. Bouze is a name in the Tokushima dialect, and is also called ibodai, uboze, or shizu, a white-fleshed fish caught from summer to autumn. Boze itself is eaten throughout Japan as grilled, boiled, or open fish, but it is only in Tokushima Prefecture, where fresh bouze is readily available, that it is eaten as sashimi. The fresher the fish is, the tighter the flesh is, making it easier to prepare as sashimi. However, the catch of bouze itself is currently on the decline, and mackerel and saury are increasingly being used to make this dish.
• 🍱Chagome📍 Tokushima"Chagome" is rice with sweet beans. The rice is cooked with roasted fava beans and granulated sugar, resulting in an overall brown color rice. It is said that in the old days, it was a popular meal for people living in samurai residences, but later it spread as a dish prepared by farmers to consume old fava beans during the season when new fava beans are harvested. The dish may be served with "takuan (pickled radish)", "umeboshi(pickled plums)", or tea.
• 🍱Denbu📍 TokushimaIn Tokushima prefecture, there are many traditional dishes which use “kintokimame” (=red kidney beans) in them, such as “barazushi” and “mametentama” (=type of okonomiyaki with sweet kintokimame in them). “Denbu” is one of such dishes and is also referred to as “odenbu”, “orenbu”, and “renbu”, and is similar to “gomoku mame” (=simmered soybeans with vegetables). Pre-cooked kintokimame or “kuromame” (=black soybeans) are simmered with daikon radish, “gobou” (=burdock) and other root vegetables and flavored with soy sauce and sugar. Some families and regions like to add “umeboshi” (=pickled plums) to the recipe. “Denbu” is often served on special occasions such as the new year holidays along with “zoni” (=soup containing rice cakes) made with white miso and “nishime” (=simmered vegetables). Beans are rich in protein and root vegetables are rich in fiber, which make this dish highly nutritious.
• 🍜Handa somen📍 TokushimaHanda Somen" produced in Handa district of Tsurugi-cho has a long history. There are various theories as to how Handa Somen began to be produced, but it is said that in the middle of the Edo period, boatmen brought Somen to Handa via Miwa-machi, Isogi-gun, Nara, Awaji, Naruto, etc. At first, the boatmen's families produced Somen for their own consumption. At first, the boatmen's families produced Soumen for subsistence and as a side business, but the climate and climate of Handa was suitable for Soumen production, and the production of Soumen became prosperous. The characteristic of Handa Somen is that it is a little thicker, firmer, and more satisfying than ordinary Somen. There are many noodle makers in the Handa area, and the flavor differs slightly depending on the altitude, the type of wheat used, the blend, salt, and other factors. This is why the noodle mills have become brands, and there are many deep-rooted fans who visit not only nearby residents, but also tourists and people from far away.
• 🍱Hangoroshi📍 TokushimaIn 2005, Naka Town was born from the merging of five towns and villages in Tokushima Prefecture. It is an area abundant in nature, with over 90% of the town's area taken up by forest. It is divided into the five areas of the Wakiji area, Aioi area, Kaminaka area, Kisawa area, and Kito area; each has their own culture and customs. Among them is “hangoroshi,” which resemble “ohagi” (rice ball coated in red bean paste), a local food particularly loved in the Aioi area that is made with both sticky and non-sticky rice. The name hangoroshi (lit. “half-killed”) comes from only half-mashing the cooked rice so that some rice grains remain unmashed. For a time it was sold as “kusa-mochi” within the prefecture, but local students requested for the use of the original name, so it was once again dubbed “hangoroshi.” By the way, “ohagi” that are completely mashed are apparently called “minagoroshi.”
• 🍱Hasuimo-no-Kuki-no-Sunomono (Vinegared Hasuimo Stem)📍 TokushimaHasuimo, eaten mainly in Tokushima and Kochi, is a type of satoimo(=Japanese taro). It is said to have originated in Southeast Asia, but is sometimes called "ryukyu" because it was introduced from Okinawa. As the name suggests, it is a taro, but it is mainly the stems and leaves that are eaten. Among them, the stems of hasuimo are used in various dishes such as miso soup, salad, stir-fry, simmered dish, and dressed dish, and one of them is a local dish of vinegared hasuimo with swordfish. It is characterized by the texture of crispy hasuimo stalks and has a refreshing taste. Incidentally, "zuiki" is similar to hasuimo, but "zuiki" refers to the leaf stalks of satoimo(=Japanese taro). In the western part of the prefecture, zuiki is often eaten, while hasuimo is more common in the southern part.
• 🍱Hotayoukan (Steamed bread)📍 Tokushima"Hotayokan" is a steamed bread-like confection. In the Tokushima dialect, the word "hota" refers to the hollow space inside, and the fluffy, sponge-like appearance of the cake is what gives it this name. Because brown sugar is used, it is characterized by its dark brown appearance, chunky texture, and gentle sweetness. Until the Taisho era (1912-1926), people ate a steamed yokan called "Matsukaze" instead of Hotayokan, and it is said that it began to be sold at candy stores in the early Showa era (1926-1989). It is believed that brown sugar was often used because it is unrefined and inexpensive, making it not only easy to use but also tastes rich and delicious.
• 🍚Houhan (Cooked Buckwheat and Rice)📍 TokushimaLong time ago, there was less rice available in rural areas, so local foods used buckwheat or buckwheat rice instead of white rice were popular in Tokushima. ‘Houhan', one of these foods, is prepared by making buckwheat porridge and rice separately, then served the porridge on top of rice, and mixed to eat. This dish was invented to keep it stomach for a long time by adding buckwheat and vegetables. The name ‘Houhan' means that buckwheat rice ‘wraps' (‘tsutsumu' in Japanese – the Chinese letter for ‘tsutsumu' can be pronounced ‘hou'.) rice. It is said that the buckwheat porridge from Iya area was delivered to villages over mountains, then changed to ‘houhan'.
• 🍡Imo-mochi (Sweet potato dumplings)📍 TokushimaIn Tokushima Prefecture, sweet potatoes are extensively cultivated. Particularly famous nationwide is the "Naruto Kintoki". The climate of Tokushima, characterized by a gentle atmosphere and low precipitation, especially along the coast, provides a mineral-rich environment that is well-suited for sweet potato cultivation. Imo-mochi is a confection made by wrapping sweet red bean paste in a dough made from steamed glutinous rice flour and sweet potatoes. Around the late 19th century, sweet potatoes were introduced to Naruto City in Tokushima, leading to the popularization of dishes incorporating sweet potatoes, such as Imo-mochi. During that period, sweet items like sugar were considered luxury items and were less accessible to ordinary households. However, sweet potatoes, being both sweet and a type of tuber, were relatively easy to obtain and were valued for providing a sense of fullness.
• 🍱Iri-meshi/Iriko-meshi📍 Tokushima"Iri-meshi" is a dish in which whitebait is seasoned with vinegar or sauce sauce, then mixed with rice along with other ingredients such as fish cake, shiitake mushroom, konnyaku, and burdock root. Depending on the region, it is also referred to as "Iriko-meshi." It is a regional cuisine that has been passed down generation through generation for over 100 years. "Iri (iriko)" refers to the whitebait, and in the past, it was known as a rice dish that contained only whitebait. The key is to thoroughly marinate the iri (iriko). Another tip for making it more delicious is to properly season the finely chopped ingredients. Whitebait are often harvested in Wadajimacho, Komatsushima City, Tokushima. They are boiled and sun-dried immediately after catching, keeping them fresh and flavorful.
• 🍲Ise Ebi no Misoshiru (Miso Soup with Japanese Spiny Lobster)📍 Tokushima"Ise Ebi," commonly known as Japanese spiny lobster, is renowned as a luxury ingredient. However, this "Ise Ebi no Miso Soup" is a rare home-cooked dish that has been passed down through generations. It is a miso soup made with a soup stock and meat that uses "agari," which are Ise Ebi that cannot be sold normally due to missing antennae, legs, etc. The live Ise Ebi is vertically halved and further chopped into pieces. The sand sac and dorsal cord are removed, and the remaining parts are used boldly in the miso soup. The meat may be used both as an ingredient in the soup and some may be served as sashimi. This protein-rich and low-calorie Ise Ebi Miso Soup is not only gentle on the body but also widely enjoyed by the residents of Tokushima Prefecture. Ise Ebi, which is found in shallow waters at depths of 5 to 20 meters, is captured using a set net called "koami" placed across the pathway of Ise Ebi. It is said that during stormy seasons, an abundant harvest of Ise Ebi can be obtained, especially when the sea is turbulent.
• 🍱Iya no dekomawashi📍 TokushimaDekomawashi" is a local dish of Iya area in Miyoshi City. Bite-sized potatoes, buckwheat dumplings, rock tofu, and round konnyaku are skewered and grilled with miso sauce. The skewers are placed on the hearth and grilled, turning the skewers in a circular motion so that they cook all the way through. It is said that the name "dekkomawashi" comes from its resemblance to the way the heads of "deku" (wooden dolls) in Awa ningyo joruri (puppet theater) are turned. In the Iya region, a small potato called "zyoshu-imo" is grown, and this is used in the dekomawashi. Iwa-dofu is a type of cotton (momen) tofu that is as hard as a rock, and is also made in the Iya region. It is also suitable for making dekomawashi, which is skewered and grilled. In addition, buckwheat flour is widely produced in the Iya region, as in "Iya soba" (buckwheat noodles), and many of Iya's specialties are used in this dish.
• Iya soba📍 TokushimaThe Iya area of Miyoshi City is famous for soba (buckwheat noodles). It is said that when the Heike clan, defeated in the Genpei War, fled to Iya, they began to grow buckwheat seeds in the area. Since rice is difficult to grow in Iya, buckwheat, which is easy to grow and has a short growing season, has become a staple food. Iya soba is a local dish representative of the Iya region. Made with 100% local buckwheat flour, it is the soul food of the Iya region. It is also called "soba-kiri" (buckwheat noodles) because the noodles are easily cut and become thick and short. Fresh water from Iya is used for the water used to knead the buckwheat flour and for the soup stock, and Iya ingredients are also used for the ingredients. Other soba dishes, such as "buckwheat rice porridge," in which the buckwheat seeds are used as they are, are also prepared in abundance in Iya.
• 🍱Kintokimame-iri-Barazushi (Barazushi with red kidney beans)📍 TokushimaBarazushi is made by mixing red kidney beans sweetly boiled with soy sauce and sugar as well as seasonal ingredients with vinegared rice. Tokushima's soil was originally difficult for rice to grow in, so it is said that this local cuisine originated from the idea of adding various ingredients instead of rice to bulk it up. The ingredients used vary depending on the region and season, and it is also called by a variety of names, including “mazekuri,” “gomokuzushi,” “kakimaze,” and “osumoji” in addition to “barazushi.” The vinegared rice is sometimes flavored with shredded yuzu peel or sesame seeds, making it a dish with a gorgeous aroma, appearance, and flavor. By the way, red kidney beans are a familiar ingredient in Tokushima. A variety of local dishes are popular, such as “mametentama,” which is okonomiyaki with red kidney beans added, and “renbu (denbu),” which is simmered red kidney beans, black beans, and root vegetables.
• 🍱Narae📍 TokushimaNarae is a dish made by blending seven ingredients (daikon radish, carrots, deep-fried tofu, sesame, lotus root, dried shiitake mushrooms, and konjac) with sanbaizu (vinegar). The name originates from the fact that it uses seven (nana) ingredients. However, some believe that the name comes from the inclusion of "Narazuke," which is vegetables pickled in salt and sake lees. In Tokushima, Narazuke was called "Naraware" or "Narae." One of the vegetarian dishes eaten around the time of the Taika Reform was narae. After that, it became popular, especially around 1965. Even today, it is a popular dish because it is rich in nutrients and can be easily prepared at home.
• 🍱Omiisan📍 Tokushima"Omiisan" refers to porridge seasoned with miso. In the old days, miso was called "mii," which became "omiisan" by adding the honorific "o" and "san". In Tokushima, where rice was considered difficult to grow in the soil, buckwheat and barley were used as staple foods instead, and the quantity of rice was often bulked up by adding various other ingredients. "Omiisan" was also a favorite meal with plenty of daikon radish and satoimo(=Japanese taro) added to make it a filling meal. The recipe was not very specific, except for seasoning with miso and using iriko Dashi (=Japanese soup stock (dried sardines)), and the ingredients used were sometimes chives, miso, tofu, etc. Each family made their own unique "omiisan". It is a simple and familiar local dish that is full of vegetables, nutritious, and also economical.
• Oshizushi (pressed sushi)📍 Tokushimaokushima is home to several varieties of sushi, including boze no sugatazushi (pieces of sushi made up of a whole fish), kakimaze sushi (where the rice is mixed with kidney beans), and amego (trout) sushi. Among these, oshizushi, or pressed sushi, is familiar in the areas around Kaiyo and Mugi. Its rice is mixed with a yuzu vinegar known as yunosu, which is then placed in a square box with a lid that can be pressed down on its contents. It may look as though it's just made up of white rice, but when cut into, it reveals stewed vegetables such as burdock root and finely sliced carrots. It is also noteworthy for its use of “misho yuzu vinegar”, a local specialty of Mugi, in its sushi rice. It's a traditional local food, with every family handing down their specific seasonings from mother to child, but it is not certain exactly when it originates from.
• 🍜Shima-somen (Somen dipped in simmered fish broth)📍 TokushimaThe "Shima Somen" enjoyed in Mugi Town, Tokushima Prefecture, is distinct from typical somen, because it uses broth made by simmering fish instead of mentsuyu. "Renko-tai" (yellowback sea bream) caught at Teba Island is boiled in a sweet and savory seasoning, and the resulting broth is used. It is one of the most creative dishes that ensures the leftover broth is equally delicious to savor.
• 🍚Shiro Miso Zou-ni (White Miso Rice Cake Soup)📍 TokushimaThe traditional New Year's soup (Zou-ni) in Tokushima prefecture is known for its distinctive characteristics. For instance, the "Uchigae Zou-ni" enjoyed in Iya district features a soy sauce-flavored broth made with "iriko dashi" (Japanese soup stock with small dried fish), and instead of rice cakes, it includes hard and stone-like firm tofu called "Iwa-dofu" (Rock tofu). Other regions also use various types of rice cakes, such as round or square rice cakes, and clear Dashi(Japanese soup stock). One of the most eaten is "Shiro Miso Zou-ni" (cloudy white miso soup). It is made by dissolving white Miso paste in Dash(Japanese soup stock) made from dried sardines and kombu(kelp). In addition to rice cakes and fish cakes, as in most "Zou-ni," a variety of vegetables such as carrots, daikon radishes, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), and satoimo (Japanese taro) are used as ingredients. The "Zou-ni" is rich in color and has a gentle flavor. Incidentally, some families in Katsuura area eat white miso "Zou-ni" with brown sugar, and some families in Aioi area eat white miso "Zou-ni" with sugar.
• 🍱Shusse Imo📍 TokushimaDuring periods when rice was insufficient, people commonly ate tubers in place of rice in the southern part of the prefecture, which includes Kaiyo Town. "Shusse imo" is a local food devised among the variety of tuber dishes that are made. Steamed taro were fit into a cylinder, wrapped with smooth red bean paste and sliced into rounds. In the past, shussei imo were made in place of ohagi (rice balls with red bean paste); tubers were eaten as rice and thus promoted ("shusse") to the status of rice, and because of this shusse imo was given this auspicious name. Nowadays it is typically made with sweet potatoes instead of taro. Besides both azuki beans and sweet potatoes having a high fiber content, azuki beans have polyphenol and sweet potatoes are abundant in vitamins and nutrients like potassium, so it's handy not only a meal that fills you up, but as a food with a great deal of nutritional value.
• 🍜Sobagome zousui/Sobagome jiru📍 TokushimaIn the past, the Iya region of Tokushima was surrounded by mountains, and the climate was considered difficult for rice to grow. It is said that when the Heike clan came to the Iya region after losing the Genpei War, they grew buckwheat seeds, which were a good substitute for rice and had a short growing season, and began to produce buckwheat noodles. Soba-mai Zosui (buckwheat rice porridge) is a local dish born from this soba culture. Normally, buckwheat is made by grinding buckwheat seeds into flour, but in soba-mai zosui, buckwheat seeds are boiled in salted water, shelled, and dried. The buckwheat seeds are then boiled in salted water, peeled, and dried. Buckwheat is high in protein, minerals, and dietary fiber, and has high nutritional value on its own. Zosui, or rice porridge made with buckwheat and plenty of vegetables and meat, is a well-balanced dish that is still popular among the people of the prefecture today.
• 🍚Tai meshi (Rice with sea bream)📍 TokushimaThe "Naruto Tai" (=Naruto sea bream) caught in Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture, is one of the top-class premium fish in the country. Raised in the whirlpools of the Naruto Strait, its flesh tightens, resulting in a sea bream with umami and a delightful texture. It is delicious to enjoy it as sashimi while it's fresh, but a dish particularly beloved in Tokushima Prefecture is "Tai meshi". This dish involves cooking the Naruto Tai, either whole or in chunks, together with rice. The firm texture of the Naruto Tai's flesh and rice absorbing its umami create an excellent match. It is highly popular not only among the locals but also with tourists who come from outside the prefecture.
• 🍱Uchigae Zouni📍 TokushimaMany different kinds of zoni soup are made throughout the country, but the "Uchigae zoni" made in the Iya area of Miyoshi city is particularly unique. Large, rock-hard tofu called iwadofu (stone tofu) is used in uchigae zoni in the place of the mochi that is used in most regions. In addition to using a large amount of soybeans and thoroughly removing the moisture, it is said to be hard because of the large amount of bittern that is added. The name "uchigae zoni" is said to come from the way the iwadofu stacked on top of each other looks like samurai "uchigae" (clashing) swords. It is sometimes called "uchiawase zoni" for the same reason. It was difficult to grow rice in the Iya area, so barley and buckwheat became staple foods, and the protein-rich iwadofu was a valuable source of nutrients.
• 🍱Yubeshi📍 TokushimaYuzu production is particularly active in Nakacho, Tokushima. The town is particularly suited for yuzu cultivation due to its abundant precipitation and the large temperature difference between daytime and nighttime, and boasts the second largest production of "Kitou Yuzu" in Japan (Tokushima Agricultural Support Center, "Kitou Yuzu" production area initiative). In addition, “Kitou yuzu” is relatively large, beautifully colored, and of high quality. It is a well-known agricultural product throughout Japan, having been registered under the country's Geographical Indications (GI) protection system (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Registration Public Notice, Registration No. 42). Yuzu is also used in a variety of dishes, including "Yubeshi", a preserved food popular in the prefecture, which is made by boiling down the peel of yuzu with sugar and soy sauce. It is not only eaten as a side dish on its own, but also enjoyed as a snack with sake or as an ingredient in ochazuke (=boiled rice in soup). Outside of the prefecture, it is still sold in Kyoto and Ehime as a famous confectionary from the Edo period, but yubeshi, which has taken root in the Aioi district of Nakacho in Tokushima, is only a side food. "Yubeshi" is made around November, when the yuzu trees are fully ripe, by slowly boiling them down over a long period of time. In addition, it is said to have been eaten in Kamikatsu in the 30th of the Showa period, when sugar became widely used in households, and was even more widely produced in the 50th of the Showa period.
• 🍱Yuzu Kan📍 TokushimaIn Naka town of Tokushima prefecture, yuzu named “Kitou Yuzu” is produced in large amounts. “Kitou Yuzu” are high in quality, relatively big and beautiful in color. This fruit is registered in the Geographical Indication (GI) Protection System, which protects products as intellectual property, and is well known throughout Japan. “Kitou Yuzu” is used in “yubeshi”, yuzu juice, and for “Yuzu Kan”, a popular refreshing dessert also known as yuzu jelly.
• 🍱Zukigashi (‘Zuiki’ Marinated with Vinegarette)📍 Tokushima‘Zuiki', petiole of ‘yatsugashira' (a type of Satoimo(=Japanese taro)), is an ingredient often used in the local dishes in Tokushima. Dried ‘zuiki' is used for local dishes like ‘Omiisan' or ‘mixed sushi', or miso soup, or simmered to serve as a side dish. ‘Zukigashi' is also one of the local dishes. Boil raw ‘zuiki' and toss it with vinegar. The tender purple ‘zuiki', although initially turns black when boiled, transforms into a vibrant red when mixed with vinegar, becoming a colorful dish that enhances the dining table. Raw ‘zuiki' is hard, but once boiled moderately it becomes crispy. Sugar, soy sauce, yuzu vinegar made from yuzu, which is one of the special products in Tokushima, are mixed to make Awase-zu (sweet and sour dressing).