Fukushima Local Cuisine

Aizuwakamatsu

Sophisticated local cuisine with an assortment of seafood and mountain delicacies

Fukushima local cuisine has a wide variety of foods including wappa meshi rice, shingoro rice cake, herring pickled in Japanese pepper, and horse meat sashimi. The reason for Fukushima’s wide variety of foods is because of the powerful clans that governed small sections of the area until the 1800s. Aizu is split up into three major areas, including Hamadori near the ocean, Nakadori located inland, and the prosperous castle town Aizu. The current local cuisine is a result of a mix of these three cultures. From among these, the local cuisine that has its roots in Aizu is distinct for its refinement as is expected of food coming from a castle town.

Kozuyu – the dish from Fukushima that is an absolute must for ceremonial events

Kozuyu is a type of soup where a variety of diced ingredients are simmered slowly, including root vegetables, scallop, wood ear mushroom, gingko nut, and dried shiitake mushrooms. It is loved all over Fukushima with different recipes in each family, and has a deep and mild flavor packed with the tastes of the mountains and ocean. Its popularity spread from the late Edo period to the Meiji era as a treat for both samurai and commoners in Aizu, and it is often served in fancy red lacquered dishes that are considered fancy amongst Japanese dishes. This is an absolute must for celebrations such as weddings.

Eating buckwheat noodles with a scallion stalk?! Even the Japanese are surprised.

The Aizu region is famous for its soba (buckwheat noodles) restaurants. A unique food loved in this area is scallion soba. Although scallions are an essential garnish for soba dishes, the people of Aizu use a single raw scallion stalk to eat with instead of using chopsticks. This is a truly rare menu item even for Japanese people. It was originally a treat on special occasions as a way to wish for good fortune or perpetuation of one’s descendants. It is difficult to scoop up the noodles with the scallion stalk, but fun when they’re hooked on for a fleeting moment. After slurping up the soba noodles, you can munch on the scallion for some extra flavoring – something you can only experience in Aizu.

For reference

Misawaya

Address

26-1 Ouchi Yamamoto, Shimogo-machi, Minamiaizu-gun, Fukushima-ken
Telephone

0241-68-2927
Hours

Open 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Price

From 1,296 and up
Access

Fukushima Airport is a one hour flight from Itami Airport.
Fukushima Airport is a one hour 20 minute flight from New Chitose Airport.
From Fukushima Airport, take the limousine bus to Aizuwakamatsu Station (2 hr and 20 min).
From Aizuwakamatsu Station to Yunokamionsen Station takes 40 minutes.
Take a taxi from the Aizu Railway Yunokamionsen Station (15 min).
The Saruyugo tourist bus runs from April to November.
Website

http://www.misawaya.jp/

Honke Tamaya

Address

3 Ouchi Yamamoto, Shimogo-machi, Minamiaizu-gun, Fukushima-ken
Telephone

0241-68-2946
Hours

Open 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Closed Irregular days
Price

From 1,000 and up
Access

Fukushima Airport is a one hour flight from Itami Airport.
Fukushima Airport is a one hour 20 minute flight from New Chitose Airport.
From Fukushima Airport, take the limousine bus to Aizuwakamatsu Station (2 hr and 20 min).
From Aizuwakamatsu Station to Yunokamionsen Station takes 40 minutes.
Take a taxi from the Aizu Railway Yunokamionsen Station (15 min).
The Saruyugo tourist bus runs from April to November.