Ibaraki

  • Anko Nabe

    Northern Ibaraki winter specialty, miso-based hotpot with rich liver dissolved in.

    Monkfish raised by cold Oyashio current cut bone-in into chunks, liver fried in pot bottom and mixed with miso for dobu-jiru style. Enjoy collagen-rich flesh and plump skin, stomach and other seven utensils. Hanging cutting demonstrations also famous along northern coast, established as local gourmet warming winter tourists.

  • Hitachi Autumn Soba

    Prefectural brand buckwheat with strong aroma and sweetness.

    Variety selected from native species cultivated in northern mountainous areas utilizing temperature differences. Little off-taste even with coarse grinding, rich aroma rises. New soba season in November brings soba festivals throughout prefecture, with hand-打ち demonstrations and tastings.

  • Mito Natto

    Prefectural soul food of small soybeans fermented in straw.

    Established 'natto means Mito' brand spreading nationwide by rail transport in Meiji period. Recently diverse products line up including straw-wrapped natto, black bean natto, and dried natto, popular not only for breakfast but also in fried dishes and pasta sauce recipes.

  • Kenchin-jiru

    Vegetarian soup of stir-fried root vegetables and tofu.

    Said to originate from Eifukuji Temple in Kasama City, spreading from samurai cuisine to common people. Add hand-crumbled tofu to daikon, carrot, burdock, and taro fried in sesame oil, finish lightly with soy sauce. 'Kenchin soba' poured over buckwheat also winter staple.

  • Okukunji Shamo Cuisine

    Local chicken with firm texture in oyakodon or mizutaki.

    Free-range raised centered in Daigo Town, low-fat with strong umami. Though laying few eggs with high rarity, no off-taste in charcoal grilling or sashimi, becoming signature food ingredient of northern prefecture.