Place
Kagawa
香川県
38 items
● 32 born here(Aji no Sanbai, Anmochi Zoni, Ebi Miso Jiru, and more) / ● 4 raised here(Olive Gyu, Olive Yumebuta, Sanuki Cochin, and more) / ● 2 prepared here(Ikanago shoyu, Shodoshima shoyu)
Born here32
- Aji no Sanbaiアジの三杯grilled horse mackerel steeped whole in three-part vinegarAji (horse mackerel) is grilled until lightly charred, then steeped in a three-part vinegar dressing sharpened with chili and ginger. The vinegar is said to soften the bones enough to eat whole, and the dish has long served as a summer festival accompaniment to drinks around the Seto Inland Sea.
- Anmochi Zoniあんもち雑煮white miso zoni with a sweet red-bean-filled rice cakeA New Year zoni made by simmering daikon, kintoki carrot, and a round rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste in dried-sardine broth, finished with white miso. Said to have begun as a once-a-year treat using sugar, once a costly commodity in the Edo period.
- Ebi Miso Jiruえびみそ汁small Seto shrimp pureed into a white miso soupSmall shell-on shrimp are pureed with rice rinse water, then simmered with white miso and tofu. Served as part of the roughly 300-year-old sacred sake festival at Uga Shrine in Toyonaka, Mitoyo, where it has long accompanied the shrine's home-brewed doburoku.
- Hage Dangoはげ団子new-wheat dumplings mottled with sweet red bean pasteFreshly milled new-wheat dumplings are coated in a simple red-bean paste. Traditionally made around Hangeshō, the early-July turning point when the rains break, as thanks for the season's farm work, and offered to household gods before the family eats.
- Imotakoいもたこoctopus and taro simmered togetherOctopus from the Seto Inland Sea and taro are simmered together in a simple seasoned broth. Once reserved for New Year and wedding feasts, it is said to have become an everyday side dish today.
- Iriko Meshiいりこ飯rice cooked with dried sardine stock and root vegetablesRice is cooked with dried-sardine stock made from the fish heads, along with the sardine meat, carrot, daikon, and taro. An everyday dish centered on the Seiban region around Ibukijima, an island famed for producing this dried-sardine stock.
- BarazushiばらずしKagawa barazushi — scattered sushi rice mixed with simmered vegetables and seafoodVinegared rice is mixed with simmered taro, burdock, and shiitake, then topped with vinegar-cured Spanish mackerel and shredded egg for color. Long made at home for festivals, weddings, and other gatherings as a celebratory dish.
- Dojo Jiruどじょう汁Kagawa dojo jiru — loach and vegetable soup thickened with hand-cut wheat noodlesLoach is simmered with burdock, taro, and hand-cut wheat noodles into a soup eaten to fend off summer fatigue. After rice planting, men once caught loach from irrigation ponds and cooked it in a communal cauldron to share at village gatherings.
- KakimazeかきまぜKagawa kakimaze — soy-seasoned mixed rice from ShodoshimaBamboo shoot, dried shrimp, fried tofu, and other ingredients are simmered in soy sauce and folded into freshly cooked rice. A specialty of Shodoshima, an island long known for soy sauce production, traditionally served to large gatherings such as village meetings.
- Konnyaku no Shiraaeこんにゃくの白あえKagawa konnyaku no shiraae — konjac dressed in sweet tofu-sesame misoKonjac cut into strips and pan-fried is dressed in a paste of mashed tofu, sesame, and miso. Many households are said to eat this fiber-rich konjac dish on Setsubun, the seasonal turning-point believed to ward off misfortune for the year ahead.
- Nasu SomenなすそうめんKagawa nasu somen — eggplant and somen noodles simmered in dashiEggplant pan-fried in oil is simmered with fried tofu and chili in dried-sardine dashi, then combined with boiled somen noodles for a summer home dish. Said to have spread widely as an easy staple, pairing well the somen noodles for which Shodoshima is known with locally grown eggplant.
- Shoyu Mameしょうゆ豆Kagawa shoyu mame — roasted dried fava beans steeped in seasoned soy sauceDried fava beans are roasted, then steeped in a soy sauce, sugar, and chili liquid. Unlike simmered beans, roasting first is said to give a crumbly bite when chewed — a preserved food built on fava beans grown as a second crop after Kagawa's rice.
- Kankan Zushiカンカンずしvinegar-cured mackerel pressed sushi from SanukiVinegar-cured Spanish mackerel is laid over sushi rice, packed into a wooden box, and pressed tight with wedges for a long shelf life. Said to originate in the Kamobe area of Sanuki City, its name comes from the kan-kan sound of the mallet driving the wedges home.
- Konnyaku no Hachihaiこんにゃくのはちはいkonjac simmered in dashi, soy sauce, and sakeKonjac sliced into thin triangles is simmered with taro and dried shiitake in dashi. The name's origin has several theories — that someone once had eight helpings of its light flavor, or that dashi, soy sauce, and sake are each measured out eight cups at a time.
- Manba no Kenchanまんばのけんちゃんwinter mustard greens stir-fried with tofuManba, a winter mustard green that sweetens after frost, is stir-fried with dried sardines, then crumbled tofu and fried tofu are worked in. The name kenchan is said to be a local slurring of kenchin, a dish of shredded vegetables stir-fried with tofu.
- Mossomeshiもっそうめしfive-item rice pressed into a cylindrical moldDried sardine, fried tofu, and burdock simmered sweet and salty are mixed into freshly cooked rice, then pressed into a cylindrical mold. Said to trace back to a monk's ascetic meal, it has long been served in Mitoyo at the Momote archery festival held to pray for a good harvest.
- Ochirashi Ameおちらしあめroasted barley candy pulled into sticksOchirashi, a roasted flour made from hulless barley and glutinous rice, is kneaded with starch syrup and sugar, then shaped into sticks and cut. Made to mark the early-summer barley harvest in Kagawa, where barley has long been grown as a second crop after rice.
- Oshinuki Zushi押し抜きずしmold-pressed sushi topped with Spanish mackerel and fava beanSushi rice packed into a mold is topped with slices of Spanish mackerel, fava bean, and rolled omelet before being pressed out. Said to be the centerpiece of harusanuo, a Sanuki custom of buying a whole spring mackerel and inviting relatives to share it.
- Sanuki Udon讃岐うどんFirm, chewy wheat noodles from Kagawa, the udon prefectureKagawa's udon is said to trace back to noodle-making methods Kukai brought home from Tang China. Known for a firm bite and a clear dried-sardine broth, many shops let diners boil their own noodles at self-service counters.
- Satsumaさつまgrilled white fish and roasted miso ladled over hot riceFlaked grilled white fish is combined with lightly toasted miso and fish stock, then poured over hot rice. Said to have traveled along the coast from Kyushu to Shikoku, it is also known in Kagawa as Sanuki satsuma.
- Sawasawaさわさわkonjac and sweet potato simmered into a thick soupKonjac is simmered in dashi with carrot and burdock, then thickened with grated sweet potato, in this dish from Nio, Mitoyo. Its name is said to come from the sara-sara texture of its brothy consistency, traditionally made for memorial services.
- Shima no Chagayu島の茶粥rice porridge simmered in bitter roasted teaRice is simmered in water infused with goishicha or roasted tea into a porridge. On the rice-paddy-less islands of the Shiwaku archipelago, it is said to have served as breakfast that stretched scarce rice further, eaten unseasoned save for the tea's bitterness.
- Shodoshima Somen小豆島そうめんSetouchi island noodles brought home from a pilgrimage to MiwaThe story holds that, some 400 years ago, a resident of Ikeda village on Shodoshima learned somen-making while passing through Miwa in Nara and brought the technique home — chosen because it could be done in the slow winter farming season, with just family labor. As a shipping hub, the island had ready access to Sanuki wheat and Setouchi salt, and its own sesame-oil trade rounded out the conditions.
- Shippoku UdonしっぽくうどんSanuki udon under a bowlful of simmered winter vegetablesEaten across Kagawa from autumn into winter, this ladles dried-sardine-simmered winter vegetables and fried tofu over udon. It's said to layer the sweetness of winter vegetables onto Sanuki udon's firm bite.
- Tai Somen鯛そうめんa whole simmered sea bream served over somen noodlesA whole salt-cured sea bream is simmered gently in soy sauce, sugar, and sake so it holds its shape, then served on a large platter with boiled somen noodles — a wedding-feast centerpiece traditionally carried in while the table is rocked to a Sanuki Ise Ondo tune.
- Takuan no Kinpiraたくあんのきんぴらaged pickled daikon desalted and stir-friedAged pickled daikon that has developed a sour edge is soaked to remove salt, then stir-fried in oil and finished with red chili. Said to have taken hold in Kagawa, where households pickle large batches of daikon each winter, as a way to use every last piece.
- Teppaiてっぱいfreshwater carp and daikon dressed in white miso vinegarCrucian carp from irrigation ponds is cured in salt and vinegar, then dressed with daikon in a vinegared white miso from Sanuki. Said to derive its name from teppo-ae, an old term after teppo (gun), a local nickname for the carp — a winter dish served alongside sake.
- Toshiake Udon年明けうどんwhite udon topped with red ingredients for the New YearWhite udon is topped with red ingredients — pickled plum, salmon roe, red ginger, and more — and eaten by January 15th, a newer noodle custom. Started by a Sanuki udon promotion group, drawing on the old belief that thick, long noodles bring long life.
- Uchikomi Jiru打ち込み汁hand-cut wheat noodles simmered straight into a vegetable soupDough kneaded from just wheat flour and water, without salt, is cut and simmered straight into a dashi with daikon and carrot, without pre-boiling — a winter soup. Said to be a quick everyday dish from Kagawa, a wheat-growing region where udon is part of daily life.
- Uzumaki Mochiうずまきもちsweet red bean paste rolled inside a spiral of dumpling doughSteamed dumpling dough is rolled around sweet red bean paste so the cut cross-section forms a spiral, in this specialty of Hiketa, Higashikagawa. The spiral is said to represent the whirlpools of nearby Naruto, and the sweet has long been displayed and eaten at a baby girl's first Girls' Festival, alongside diamond-shaped rice cakes.
- Wakegiaeわけぎあえscallion and octopus dressed in vinegared white misoBoiled scallion and boiled octopus are dressed in a paste of white miso, vinegar, and mustard for a spring side dish. Said to be eaten around the Girls' Festival as a symbol of a thriving family line, and also known as nuta-ae for its sweet miso dressing.
- Warigo Bentoわりご弁当a Shodoshima lunch box packed with molded rice and simmered vegetablesA Shodoshima lunch box packs rice pressed in a dedicated wooden mold alongside simmered konjac, shiitake, and other vegetables. Around 20 boxes are said to be brought and shared between acts at the Hifuyama rural kabuki performance, an Edo-period tradition still held today.
Raised here4
- Olive Gyuオリーブ牛finished on the pressed leftovers of olive-oil productionSanuki Gyu cattle given a set period on dried, pressed olive residue left over from oil production — a feeding method that began with Shodoshima farmers and spread across Kagawa.
- Olive Yumebutaオリーブ夢豚Sanuki brand pork fattened on Kagawa's olive by-productSanuki Yumebuta, built on Berkshire stock brought from England in 1994, given a feed mixed with leaves and pressed residue left over from Shodoshima's olive processing.
- Sanuki Cochin讃岐コーチンa Chinese-origin breed remade in KagawaSaid to originate from the Chinese Cochin breed, independently improved by Kagawa's livestock experiment station and introduced in 1993; reportedly reared 80–90 days versus a broiler's 50.
- Sanuki Gyu讃岐牛one of Japan's earliest fattening regions for Japanese Black, from 1882Pedigreed Japanese Black raised across Kagawa, one of Japan's earliest fattening regions — begun on Shodoshima around 1882, with the nickname "Sanuki Gyu" said to have settled in Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe by the 1910s.
Prepared here2
- Ikanago shoyuいかなご醤油Kagawa's revived sand-lance fish sauceA fish sauce fermented from sand lance and salt for six months or more, mainly produced in the Aji district of Takamatsu, Kagawa. It is said to have disappeared for a time before local volunteers revived production around 1998, and it is counted among Japan's three great fish sauces.
- Shodoshima shoyu小豆島醤油400 years of wooden-barrel brewing on ShodoshimaSoy sauce from Shodoshima in the Seto Inland Sea, whose brewing technique is said to have arrived from Yuasa in Kishu some 400 years ago. Mild climate and easy sea transport once supported some 400 breweries on the small island, and it still accounts for much of Japan's remaining wooden-barrel-aged soy sauce.
Known for it here2
- Wasanbon和三盆Known sourcehand-refined sugar from Shikoku's sugarcane fieldsA fine-grained sugar made from a cane variety called 'chikuto', repeatedly kneaded and refined by hand on a wooden tray (bon). Produced since the Edo period in eastern Shikoku, in both Tokushima and Kagawa, its refined sweetness is prized for making Japanese confectionery.The main production area for Sanuki wasanbon.
- IidakoイイダコSquid and octopusKnown sourcea small octopus whose egg-filled body suggests cooked riceA small octopus about 20cm long. In females during spawning season, the body fills with roe whose grains are said to resemble cooked rice — the source of its name. Simmered, the flesh turns tender with a popping roe texture, in season through winter.The shallow Seto Inland Sea coast here keeps a tradition of pot-fishing for this octopus.