Place
Yamaguchi
山口県
36 items
● 32 born here(Chikin Chikin Gobo, Chisha Namasu, Fugu no Karaage, and more) / ● 1 raised here(Choshu Kurokashiwa) / ● 3 prepared here(Gobomaki, Saishikomi shoyu, Shirayaki Kamaboko) / ○ 1 known for it here
Born here32
- Chikin Chikin GoboチキンチキンごぼうChicken chicken gobo — bite-size fried chicken and burdock in a sweet soy glazeBite-size fried chicken and deep-fried burdock are tossed in a sweet soy glaze in this dish, born in Yamaguchi's school lunches. A nutrition teacher is said to have devised it around 1995 from recipes submitted by families, and its catchy, rhythmic name helped it spread into a statewide favorite.
- Chisha Namasuちしゃなますcrinkled lettuce tossed with vinegared miso and flaked fishKakichisha, an heirloom crinkled lettuce grown around Shimonoseki, is torn by hand and tossed with vinegared miso, flaked grilled fish, or whitebait. It is said to have been devised by the Mori domain's people after being impoverished by the Battle of Sekigahara, and is also known as "chishamomi."
- Fugu no Karaageふぐの唐揚げdeep-fried pufferfish, a homely counterpart to fugu sashimiPufferfish, marinated in soy sauce and sake, is coated in potato starch and deep-fried—a homely dish from the Shimonoseki and Hagi areas. While pricier tiger pufferfish goes into sashimi and hot pot, the more affordable shirosabafugu species is the one most often fried this way.
- Fuku Sashiふく刺しpaper-thin pufferfish sashimi arranged in a chrysanthemum patternPufferfish sashimi is sliced so thin it becomes translucent, then arranged in a chrysanthemum pattern in this Shimonoseki dish. Locals call the fish "fuku," a homophone for good fortune, and eat it with citrus ponzu and scallion; the practice traces to 1888, when eating pufferfish was legalized in Yamaguchi alone.
- Gube Jiruぐべ汁a miso soup of limpets gathered from Mishima's rocky shoreGube—small limpets, two to three centimeters across, gathered from rocky shores and breakwaters—are simmered into both the stock and the filling of this miso soup. It comes from Mishima, an island about 45 kilometers off Hagi's coast, where it was eaten not only by fishing families but by farming households near the shore.
- Hasu no Sanbaiはすのさんばいlotus root and carrot dressed in a three-part vinegar sauceIwakuni lotus root, notable for having nine holes instead of the usual eight, is dressed with carrot and white fish in a three-part vinegar sauce as a palate cleanser. The name may come from the sanbaizu dressing itself, or from "sanbai," a local word for the rice-field deity, and it appears at New Year and celebratory meals.
- Hasuimo no Sunomonoはすいもの酢の物raw lotus-taro stem and grilled horse mackerel in vinegarHasuimo, a taro-family stem vegetable riddled with small holes like lotus root, is thinly sliced raw and dressed with vinegar alongside flaked grilled horse mackerel—a summer dish from Hagi. Eaten raw, the stem keeps a crisp, watery crunch said to bring relief from the heat.
- Iwakuni-zushi岩国寿司a lord's tower of pressed sushi from Iwakuni's castle townA pressed sushi from Iwakuni, layered three to five tiers deep in a wooden frame. Lotus root, shiitake, and shredded egg stack into a striped cross-section — a dish also known as 'the lord's sushi,' cut and shared at celebrations.
- Kabu Zoniかぶ雑煮turnip and mochi in a clear soy broth for New Year'sRound mochi, turnip, and mitsuba herb go into a clear soy broth for this New Year's soup. The mochi is added unbaked, giving the broth a slight thickness, and some households tie in a knot of dried squid for aroma—a custom centered on the Hagi area.
- Kashiwa Wan柏椀a clear chicken and shiitake soup served for formal occasionsChicken—"kashiwa" in the dish's name—and shiitake are each simmered separately to absorb flavor, then set in a bowl and covered with a cooled broth. Prized for how elegantly it can be arranged, it has long accompanied the drinking course at Yamaguchi weddings and memorial gatherings.
- Kawara Soba瓦そばGreen tea noodles seared on a heated roof tile, from a Yamaguchi hot springA local tale that Satsuma soldiers grilled wild greens and meat on roof tiles during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion inspired an innkeeper at Kawatana hot spring to turn the idea into a dish around 1962. Green tea noodles, beef, and shredded egg are arranged on a heated roof tile and eaten with condiments and a dipping sauce.
- Kenchoけんちょうdaikon, tofu, and carrot pan-simmered in a slightly sweet sauceTofu, daikon, and carrot are pan-simmered in a slightly sweet-savory soy sauce, a daily side dish across Yamaguchi. It is often made in a big pot and reheated over several days, and the name is thought to trace to the vegetarian temple cooking of Kamakura's Kenchoji.
- Kudamatsu Gyukotsu Ramen下松牛骨ラーメンShoyu — soy saucebeef-bone broth with local soy sauceA Kudamatsu ramen combining beef-bone stock with locally brewed soy sauce. The beef's sweetness layers with the soy's for a light, clean finish, said to have begun because a butcher shop happened to sit next door.
- Kujira no Nanbanniくじらの南蛮煮whale meat and skin simmered miso-style with chiliWhale meat and skin are simmered with root vegetables, finished with red chili and miso, in this dish from the Nagato and Shimonoseki area. Nagato has whaled since the Edo period, and the memorial rites still held there honor the whales that were said to have brought the town its prosperity.
- Kujira no Tatsutaageくじらの竜田揚げwhale meat marinated and fried, a former school-lunch stapleWhale meat, marinated in soy sauce, mirin, and ginger juice, is coated in potato starch and fried in this Yamaguchi dish. It became a beloved staple of postwar school lunches nationwide, and in whaling towns like Shimonoseki and Nagato it remains a standout on restaurant menus.
- Nagato Yakitori長門やきとりa yakitori town eaten with garlic powderOne of Japan's densest yakitori towns; the local habit is a dusting of garlic powder.
- Natsumikan Gashi夏みかん菓子candied peel from the sour orange that saved a samurai townNatsumikan citrus peel is boiled repeatedly to soften it, simmered in sugar syrup, and dusted with granulated sugar for this Hagi confection. Cultivation is said to have begun when a former official distributed saplings to impoverished samurai households after the domain's seat moved away, and the sweet grew from a wish to waste nothing, not even the peel.
- Nutaぬたleek and whale tail dressed in sweet white miso vinegarLeek is dressed with obaike—sliced whale tail—in a sweet white-miso vinegar sauce, a dish from the Hokuura coast. Whaling has thrived here since the Edo period, and using every part of the catch became second nature, with the tail's crunchy, gelatinous texture prized in this dish.
- Oyomesan Dangojiruお嫁さん団子汁wheat dumpling soup made for new mothersWheat-flour dumplings are boiled ahead of time and combined into a white-miso broth thick with root vegetables in this dish from Tabuse. Made for new mothers—called "ogosan" locally—with a wish for plentiful breast milk, the dumplings were once shaped differently depending on the baby's sex.
- Setouchi Ramen Iriko Soba瀬戸内ラーメンいりこそばShoyu — soy sauceSuo-Oshima Iriko Ramen — a clear broth led by dried sardinesA clear-broth ramen from Suo-Oshima built directly on dried-sardine aroma and savor. Said to have been created by a diner founder who grew familiar with Chinese noodle soup in Manchuria and put the island's own iriko to use.
- Tsushimaつしまcooked tofu tossed with vegetables in a sweet-vinegar dressingPan-cooked tofu is tossed with carrot, burdock, and dried shrimp, each pre-simmered in dashi for flavor—a dish from the Shunan area. Made entirely from cooked ingredients, it keeps well and has long served as both an everyday side and a dish for welcoming guests.
- Ube Ramen宇部ラーメンTonkotsu — pork bonea deep brown pork-bone brothA deep brown, richly flavored pork-bone ramen from Ube City. Built on technique brought from Kurume, said to have taken on its own darker color over decades of longer simmering in this coal and industrial town.
- Uiro外郎Yamaguchi uiro — a bouncy warabi-starch confection unlike Nagoya's rice versionBracken starch gives Yamaguchi's uiro its springy, almost jelly-like bounce, unlike the rice-flour version associated with Nagoya. Said to have been eaten in the region since the Muromachi period, it is prized locally for a smoothness residents describe with the word "ottori."
- Uni Meshiうに飯sea urchin cooked whole into rice, a dish for honored guestsRaw sea urchin is cooked directly into the rice for this dish from the Hagi coast. Urchin from the seaweed-rich waters off Hagi is prized for its sweetness and richness, but its price keeps it off everyday tables—traditionally it was served only to honored guests.
- Unohana Kizushiうの花きずし／唐ずしhand-formed sushi of vinegared sardine on seasoned okaraSeasoned okara is pressed into shape in place of vinegared rice and wrapped in vinegar-cured sardine for this sushi from the Hokuura coast. Both sardine and soy pulp were cheap and plentiful, making the dish an easy keeper that also served as festive fare at New Year and weddings.
- Wakame Musubiわかめむすびrice balls coated in dried, shredded wakame seaweedWakame seaweed, harvested in spring and dried along the shore, is shredded and pressed over the outside of rice balls in this dish from the Hagi area. An old anecdote tells of a Choshu samurai sprinkling shredded wakame on his rice during the daimyo's procession to Edo, and it remains a beloved bento staple.
- Chagayu茶がゆrice porridge cooked in roasted bancha tea, sometimes with sweet potatoRice is cooked directly in roasted bancha tea for this porridge, said to have spread across Yamaguchi after the Iwakuni domain's lord encouraged it in the early 1600s as a way to stretch scarce rice. Light and easy to eat, it is often served chilled in summer.
- Itoko Niいとこ煮sweet azuki beans with rice-flour dumplings in a clear brothSweetened azuki beans are paired with rice-flour dumplings in this Yamaguchi dish, its style shifting sharply by region. The Hagi-style version, from the Sea of Japan coast, is served cold in a clear kelp broth, its dumplings dyed red for celebrations and white for funerals.
- Kashiwa Mochi柏餅Kashiwa mochi wrapped in sarutoriibara leaves, a Boys' Day sweetRice-flour dough wraps sweet bean paste and is steamed for this Boys' Day confection, eaten across the country on May 5th. While most regions wrap it in oak leaves, Yamaguchi traditionally uses sarutoriibara (Chinese smilax) leaves instead, and the sweet carries many local names such as "hotendo-mochi."
- Noppeiのっぺいroot vegetables and chicken simmered with a light cornstarch thickeningWinter root vegetables such as taro, burdock, and lotus root are simmered with chicken in dashi, then lightly thickened with cornstarch—a dish from the castle town of Hagi. For Buddhist memorial meals the chicken is left out and ginkgo nuts added instead, a vegetarian custom still observed.
- Ohira大平Iwakuni's broth-rich chicken and root vegetable stewChicken and root vegetables such as taro and lotus root are simmered in a broth-rich stew and served in a large lacquered bowl called "ohira," the dish's namesake, in the Iwakuni area. Served to crowds at weddings and funerals, it stands alongside the pressed sushi Iwakuni-zushi as an essential celebratory dish.
- Takenoko no Misoni筍の味噌煮bamboo shoot pan-simmered in miso until glossyBamboo shoot, cut into large chunks, is pan-fried in oil, then simmered down with miso, sugar, and soy sauce until the liquid is nearly gone—a spring dish in Yamaguchi. It draws on bamboo shoots long known as a specialty of Iwakuni, and has long been a familiar dish on home tables.
Raised here1
Prepared here3
- Gobomakiごぼう巻きburdock root skewered, wrapped in fish skin, and grilledLizardfish skin, a byproduct of making fish cakes, is wrapped around a skewer of burdock root and grilled with a basting sauce—a dish from Hagi. Because it uses lizardfish, prized for the region's grilled fish cakes, seafood processors often make the two together, and it is a fixture of festival and cherry-blossom bento.
- Saishikomi shoyu再仕込醤油twice-brewed 'kanro' soy sauce from YanaiA rich soy sauce made by re-brewing already-finished raw soy sauce with a fresh batch of koji. Said to have been created in the mid-Edo period by a brewer in Yanai, Yamaguchi, who presented it to his lord — who reportedly praised it as 'kanro, kanro' (nectar, nectar), giving it the alternate name kanro shoyu.
- Shirayaki Kamaboko白焼蒲鉾Yamaguchi's crimped, unbrowned fish cakeShirayaki kamaboko is a Yamaguchi fish cake made from lizardfish or small sea bream paste, baked without browning. Its surface is said to crinkle like fine crepe, and keeping it white while cooked through takes real skill.