Food Tourism, A Gourmet Center of Japan: Sakai City, Fukui
Sakai City, Fukui along with 4 others have been crowned as "Gastronomic Cities." Japan has long been known as a culinary paradise, often ranking in the top 3 for countries with the best cuisine. Anthony Bourdain, chef, author and tv personality, named Tokyo as the city he'd choose if he had to eat in only one city for the rest of his life. So, we have Japanese food as one of the best in the world but what about the best in Japan (excluding Tokyo)? It's a fierce competition.
Sakai City's Mikuni Minato has long been a food destination for people in landlocked areas looking for fresh delicious seafood. In the winter, tourists come (and pay a premium) for Echizen snow crab and in the summer for Sweet shrimp. Maruoka, the castle district of Sakai City is known for its unique soba cultivation. Takeda, another district in the mountains is famous for its fried tofu. Fukui is also home to Sauce katsu a refreshingly Western inspired meal and the most delectable sauce katsu, I've had was at Moriyasu in Mikuni, Sakai City.
As a lover of shrimp, I've tried dishes from Spain's famous paella, Louisiana's gumbo, fried coconut shrimp, to Mikuni's sweet shrimp. Each one offers its own unique culinary experience but as far as shrimp are compared. Sweet Shrimp stands alone in that it doesn't need to be mixed into a fancy dish. The taste and texture raw is something of a spectacle in itself. Sweet shrimp is so soft, it melts in your mouth with a sudden burst of flavor. It's as if the shrimp doesn't possess muscles.
Sweet Shrimp are caught off the Echizen coast in the Sea of Japan and landed in Mikuni, where they are auctioned off to local restaurants. The Mikuni Sweet Shrimp auction is held in the evening which is unique to the area, that means shrimp can be eaten the very next day at a number of local restaurants.
The Gastronomic City Research Association chose Sakai City for its use of local ingredients "local production for local consumption," health focus and food education courses. Even school lunches use local ingredients!
