Kakinoha zushi (Photo: Kuruman / CC BY 2.0)
Kakinoha zushi (Photo: Kuruman / CC BY 2.0)
- 2 min read

Regional Cuisine - Nara

A taste of some of the local foods of Nara

Overview

Japan's first official capital city has seen Nara develop a cuisine that is not only ancient but elegantly delicious. Foods like somen noodles are said to have originated in Nara, fermented dishes like pickled mackerel fish wrapped in persimmon leaves and the old aristocratic pickled vegetable bites add further depth of heritage while a rice gruel made with tea may very well be the nation's oldest official dish. Here is a simple guide to some of the regional cuisine of Nara.

Miwa somen

Overshadowed by its more famous soba, udon and ramen noodle cousins, the ultra thin somen noodles, with their smooth yet firm texture, make them an ideal summer dish. In Nara, said to be the birthplace of somen, Miwa somen is great as a chilled summer dish but in winter, it changes into Nara's famous nyumen, a gently satisfying hot soup meal.

Miwa somen
Miwa somen (Photo: ちぃこ / CC BY 2.1 JP)

Kakinoha zushi

Salted mackerel is pressed, made into a sushi topping and then wrapped in a persimmon leaf to create Nara's famous kakinoha zushi. Especially popular during the prefectures summer festivals, the magic of the persimmon wrapping lies in its gentle fragrance and antibacterial properties, making kakinoha zushi into an excellent meal on the go.

Kakinoha zushi
Kakinoha zushi (Photo: Tomomarusan / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Narazuke

Possibly Nara's most famous local food, narazuke are pickled dishes made from foods including gourd, cucumber, watermelon and so on. Pickled multiple times with mirin added as a sweetener, narazuke are then left to pickle for up to two years. Once a high-end food over one thousand years ago, narazuke is now part and parcel of everyday eating.

Narazuke
Narazuke (Photo: Carla Abanes from Malolos City, Philippines / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Yamato no chagayu

A dish almost as old as the country itself, Yamato no chagayu is, in its essence, a green tea porridge made form rice, water and tea. It's simplicity belies the depth of heritage as the dish was born at around the same time as the birth of Japan. Popular in the mornings, chagayu is also part and parcel of traditional Buddhist festivals at the famous Todaiji Temple.

Yamato no chagayu
Yamato no chagayu (Photo: Degueulasse / CC BY 3.0)

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Elizabeth S 3 years ago
Another great regional cuisine guide. These are so helpful. I'd like to try narazuke when I'm there.
Sleiman Azizi Author 3 years ago
I love my work 😁
Sherilyn Siy 3 years ago
Didn't know you could make soumen into a hot meal. We've only always eaten it cold in the summer.
Sleiman Azizi Author 3 years ago
Right? Me too. It's only ever been a summer dish.
Sander van Werkhoven 3 years ago
While it might not look as flashy as what some other prefectures have to offer, it all seems very traditional and refined.

I was wondering about the chagayu, is this kind of a Japanese version of congee?
Sleiman Azizi Author 3 years ago
I guess you could say that it is a lighter version.
Kim 3 years ago
Elegantly delicious is a perfect way to describe Nara's offerings!
Sleiman Azizi Author 3 years ago
Nara certainly has the pedigree.
Gary Luscombe 3 years ago
Often when I'm out for a long walk, I wrap my rice balls in persimmon leaves instead of plastic; an idea I got after I tried Kakinoha-zushi the first time. Cuts down on plastics waste and adds a little bit of extra sweetness to offset the massive umeboshi I put in the center.
Gary Luscombe 3 years ago
My in-laws and their neighbours have a few big, old trees which we use. Their village is actually slightly self-sustaining. Everyone has 2 or 3 fields and between them, they grow a decent variety of different vegetables. The next village over grow mostly rice so they trade rice for vegetables.

My wife's family also own a large farm on the island of Okinoerabu and they regularly send us boxes of potatoes, mangoes and passion fruit so between them; I spend next to nothing on veg!
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