Favourite Regional Food?

Since many of us can't travel to Japan at the moment - what regional food which is difficult to find overseas do you miss most?

For me - it's oddly Jtasuo no Tataki since one of my friends in Japan recently visited Kochi.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5606.html

There are plenty of other things - but that's what I feel like eating at the moment.

I've had that at Kochi's famous market with a nice bottle of sake. It was delicious!
I, for one, miss okonomiyaki in Hiroshima and Onomichi ramen.

For me, it's Narazuke Pickles and kombu, and the kind of miso paste you get in Nagoya/takayama region where it is still really lumpy (my wife is telling me it was natto in it) and you cook it on a leaf over a hibachi and have it with rice. I have only had it a few times, but it is awesome.

Oyaki from Nagano, especially the kabocha

Lazy Pious - I know exactly what you mean by that miso paste that you have on rice. All Miso paste reminds me of McDonald's quality taste wise after the stuff you are talking about.

John B - I was unfortunately not a fan of ramen when I visited Onomichi so am now kicking myself that I did not try it at the source. I have seen similar types overseas but I'm not sure how much different it is compared to the real thing.

RKold - I think I've had one of the Oyaki's once but used to eat something simliar in China with amazing pickles. I don't like to say it - but western pickles in general sucks compared to SE Asia, China, Korea + Japan.

@Mfedley, to be honest while I like Asian pickles I also really love NY City style Jewish pickles. I'm Jewish and I'm from NY originally. I use to love getting them on the Lower East Side where they were super sour. There are a lot of American style pickles I don't like because they are too sweet.

I've not been to China, but I just really liked oyaki's flavor. We bought them a few times in Nagano.

I've also had some great traditional vegan jellies from Japan that use agar agar and are just so darn good. I haven't spent enough time though seeing if it's available at Japanese groceries here.

I wish I had bought more bottles of umeshu using ume from Kairakuen. The variety I liked best was sweet and very refreshing. I bought some for a friend but didn't buy any for me!

rkold - it's such a small world! I currently work at an Orthodox Jewish school which has an awesome cafe where they make everything themselves. I've seen the pickles that you are talking about - and they are definitely better than the stuff we get in the English Speaking western world in general. I'll give them a try in the new year after Christmas holidays in Australia.

If you ever visit Singapore/Malaysia - this is my favourite pickles of all time: http://www.topgourmet.sg/fermented-vegetables/top-gourmet-nonya-achar

Imagine spicy, sweet, sour and crunchy at the same time. It was also vegan and made rice an absolute dream to eat.

Do those pickles smell really rank? I used to get some on fishball soup from a malaysian place, the pickles smelled like poo, but they had a great taste and texture like you are describing, and they were covered in a powder of some sort. I havent been able to get them since.

The ones that smell rank often have shrimp paste. These don't so don't smell anywhere near as bad.

Awesome, I'll look for that. While the smell is rank, it is what I miss the most. For a number of years a threat in our house has been "dont make me give you the stinky pickle"

On a freezing day, I really miss Kitakanto noodles, such as Gunma's Mizusawa Udon, Tochigi's Vegan Soba, which mushroom and vegetable stock is used.

I'm with John B & really miss okonomiyaki & Onomichi ramen. Kagoshima ramen is good too.

Ohhh, I miss Momiji Manju from Miyajima Island. The chocolate one was so good! I also miss Anagomeshi from there as well.

Not sure if this is regional food from Nara Prefecture, but loved the Kamameshi in Nara. The tofu in Kyoto is good too.

However, there are some regional foods that I dislike, such as Takoyaki in Osaka.

So many things but maybe especially Tofu dengaku and Miso katsu from the Gifu area

Miso Katsu is epic, we had it in one of the towns on the Chichibu line, I'd go back just for that.

Please let me add Chia's Nanohana Ohitashi.

I would like to add: Mashu Butadon
https://kfm.sakura.ne.jp/piceb/01/mashubutadon175zoom.jpg

Wow that Mashu Butadon looks so good. This thread is making me hungry.

It looks similar to the bento box I picked up at Matsusaka Station almost a decade ago.

Absolutely mfedley , I strongly agree with you.