Fukui Food Guide

What makes Saba no Heshiko is that, rather than being dried regularly, the fish is actually pickled in “Nuka” or rice bran. Nuka is the shavings taken off of individual rice grains, as normally rice grains are brown. These shavings give the vegetable or meat of choice a distinct flavor and smell, which the locals love. Saba no Heshiko is particularly useful during the winter, when long term storage is required. Once taken out of pickling, the fish is then grilled and served on rice. Yum!

 

Oroshi soba is a dish that is slightly different from regular soba. In Fukui, Soba is popular due to the fact that Fukui is suited for cultivating buckwheat. Traditionally, the buckwheat is grinded slowly so as to keep the texture of the buckwheat, and served cold with “Tsuyu”, a special dipping sauce. In addition, grated radish is put in the soup, giving a slight spicy kick to the sauce. On the noodles themselves there are various condiments like fish shavings and chopped green onion.

Sauce Katsudon

You may know what Katsudon is, but in Fukui they do it differently. Katsudon is a fried pork cutlet served over a bowl of rice, usually along with flavored egg cooked together in a pan. In Fukui, however, they drench the fried cutlet in a Worcestershire sauce-based sauce. Most restaurants in Fukui will serve this, and it is actually slightly healthier than your average Katsudon, as it uses a finer bread crumb to soak up less oil when frying. And strangely enough, the Sauce Katsudon has over 100 years of history in Fukui.

 

If you’ve ever wanted to try blowfish, visiting Fukui can be your perfect opportunity. Blowfish harvested in Wakasa is famous as Japan’s northernmost aquaculture production area. The blowfish taken here are known for their firm texture, and are typically served as sashimi. If you’re not into taking the risk, you can still enjoy Echizen crab, which is especially delicious in the winter season as it is juicy and savory when grilled on an open coal grill.