TRADITIONAL FOOD

OYAKI DUMPLINGS (おやき)

Oyaki, from Nagano prefecture, are dumplings of fermented dough filled with vegetables and sweet bean paste. They're a popular item eaten at lunch or with tea. The dough is made of buckwheat flour, the same kind used to make soba noodles, as pre-industrial Nagano was not a good area for rice production due to its steep mountains and cold climate. Traditionally, the dumplings are roasted in an iron pan over an indoor fire pit called an irori and then steamed or boiled. Common oyaki fillings include Japanese pumpkin, leeks, shimeji mushrooms, and other local seasonal vegetables.

HOUTOU (ほうとう)

Houtou is a hearty noodle dish from Yamanashi prefecture made with flat udon noodles and kabocha pumpkin cooked in a miso broth. Although it can be enjoyed year-round, Houtou is typically served in a cast iron pot to keep the contents hot until the very end, making it an excellent winter dish. Other vegetables used in houtou, including sansai mountain vegetables in the spring and leeks and potatoes in the summer, vary by the season.

INAGO NO TSUKUDANI (蝗の佃煮)

One of the most surprising traditional Chubu foods is inago no tsukudani, a type of grasshopper that has been stewed in sweetened soy sauce! Particularly in Nagano, grasshoppers were a vital nutritional supplement in ancient times-they actually contain high amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Inago no tsukudani has a distinctive crunchy texture and sweetly rich flavor. While eating grasshopper is no longer as commonplace as it used to be, it's still considered a delicacy in this area and should be tried at least once!

TATAMI IWASHI (畳鰯)

Tatami iwashi is a delicacy from the southern Pacific coastal area of Chubu, known as the "Tokai" region. A thin, cracker-like sheet of baby sardines that has been sun-dried on a bamboo frame and cut into smaller pieces, tatami iwashi is named for its resemblance to the tatami straw mats used in traditional Japanese-style rooms. It's an excellent source of both protein and calcium and tastes great when toasted over an open flame. Tatami iwashi is typically enjoyed as a soup garnish or eaten as a snack accompanying sake and beer.

NOPPE (濃餅)

Noppe is a famous traditional stew from Niigata prefecture, where it's typically eaten at festivals, Buddhist ceremonies, and during New Year celebrations. It's made with a delicious hodgepodge of local roots and vegetables, including taro root, konnyaku yam, lotus root, carrots, ginkgo nuts, and shiitake and nameko mushrooms. Although it's primarily a vegetable stew, salted salmon can also be added, and fresh salmon roe is a common garnish for noppe served at holiday meals.