The rich culinary culture nurtured by Nagano's harsh yet beautiful climate
embodies the wisdom and traditions of people who have thrived on this land.
Through rice and fruits, fermented foods like miso and pickles, local dishes such as soba and gibier,
sake and wine brewed with pristine water, and preserved foods like freeze-dried tofu,
we uncover the diverse food stories of Nagano Prefecture.
Kanten is made from seaweed, but Nagano prefecture surrounded by mountaneous Alps is the only place in Japan that still produces natural kanten. From the sea to the mountains, discover the world of Kanten.
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Nagano Prefecture is one of the leading soba producers in Japan. Soba are long, thin and smooth noodles that you slurp while eating, but in the old days, Japanese people used to eat soba in different forms such as ‘Soba-gaki’. Soba-gaki looks[...]
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When talking about the charms of Nagano Prefecture, nothing encapsulates the charms of its climate better than its apples. Nagano’s apple cultivation is believed to have started in the 19th century, but since the mid 20th century, […]
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Processed foods made from soybeans, such as tofu, natto (fermented soybeans), thick fried tofu, and ganmodoki(deep fried soybeans), are an essential part of the traditional Japanese diet. Among these, kori-tofu (also known as koya tofu), […]
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Persimmons are hung in rows from the eaves of houses from fall to winter. While the surrounding trees gradually fade away and begin to prepare for winter, the persimmons alone retain their bright, shining colors, and the […]
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Nagano grapes are considered to be a supreme fruit in Japan. Lean soil with little rainfall, extreme temperature difference between day and night, and calculated exposure to the sun are all natural factors of Nagano. Equally important […]
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In recent years, sake has gained traction all over the world. Japanese food becoming registered as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013 has been one of the drivers behind the growing popularity of sake. Japanese food consists […]
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Freshly cooked rice, raw eggs, seasoned seaweed, and Miso soup made with tofu or wakame seaweed. Every Japanese household has its own recipe for Miso soup, and it is commonly the first thing one eats in the morning to start […]
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Tsukemono is a Japanese preserved food made by dipping vegetables in salt, rice bran, vinegar, miso, sake kasu (left over from sake production), soy sauce, etc. In essence, Tsukemono is the Japanese pickle. In the basic menu of […]
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Wine grapes in Nagano began with the cultivation of the wilderness of Kikyogahara located in central Nagano which was once considered a barren area. When beginning the cultivation of European grape varieties to aim for the world, Nagano’s[…]
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Sake, cherished and appreciated, sometimes as something sacred and healing, has evolved alongside the development of rice cultivation. Nagano’s mountains, water, and wind nurture the rice and produce sake that is […]
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