One of the greatest things about travel is that you are given the opportunity to sample exotic foods. One can probably do no better than Japanese food. Known around the world as one of the healthiest cuisines, Japanese food is also very pleasing to the eye. Careful attention is paid to presentation and in most cases only seasonally available ingredients are used. There is often little cooking or spicing, so one can enjoy the natural subtle flavors and textures of each dish.
Although Japan is viewed by most westerners as a very homogenous country, it is a country with a wide array of regional differences. Cultural events, dialects, and of course food differ greatly from place to place. Some modern foods are adaptations of foreign foods or they were created to cater to a foreign palate. Suki-yaki, tempura, and curry with rice are obvious examples. The pre-industrial age diet of many Japanese people rarely contained meat. This was due in part to the cost of meat as well as the Buddhist prohibition on its consumption.
Today, Japanese people enjoy so many wonderful and distinct foods that I often wonder why most foreigners think only of sushi, tempura, and teriyaki when asked about Japanese food.
Every region of Japan has developed its own unique styles and flavors. Dishes are made from local ingredients and great pride is taken in sharing them with people from other regions or countries.
So, what cuisine is unique to Kagoshima prefecture? What dishes should visitors absolutely have during their stay?
Some foods I will talk about have already been mentioned in the Kagoshima section of this site. I will talk about them again as I feel it would be remiss of me to not mention all of the foods that are most closely associated with Kagoshima. So, let us begin the Kagoshima culinary experience.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes were originally brought to Japan by Englishman William Adams, returning from a trade mission in China, in the early 17th century. Its proliferation has lead to a great variety of colors, flavors, and textures of which the light-orange and purple varieties appear to be the most popular.
Traditionally eaten roasted (Yaki-Imo) they are consumed in a staggering number of other ways from cakes, ice creams, and dozens of snacks to the nationally popular sweet potato liquor (Imo-Jochu). Currently, Japan is experiencing a boom in the number of people drinking Imo-Jochu. Displacing the internationally famous rice wine (Nihon-shu), as the “IT” drink domestically, most foreigners have yet to enjoy this equally subtle liquor. Imo-Jochu is usually drank mixed with hot water to enhance the soothing warmth and soft aroma, but many people also enjoy it on-the-rocks or mixed with soda or juice.
Sweet potatoes have become so synonymous with Kagoshima that the standard Japanese word for sweet potato is “Satsuma potato” (Satsuma-imo); Satsuma being the old provincial name of Kagoshima prefecture. In Kagoshima however, it is often called “Chinese potato” (Kara-imo) referring to its being brought in through trade with Chinese port cities.
Giant Radishes and Baby Oranges
In the middle of Kinko Bay (Kinko-wan) sits the relatively quiet volcano named Cherry Blossom Island (Sakura-jima). Thanks to its peaceful nature, a thriving community of fisherman and farmers have called Sakura-jima home for many generations. Everyday, Sakura-jima benevolently distributes its mineral rich ash onto the farms. This fertile soil produces two of Kagoshima’s most unique commodities, giant white radishes (Sakura-jima daikon) and (Sakura-jima ko-mikan).
The
is truly something to behold. Shaped like a turnip but many times larger, these monster radishes eclipse their cousins the common white radish (daikon) which is itself quite large by western standards. The largest of these giants weighed over 40kg and measured over 50cm in diameter. However, the average weight is between 6-10kg with a diameter roughly that of a basketball. As with all white radishes, the Sakura-jima daikon is eaten in innumerable ways but they are most often sliced, pickled and eaten with rice.
At the opposite end of the size spectrum is the baby orange. These mini-citruses should not be confused with the well known Satsuma orange; though anyone who has seen a ko-mikan could never make this mistake. Through careful cultivation these minis have become the world’s smallest oranges at full growth. The average size is roughly that of a golf ball (5cm), weighing between 40-50 grams. Despite their size they pack more of a juicy and sweet flavor than most other oranges. They are so favored that for centuries a special annual gift of oranges was sent to the ruling houses as far away as Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo).
Black Pork
Almost every prefecture in Japan can claim an especially great meat product. Probably the best one known outside Japan is Kobe beef, which interestingly doesn’t seem to have the same fan base domestically. However, the undisputed king of pork is Kagoshima’s highly prized black pork. Originating from an Asian breed of the Black Berkshire pig, bred from a group gifted to Japan by the English monarch Charles II, Kuro-buta has become renowned as “the world’s finest pork”. This tender, juicy, flavorful pork gets its name from the color of the pigs which are black with some white. The most desired pigs are the six-spotted black pigs (Roppaku kuro-buta). These kings of kings have white patches only on their noses, tails, and feet. They are said to have the finest meat of all the varieties. In international wholesale markets, servings of black pork can reach the unbelievable $10 (U.S.A. dollars) per chop or more. Yet in Kagoshima prefecture one can enjoy this precious pork for approximately 80% less per serving. The most popular way of eating black pork is in the form of breaded, deep-fried pork cutlets (Tonkatsu). It is also often substituted for beef in many recipes or finds its way into the best meat curry breads in Japan.
Black Beef
As with black pork, Kagoshima’s black beef is prized throughout Japan. Starting in the Meiji Period (1868-1912), with the ban on meat consumption lifted, the famed black cows (Kuro-ushi) were carefully created by breeding numerous foreign breeds as well as the domestic ox. The resulting animal combined the massive girth of an ox with the tender, juicy and well-marbled meat of the best imported stock. I became widely available to all consumers by the Taisho Period (1912-1926). Kagoshima’s farms now raise more cows than any other prefecture in Japan. According to 2005 statistics, there were 314,900 cows in the prefecture, and the industry is still growing. Of course, not all of the cows are the precious black cows, nor are they all raised for their meat. Still, the pride and joy of the industry is definitely the black cow. King above all others, they are given preferential treatment and only the best feed. It is believed that the inclusion of sweet potato leavings from farms and Imo-Jochu producers enhances the rich flavor of the meat, and helps create the beautiful marbling consumers love.
Though black beef can be used in any recipe calling for meat, it is usually cut into thick, luscious steaks or small wafer-like cuts for quick grilling (Yaki-niku=grilled meat). It is also available in restaurants as “Shabu-shabu”. For shabu-shabu, the meat is sliced almost paper thin and dipped raw into a hot, light broth. You then swish the meat several times until the color changes. It is then dipped along with vegetables into a thick sauce, usually made from sesame, and eaten with rice. The swishing motion is in fact where the dish gets its name (Shabu-shabu=swish-swish). Other than Shabu-shabu, visitors may find certain high-end restaurants that will incorporate black beef into curry dishes, beef bowls (Gyu-don), or Suki-yaki.
Tonkotsu
Made with Kagoshima’s excellent pork, Tonkotsu (Spare ribs) is as distinctive as any Kagoshima dish can be. The pork is very slowly cooked until the meat is literally falling off the bone. It is served in a bowl of miso broth with carrots, white radish, and various other vegetables depending on availability and/or cook’s choice. The meat is exceptionally tender, juicy, and flavorful. Be sure to partake of the fatty gelatin which clings to some parts of the meat. It is rich in collagen and Vitamin E, both very good for your skin. The balance of the tender meat with crispy and tender vegetables made leave some foreigners believing they have just enjoyed a fine pork stew.
Kibinago
Sushi and sashimi are as synonymous with Japan as the samurai and the kimono. People the world over have fallen for these simple, nutritious foods. For those out there who might not understand the difference; sushi is thinly sliced fish or other seafood served on top of bite size pieces of rice which has been flavored with sweet wine vinegar. Sashimi is the same fish or seafood, but without the rice. It can probably be said that Tokyo is the home of sushi, but every prefecture has its specialty. For Kagoshima it is blue sprat (kibinago) sashimi. Closely related to sardines, blue sprat are a small, thin, silvery fish measuring seven to eight centimeters in length. Filleted and served with ginger and miso dipping sauce, they are a must have for anyone who enjoys sashimi meals.
Noodles
In the states, after a night of drinking, my friends and I would head off for a slice of hot, cheesy pizza. As you can imagine, it’s a little different here in Japan. That is not to say that pizza isn’t popular. It is, and many good pizza parlors serve up pizza with toppings you’d never think adding in the west. For Japanese people, the post drinking filler is ramen. Like sushi, ramen is popular throughout the world. Easy to make, inexpensive, filling, and hot it is the perfect quick meal. Ramen shops in Japan are as numerous as their western pizza counterparts. Though ramen’s most typical flavors are miso or soy sauce, each prefecture produces a unique flavor and style. Kagoshima’s ramen specialty is made with tonkotsu broth, ramen noodles, and a topping of sliced pork.
Another popular noodle is somen. Somen noodles are different from ramen in that they are shorter, thinner, and whiter. They are usually served cold with a light dipping sauce (tsuyu). Some restaurants offer “flowing somen” (nagashi somen). The cooked somen noodles are placed in flowing clear water, which is held in long bamboo flumes running the length of the restaurant. As the noodles flow by, diners grab a chopstick full and dip them in the sauce before slurping them up. Visitors to Kagoshima can also enjoy this experience. However, in Kagoshima, rather than a single long bamboo flume, the noodles are placed in something like a multi-tiered whirlpool. The noodles make their way from the top and flow round and round to the lowermost path where they are plucked up, dipped, and eaten. Be aware that the name for this style in Kagoshima is not “nagashi somen”, but “somen nagashi”
Well, at this point you’re either hungry or full. I hope I whetted your appetite for the great foods of Kagoshima prefecture. Please join me again next time, when we ask the question, “What’s for dessert?”
