Local Foods in Kagoshima – Part 1

Local Foods

What is this page about?

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omochi-jung

This page introduces a list of local foods (pork, street foods, seafood) that Japanese people want to eat when sightseeing in Kagoshima, Kyushu region.

Local foods that Japanese people want to eat?

omochi-jung
omochi-jung

Some of the information may be the same and some may be different compared to information for foreign tourists. Hope you find something new.

Kurobuta pork

  • Read in Japanese: Kagoshima kurobuta
  • Original name: かごしま黒豚
  • Category: Pork

Kagoshima Kurobuta pork is fed a diet containing sweet potatoes, a specialty of Kagoshima, which enhances its umami and sweetness. The pork is also characterized by its thin muscle fibers, making it tender. In addition, the high melting temperature of the fat makes it refreshing. Kagoshima Kurobuta pork is widely known as high quality brand pork.

Photo courtesy of photoAC

Fried fish cake

  • Read in Japanese: Satsumaage
  • Original name: さつま揚げ
  • Category: Street foods

Tsukeage is made by kneading fish paste with local sake, sugar, and other seasonings, forming it with carrots and burdocks, and deep frying it in rapeseed oil. In other regions, it is called satsumaage, tempura, hanpen, or agekamaboko. It is popular that it is served in school lunches and is also popular as street food.

Photo courtesy of photoAC

Yellowtail

  • Read in Japanese: Buri
  • Original name: ブリ
  • Category: Seafood

Kagoshima produces the largest amount of farm-raised yellowtail in Japan. Various brands of yellowtail (buri oh, Satsuma kurozu buri, and buri taisho) are available in various places in Kagoshima. There are various yellowtail dishes such as sashimi, buri shabu, simmered dish, and deep-fried dish.

The following figure is the example of buri shabu.

鰤しゃぶ
KCyamazaki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shrimp

  • Read in Japanese: Ebi
  • Original name: エビ
  • Category: Seafood

Kagoshima is a shrimp producing area, and many different kinds of shrimp can be tasted. In particular, hime amaebi is a sweet shrimp caught in Kinko Bay, Kagoshima, and is characterized by its strong sweet taste. It is used for kakiage (shrimp and vegetable tempura) and for satsumaage as explained above.

Photo courtesy of photoAC

Eel

  • Read in Japanese: Unagi
  • Original name: うなぎ
  • Category: Seafood

Kagoshima is Japan’s largest producer of farm-raised eels. Because they are raised in high-quality water filtered by the Shirasu Plateau, they have a flavor that is not peculiar and is easily accepted by everyone.

Tokyo Chikuyotei Unadon01s2100
663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Marinated fresh greater amberjack bowl

  • Read in Japanese: Kanpachi zuke don
  • Original name: かんぱち漬け丼
  • Category: Seafood

As with yellowtail, Kagoshima is Japan’s largest producer of farm-raised greater amberjack (kanpachi), with various brands of kanpachi available in different regions. The most popular dish is kanpachi zuke don, a bowl of rice topped with kanpachi marinated in a special sauce.

Photo courtesy of photoAC

For local foods (sweets, fruits) that Japanese people want to eat when sightseeing in Kagoshima, please see the following page.

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