One of the dishes, "Stir-fried itadori" is a dish that is still very popular at home.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Itadori(Japanese knotweed)

"Saba no sugata zushi" is one of the main dishes in "sawachi" cooking. Fresh mackerel is cut open and soaked in vinegar. Sushi rice is then stuffed into the mackerel.

Where it is made

All of Kochi prefecture

Main ingredients

Mackerel, Various fish, Rice, Ginger, Sesame seeds

“Vinegared Ryukyu” is one of the most popular summer dishes in Kochi Prefecture, and is still popular with the locals.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Ryukyu (Hasuimo (a member of the taro family) stalk),marlin tuna or hairtail, yuzu vinegar, sesame seeds, etc.

Nuta is a traditional seasoning from Kochi Prefecture, made by mixing miso and vinegar with garlic. It is commonly used to accompany raw fish or konjac(=yam cake).

Where it is made

All of Kochi prefecture

Main ingredients

Leaf garlic, miso, sesame, vinegar, sugar

Negi to Satsumaimo no Nuta is a dish where green onions and sweet potatoes are mixed with vinegar miso dressing.

Where it is made

Nankoku City, etc.

Main ingredients

Green onions, sweet potatoes, miso, vinegar, sugar, etc.

"Mushi-Dai " is one of the festive dishes served at an "okyaku" occasion in Kochi prefecture, such as weddings and New Year's celebrations. "Okyaku" means a banquet in the Tosa dialect.

Where it is made

Plains, Coast

Main ingredients

Sea bream, Okara(=the by-product left after making tofu), Carrot, Shiitake mushrooms, Gobou(=Burdock root), Eggs, Soy sauce, Mirin(=sweet rice wine), etc.

“Kashikiri" is a type of Tofu made from ”kashi-no-mi” (Oak nuts, also called Acorns).

Where it is made

Southern part of Aki City

Main ingredients

Oak nuts (Arakashi no Mi), “Nuta” (seasoning made from a mixture of Leaf garlic, Sesame, Miso, Rice vinegar, etc.)

“Guruni” is a simmered dish made mainly of winter root vegetables such as daikons, carrots and taros. These are all vegetables that are easy to obtain in the prefecture.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Radish, carrot, taro, fried tofu, konjac, etc.

“Inaka-zushi” is a type of Sushi using vegetables that are rare in Japan.

Where it is made

All of Kochi Prefecture

Main ingredients

“Myoga”, “Ryukyu” (a stalk of Lotus roots), Konjac(=yam cake), Bamboo shoots, Shiitake mushrooms, Turnips,” Shiho-tiku “(Special Bamboo shoots), Rice, etc.

The "Han-Ge Dango" (mid summer dumplings) is a local sweet that has been handed down from generation to generation in this town. The name "Han-Ge" refers to July 2nd.

Where it is made

Otoyo Town

Main ingredients

Flour (all-purpose flour), sugar, bean jam,“ Myoga” (Japanese ginger) leaves, etc.

“Gimburo Zushi” is a type of sushi with gimburo beans mixed in the rice. Sometimes, the recipe is made without vinegar or made into rice balls.

Where it is made

Otoyo Town

Main ingredients

Gimburo beans(=black turtle beans), kintokimame(=red kidney beans), rice, ginger, sesame seeds

“Bonito tataki " was a fisherman's meal on board a boat, and was later introduced to the public.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Bonito,garlic,condiments such as onions and green onions

“Kibinago no Hokaburi” is a type of tamazushi using the fish “kibinago” (=silver-stripe round herring), which is a small fish measuring to around 10cm in length.

Where it is made

All of Kochi Prefecture

Main ingredients

Kibinago(=silver-stripe round herring) and okara(=soy pulp)

Another typical recipe is "Kyuuri to Kawa-Ebi no Nimono". It is said that "Kyuuri to Kawa-Ebi no Nimono" originated with fishermen who fished for river shrimp.

Where it is made

All of Kochi Prefecture

Main ingredients

Jibai-Cucumber, River-Shrimp, Green shiso

One type of "Oshi-Zushi" is "Kokera-Zushi", a local dish of Toyo-cho.

Where it is made

Muroto City

Main ingredients

Eggs, Rice, Carrots, Shiitake mushrooms, Fish (mackerel, etc.) etc.

The recipe for "Kobu-Zushi" is different in the central and western parts of the prefecture. The central part of the prefecture eats "Ita-Kobu-Zushi".

Where it is made

Central Part of the Prefecture (Ita-Kobu-Zushi), Western Part of the Prefecture (Kuro-Kobu-Zushi)

Main ingredients

"Shiroita-Kombu (=White kelp)”, Dashi kelp, Rice, Ginger, Sesame, etc.

In mountain villages, "fried royal fern with oil," tofu paste, and simmered vegetables have been eaten since ancient times.

Where it is made

Mountainous regions

Main ingredients

Royal ferns, deep-fried tofu pouches, etc.

Chate is often used as an ingredient in everyday home cooking, and chate aemono is especially easy to prepare, so it is easy to add to your daily cooking repertoire.

Where it is made

The entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Chate (hayatouri)

"Tsugani-jiru" is one of the representative regional cuisines of Kochi prefecture. Tsugani refers to the mitten crabs that live in rivers such as the Shimanto River and Niyodo River.

Where it is made

Shimanto River, Niyodo River, and Monobe River basins

Main ingredients

Tsugani (mitten crab), ryukyu (Indian taro stalk) , eggplant, etc.

Himeichi is a small fish caught in small bottom trawls in Tosa Bay. Its official name is Hourai goatfish. Because of its low price, it is often used as a substitute for Thai fish.

Where it is made

All over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Himeichi, mandarin oranges (or yuzu or butsubikan) peels, chili peppers, etc.

In Kochi Prefecture, there is a food culture of eating sweet potatoes and pumpkin stems. The stem is the "petiole" that connects the leaves to the stem.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Sweet potato stalk, tempura (Satsuma-age)

"Konchin" is a local Otoyo confection in which ample amounts of flour batter are added to burdock root shavings.

Where it is made

Otoyo Town

Main ingredients

Burdock root, flour (all-purpose), egoma

“Imobera azuki” is a confection local to Ino-machi, in which yudebera and azuki beans are boiled with sugar. It is distinct for its sticky texture and fluffy, unsophisticated sweetness.

Where it is made

Ino-machi

Main ingredients

Imobera, azuki beans

The representative cuisine of Kochi prefecture is sawachi ryori.

Where it is made

Throughout Kochi prefecture

Main ingredients

Sushi, skipjack tuna tataki, sashimi, stewed and fried foods etc

Bamboo shoots are often eaten in Kōchi prefecture. mōsō bamboo is in season at the beginning of spring, followed by Henon bamboo, and madaké bamboo.

Where it is made

All regions in Kōchi prefecture

Main ingredients

Henon bamboo, green peas

In Kochi Prefecture, taro is called taimo and has been eaten since long ago as a valuable source of nutrients that ranks second to rice. It does not lack sweetness and has a soft and flaky texture.

Where it is made

All areas within the prefecture

Main ingredients

Taimo (taro), white sesame seeds

The local dish eaten at New Year's Eve in Kochi Prefecture is "Kureno-ni-nimono" (simmered dishes at the end of the year), which contains whale meat.

Where it is made

All over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Whale, kirikonbu, radish, carrot, konbu, konnyaku, etc.

Tofu was first eaten in Japan in the late Heian period (794-1185). It is said to have been introduced from China.

Where it is made

Tsunoyama area

Main ingredients

Tofu, ume vinegar

Kirazu mochi is a local sweet made from this bean curd.

Where it is made

Ogawa District, Sagawa Town

Main ingredients

Okara (bean curd), glutinous rice, azuki beans

Otsuki Town is a seaside town located in the southwestern part of the prefecture.

Where it is made

Otsuki Town

Main ingredients

iwanori (seaweed), rice, takuan (pickled radish), chirimenjako (dried young sardines)