Funazushi is a typical example, and is often offered as a sacred dish at festivals held at shrines to pray for fertility. Funa-zushi is often made from nigorobuna (crucian carp) caught in Lake Biwa.

Where it is made

All over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Crucian carp, rice, salt

Ame no Io Gohan" is rice cooked with Biwa trout, a species endemic to Lake Biwa. Ame-no-io" is another name for loach trout, which come up to the lake to spawn when the rains come and the rivers rise.

Where it is made

All over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Biwa trout, rice, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, etc.

“Koayu-no-sanshoni” is a dish that has been handed down since ancient times. Koayu, a specialty of Lake Biwa which can be caught from May to early August, is used to make a sweet and salty tsukudani.

Where it is made

The entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Koayu, Japanese peppercorns, soy sauce, mirin, etc.

Dōchi-yokan is a specialty of Shiga Prefecture, made by steaming wheat flour (or rice powder) mixed with a paste made from red beans and sugar.

Where it is made

The entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Red bean paste, wheat flour, bamboo skin, and water

Junjun is a hotpot dish of beef, chicken, lake fish, and so on seasoned in the style of sukiyaki. Junjun made with beef or chicken is eaten on special occasions such as the New Year and Obon.

Where it is made

The entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Beef (or chicken or lake fish), tofu, konjac noodles, green onions, garland chrysanthemum, etc.

“Stewed red konjac” is a simmered dish using red konjac, a specialty of Shiga Prefecture. Red konjac is a specialty of Omihachiman City and is dyed red with iron sesquioxide.

Where it is made

The Omihachiman area

Main ingredients

Red konjac, bonito flakes, red pepper, soy sauce, etc.

Shrimp and Beans is a local dish of Shiga Prefecture made by boiling sweet and spicy shrimp from Lake Biwa with soybeans and is rich in calcium and protein.

Where it is made

Entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Soybeans, shrimp, vinegar, soy sauce, etc.

“Mackerel somen” is a local dish eaten throughout the prefecture, mainly in the Kohoku region of Shiga Prefecture, where grilled mackerel is simmered and mixed with somen noodles.

Where it is made

The Kohoku region

Main ingredients

Grilled mackerel, somen noodles, green onions, etc.

"Choji-fu no Karashi-ae" is a classic regional cuisine made with choji-fu, a type of wheat gluten from Shiga Prefecture.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Choji-fu (rectangular wheat gluten), cucumber, karashi sumiso (mustard vinegar miso)

"Hinona Pickles" refer to pickles made using traditional vegetables from Shiga Prefecture and were designated as Shiga Prefecture's Selected Intangible Folk Cultural Property, "Shiga's Food Cultural…

Where it is made

All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

Hinona, coarse salt, rice bran

"Uchimame-jiru" is a dish made by boiling smashed soybeans together with turnips, daikon radishes, satoimo(=Japanese taro), and the like, and turning it into miso soup.

Where it is made

Kohoku Area

Main ingredients

Soybeans, satoimo(=Japanese taro), turnips, fried thin tofu, green onions, tofu, etc.

“Shijimi-jiru” is a local dish of Shiga Prefecture that uses setashijimi. There are three native clams inhabiting Japan: “yamatoshijimi”,“ mashijimi”, and“ setashijimi”.

Where it is made

The entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Freshwater clams, kombu, miso, green onions

"Tempura of Lake Fish" is a classic dish in Shiga Prefecture, featuring small sweetfish, Isaza, and smelt caught in Lake Biwa. The freshly fried lake fish has no unpleasant odor and is delicious.

Where it is made

All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

Small sweetfish, wheat flour, eggs, etc.

Isaza-mame" is a tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce) dish made by combining isaza, a type of goby endemic to Lake Biwa, and soybeans.

Where it is made

Nagahama City, Takashima City and other areas in the prefecture

Main ingredients

Isaza fish, soybeans, soy sauce, etc.

Gori tsukudani" is a dish made by tsukudaniing gori, a small fish that lives in Lake Biwa. Gori tsukudani is a local dish that has spread throughout the prefecture.

Where it is made

All over the prefecture, centering on Kitako

Main ingredients

Gori fish, grains of pepper, soy sauce, etc.

Itoko-ni-ni" is a dish of simmered azuki beans with taro or pumpkin. It is also a local dish that has spread throughout the prefecture, especially in the Kohoku region.

Where it is made

All over the prefecture, mainly in the Kohoku area

Main ingredients

Azuki beans, taro, soy sauce, etc.

The term "Kofukumame" translates to "Happiness Beans" in English. It represents a traditional Shiga Prefecture snack made with soybeans.

Where it is made

Kohoku Area

Main ingredients

Soybeans, Wheat flour, Sugar

"Saba Stick Sushi" is a traditional local dish that is a staple during festivals.

Where it is made

Centered around the Kohoku Region, All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

Salted mackerel, Rice, Vinegar, etc

“Zeitaku-ni” is a local dish in which pickles "takuan" are soaked in water, the salt is removed, and then boiled. It is also a dish which can be found throughout the prefecture.

Where it is made

All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

”Furuduke-Takuan”(old pickled Daikon radish) , Dashi (=Japanese soup stock), Soy sauce, etc.

In “Tofu- Dengaku”, drained Tofu is put on a skewer and grilled. When it browns slightly, it is dipped in” Kinome-Miso” or “Negi-Miso” and grilled again.

Where it is made

All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

Firm tofu, Green onion, Miso, etc.

It is also called” Dongame-jiru” or “Dorogame-jiru”.

Where it is made

Koto Region

Main ingredients

Eggplant, Miso, Dashi (=Japanese soup stock), Sesame seed,etc.

“Oae Dango" is a local dish consisting of dumplings made of rice flour mixed with a tofu paste with Carrots, Shiitake mushrooms, and “Komatsuna”.

Where it is made

Moriyama Region, Yasu Region

Main ingredients

Dumpling flour, Carrots, Konjac(=yam cake), Shiitake mushrooms, Komatsuna(Japanese Mustard Spinach, Firm Tofu, etc.

Omi beef marinated in miso is a local dish of Shiga Prefecture, where Omi beef is marinated in white miso paste and left to rest for several days before being grilled.

Where it is made

All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

Omi beef, White miso, Miso, Garlic, etc.

Kurumi Gobou is served at the autumn festival held at Sansho Shrine in Kamiasamiya, Shigaraki Town, and is eaten every autumn because of the custom.

Where it is made

Koga City

Main ingredients

Edamame(=green soybeans), Gobou(=Burdock root), Sugar, etc.

Shoimeshi is a traditional dish cooked with soy sauce, and is a traditional dish of the Shin-Asahi area of Takashima City.

Where it is made

Takashima City, Shin-asahicho

Main ingredients

Rice, Dashi (=Japanese soup stock), Gobou(=Burdock root), Carrot, Dried shiitake mushroom, Fried thin tofu, Soy sauce

The "Hakusai-no-tatamizuke", in which the leaves of the Napa cabbage, are peeled off one by one and pickled with Red chili pepper, and kelp, is an application of the leaf-stem pickling technique…

Where it is made

Kohoku Region

Main ingredients

Napa cabbage, Red chili pepper, Kombu(=kelp), Salt

"Hasu" (Opsariichthys uncirostris/Three-lips) is originally a species endemic to the Lake Biwa and "Mikata Goko" (five lakes in Fukui Prefecture), and piscivore freshwater fish, which is rare to…

Where it is made

Kogan, Maibara Region

Main ingredients

"Hasu" (Opsariichthys uncirostris/Three-lips), Miso, etc.

"Hitokawa sushi" is a pressed sushi prepared for gathering events often made in Gamou District Sakuragawa Village in Shiga Prefecture.

Where it is made

Aisho Town, Higashi-Oumi City

Main ingredients

Rice, Awase-zu (sweet and sour dressing), Dried shiitake mushroom, Carrot, "Kanpyo" (dried gourd shavings), "Kinshi tamago" (thin omelette cut into strips), Dried young sardines, etc.

Biwa trout, endemic species exclusively in the Lake Biwa, is fresh water fish belongs to Salmonidae.

Where it is made

All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

Biwa-masu (Biwa trout)

"Yaki Moroko no Dorozu" is a local dish in Shiga Prefecture eating "moroko" with dipping "dorozu" (=awase-zu (sweet and sour dressing) mixed with miso.

Where it is made

All of Shiga Prefecture

Main ingredients

"Hon-moroko" (=Willow gudgeon), Vinegar, Miso, Sugar, Mustard