In the past, the Iya region of Tokushima was surrounded by mountains, and the climate was considered difficult for rice to grow.

Where it is made

Iya area of Miyoshi City and all over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Buckwheat rice

During the autumn festival season, "tadasushi," a type of sushi made by leaving various types of fish in their original form, is often eaten in Tokushima.

Where it is made

Southern part of Japan, all over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Bouze

Dekomawashi" is a local dish of Iya area in Miyoshi City. Bite-sized potatoes, buckwheat dumplings, rock tofu, and round konnyaku are skewered and grilled with miso sauce.

Where it is made

Iya area, Miyoshi City

Main ingredients

Potatoes, konnyaku, tofu, etc.

Handa Somen" produced in Handa district of Tsurugi-cho has a long history.

Where it is made

Handa district of Tsurugi-cho and all over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Somen noodles

Iya soba is a local dish representative of the Iya region. Made with 100% local buckwheat flour, it is the soul food of the Iya region.

Where it is made

Iya area, Miyoshi City

Main ingredients

buckwheat

"Shusse imo" is a local food devised among the variety of tuber dishes that are made. Steamed taro were fit into a cylinder, wrapped with smooth red bean paste and sliced into rounds.

Where it is made

Kaiyo Town, southern part of prefecture

Main ingredients

Taro or sweet potatoes, azuki beans

"Awa uiro" is called one of Japan's top three uiro (sweet rice jelly) along with "Nagoya uiro" and "Yamaguchi uiro."

Where it is made

All areas within the prefecture

Main ingredients

Azuki beans (sarashian or koshian), joshinko, sugar (or Awa wasanbon)

Among them is “hangoroshi,” which resemble “ohagi” (rice ball coated in red bean paste), a local food particularly loved in the Aioi area that is made with both sticky and non-sticky rice.

Where it is made

Naka Town (Aioi area)

Main ingredients

Sticky rice,ice flour

Among these, oshizushi, or pressed sushi, is familiar in the areas around Kaiyo and Mugi.

Where it is made

Kaiyo (Mugi, Kainan region)

Main ingredients

Rice, yuzu vinegar, vegetables such as carrots, burdock root etc

"Iri-meshi" is a dish in which whitebait is seasoned with vinegar or sauce sauce, then mixed with rice along with other ingredients such as fish cake, shiitake mushroom, konnyaku, and burdock root.

Where it is made

Sanagochi Village, Saga District

Main ingredients

Chirimen (tiny whitebait), shiitake mushroom, konnyaku, rice

Barazushi is made by mixing red kidney beans sweetly boiled with soy sauce and sugar as well as seasonal ingredients with vinegared rice.

Where it is made

The entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Rice, red kidney beans, konjac, carrots, burdock, chikuwa, whitebait, grilled fish, etc.

Many different kinds of zoni soup are made throughout the country, but the "Uchigae zoni" made in the Iya area of Miyoshi city is particularly unique.

Where it is made

Iya Area, Miyoshi City

Main ingredients

Iwadofu (stone tofu), taro

Narae is a dish made by blending seven ingredients (daikon radish, carrots, deep-fried tofu, sesame, lotus root, dried shiitake mushrooms, and konjac) with sanbaizu (vinegar).

Where it is made

All areas in Tokushima

Main ingredients

Daikon radish, carrots, deep-fried tofu, sesame, lotus root, dried shiitake mushrooms, konjac, etc.

Yuzu is also used in a variety of dishes, including "Yubeshi", a preserved food popular in the prefecture, which is made by boiling down the peel of yuzu with sugar and soy sauce.

Where it is made

Nakacho (upstream of Naka River), Katsuura District, Kamikatsu

Main ingredients

Yuzu

"Omiisan" refers to porridge seasoned with miso. In the old days, miso was called "mii," which became "omiisan" by adding the honorific "o" and "san".

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

Miso, rice, satoimo(=Japanese taro), daikon radish, daikon radish's leaves

"Chagome" is rice with sweet beans. The rice is cooked with roasted fava beans and granulated sugar, resulting in an overall brown color rice.

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

Fava beans, rice

“Denbu” is one of such dishes and is also referred to as “odenbu”, “orenbu”, and “renbu”, and is similar to “gomoku mame” (=simmered soybeans with vegetables).

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

Kintokimame(=red kidney beans), carrots, daikon radish, gobou (=burdock)

“Kitou Yuzu” is used in “yubeshi”, yuzu juice, and for “Yuzu Kan”, a popular refreshing dessert also known as yuzu jelly.

Where it is made

Naka Town

Main ingredients

Yuzu

"Ise Ebi," commonly known as Japanese spiny lobster, is renowned as a luxury ingredient. However, this "Ise Ebi no Miso Soup" is a rare home-cooked dish that has been passed down through generations.

Where it is made

Minami Town

Main ingredients

Japanese Spiny Lobster

Imo-mochi is a confection made by wrapping sweet red bean paste in a dough made from steamed glutinous rice flour and sweet potatoes.

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

Sweet potato, Glutinous rice flour or Glutinous rice, Sweet red bean paste

The "Shima Somen" enjoyed in Mugi Town, Tokushima Prefecture, is distinct from typical somen, because it uses broth made by simmering fish instead of mentsuyu.

Where it is made

Mugi Town

Main ingredients

Somen

While it is commonly made with ingredients like pumpkin, "Awa no Itokoni" uses sweet potatoes.

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

Sweet potato, Azuki bean (or Black-eyed pea)

The "Naruto Tai" (=Naruto sea bream) caught in Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture, is one of the top-class premium fish in the country.

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

Sea bream, Rice

One of the most eaten is "Shiro Miso Zou-ni" (cloudy white miso soup). It is made by dissolving white Miso paste in Dash(Japanese soup stock) made from dried sardines and kombu(kelp).

Where it is made

All of Tokushima prefecture

Main ingredients

White Miso, Rice cake, Chicken, Kamaboko (=fish cake), Satoimo (=Japanese Taro), Komatsuna(=Japanese Mustard Spinach) etc.

Long time ago, there was less rice available in rural areas, so local foods used buckwheat or buckwheat rice instead of white rice were popular in Tokushima. ‘Houhan’, one of these foods, is…

Where it is made

Western region, Awa Town, Handa Town, Sadamitsu Town, Tsurugi Town

Main ingredients

Buckwheat, Chicken, Thin fried tofu, Carrot, Daikon radish, Chikuwa(fish cake), etc.

Dried ‘zuiki’ is used for local dishes like ‘Omiisan’ or ‘mixed sushi’, or miso soup, or simmered to serve as a side dish. ‘Zukigashi’ is also one of the local dishes.

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

‘Zuiki’

"Ayu-rousui" refers to a porridge containing a whole Ayu (Sweetfish). Ayu-rosui is a Japanese word for "zosui," which is sometimes called "ire-rosui".

Where it is made

Katsuura Town

Main ingredients

Ayu (Sweetfish), Rice

Hirara-yaki is made by heating a flat stone and grilling fish and vegetables on it with miso. The name "Hirara-yaki" comes from the flat stone called "Hirara" in Japanese.

Where it is made

Iya Area, Miyoshi City

Main ingredients

Amego(trout), Tofu, Konjac(=yam cake), fresh Shiitake mushrooms, etc.

"Hotayokan" is a steamed bread-like confection.

Where it is made

All of Tokushima Prefecture

Main ingredients

Brown sugar, Cake flour, Baking soda, Myouban (alum)

Hasuimo, eaten mainly in Tokushima and Kochi, is a type of satoimo(=Japanese taro).

Where it is made

Southern Part

Main ingredients

Hasuimo stem, swordfish