“Imoni” (taro soup) is said to have originated in the mid-1600s.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Taro, beef, konjac, green onions, (may include mushrooms, burdock root, etc.)

“Dongara Jiru” (cod soup) is a local winter dish using Kandara. It was originally eaten by fishermen on the beach. It is characterized by the use of Kandara from head to tail without leaving anything.

Where it is made

Shonai area

Main ingredients

Cold cod (all internal organs), miso, green onions, seaweed

In the Murayama area of Oe Town, fermented soybeans without strings are made into "Natto Jiru” (natto soup).

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Natto, tofu, fried tofu, edible wild plants, Imogara(made from dried stems of Karatori potatoes), konjac, mushrooms, onions, Japanese parsley, miso

"Mousou-jiru" is a local dish using "Mousou", a type of bamboo shoot.

Where it is made

Shounai Area

Main ingredients

Mousou Bamboo Shoot, Thick fried tofu, Shiitake mushroom, Sake lees, Miso

Although the name “Hiyashiru” suggests soup, this is a boiled dish made by combining seasonal vegetables and cold dashi broth (soaking soup).

Where it is made

Okitama Region, Yonezawa City

Main ingredients

Seasonal vegetables, Shimi konjac (freeze dried konjac), Uchi-mame(Soybeans simmered, flattened and dried), Hoshi-kaibashira (Dried scallop adductor muscle), Hoshi shiitake (Dried Shiitake mushroom)

"Shio-Kujira-Jiru" (salted whale soup) is a traditional nourishing meal to survive the hot inland summers.

Where it is made

All of Yamagata Prefecture

Main ingredients

New potatoes,“ Shio-Kujira”(=Salted Whale), Seasonal vegetables

"Toyama Kabu no Kasu-jiru" is a soup with “Toyama Kabu” and “Uchimame,” an ingredient unique to snowy Yonezawa City.

Where it is made

Yonezawa City

Main ingredients

“Toyama-Kabu”(=turnip), “Uchimame”(=pounded soybeans), Various vegetables

“Dashi" is made by chopping up and seasoning summer vegetables such as cucumbers and eggplants, which contain a lot of water, and savory vegetables such as green perilla and myoga (Japanese ginger)…

Where it is made

Murayama area, Okitama area

Main ingredients

Eggplant, cucumber, Japanese ginger, green perilla, soy sauce

“Sasamaki “is made by soaking and draining Glutinous rice, wrapping it in Bamboo leaves, tying a string around it, and boiling it in hot water. In other prefectures, it is also called "Chimaki.

Where it is made

All of Yamagata Prefecture

Main ingredients

Glutinous rice, Bamboo grass leaves, Kinako(Roasted soybean flour), Sugar

Although it is called " Kujira-Mochi （whale cake）," it is not made with Whale meat. There are various theories as to the origin of the name.

Where it is made

Mogami Area, Murayama Area

Main ingredients

Rice flour, Sugar, Walnuts

The entire area of Yamagata Prefecture was designated as a heavy snowfall area, and in those days when distribution was poor, securing food for the winter was essential for survival.

Where it is made

Murayama Region, Okitama Region

Main ingredients

Hyo-Boshi(Dried Purslane), Konjac noodles, Carrot, Fried thin tofu

Koi-no-Umani is a local dish made by koi (=Carp) cut into round slices and simmering them in sugar, soy sauce, and sake. koi (=Carp) was once a valuable source of protein in inland rural areas.

Where it is made

Okitama Region, Yonezawa City

Main ingredients

Koi (=Carp), Soy source, Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), Sugar

"Ukogi(=Araliad)" has a unique flavor and bitterness, and is used to make "ukogi gohan (rice with ukogi)," "ukogi tempura," and "ukogi ohitashi (boiled ukogi)," in addition to "Ukogi no Kiri-Ae," a…

Where it is made

Okitama Region, Yonezawa City

Main ingredients

Ukogi(=Araliad), Miso, Bonito flakes

"Akebi(=Chocolate vine)" has a bittersweet flavor and is served in a variety of dishes such as grilled akebi stuffed with miso, simmered dishes, salad, tempura, and nuta-age.

Where it is made

All of Yamagata Prefecture

Main ingredients

Akebi(=Chocolate vine), Maitake mushrooms, Shimeji mushrooms, Miso, Sugar

"Yukina no Fusubedzuke" is a pickled dish using yukina, a snow cabbage. Yukina is one of the Yamagata-Okitama traditional vegetables, a special vegetable of the Okitama region.

Where it is made

Okitama Region

Main ingredients

Yukina cabbage, salt

"Omizuke" is a pickle made from a type of mustard green called "Yamagata seisai." Along with "seisaizuke," it is one of the representative pickles of Yamagata Prefecture.

Where it is made

Murayama area, Mogami area, Okitama area

Main ingredients

Yamagata seisai (greens), daikon radish, carrot, Jerusalem artichoke, perilla seeds (salted), soy sauce, granulated brown sugar

Yamagata Prefecture is known for its diverse pickling culture, with "Seisai mustard pickles" being one of its most popular varieties.

Where it is made

All areas in Yamagata Prefecture

Main ingredients

Yamagata seisai mustard, salt, soy sauce, sugar, sake, shochu

Japanese sandfish are a scaleless, mild-flavored fish that are favored in the Shonai region as the taste of autumn. The sandfish come to the shores of Shonai around December to lay their eggs.

Where it is made

Shonai region

Main ingredients

Japanese sandfish, scallion, soy sauce

"Karakai" is a dry food made by drying the cartilage of kasube (stingray) fins that are caught in Hokkaido.

Where it is made

Entire prefecture

Main ingredients

Karakai (dried stingray fin), soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake

The Japanese saltwort used in this dish was originally a wild plant that grew along the coast and came to be called okahijiki because it looks like hijiki, a seaweed.

Where it is made

Murayama area, Okitama area

Main ingredients

Japanese saltwort, hot pepper, soy sauce

In Yamagata Prefecture, the culture of eating this flower is still strong, and “Ohitashi of edible chrysanthemums” (boiled and eaten with soy sauce) is a typical example.

Where it is made

The whole prefecture

Main ingredients

Edible chrysanthemum, vinegar, soy sauce

Trout Ankake is a springtime dish representative of the Shonai area. It is made from the most delicious of all trout, “Sakuramasu” or cherry trout.

Where it is made

Shonai Area

Main ingredients

Trout, chives, ginger, salt, sugar, and kudzu flour.

In the Shonai area, agar as a sweet dessert is mainstream, and the most popular one is "egg agar".

Where it is made

Shonai area

Main ingredients

Agar, egg, soy sauce, and sugar

"Ball-shaped konjac", nicknamed Tamakon, is the soul food of the people of Yamagata Prefecture.

Where it is made

All over the prefecture

Main ingredients

Ball-shaped konjac, soy sauce, dried squid soup stock

Kukitachi-nimono" is a local dish using "kukitachi", a cruciferous vegetable.

Where it is made

Yonezawa City (Okitama area and Murayama area)

Main ingredients

dried kukitatsuboshi, carrots, beans, konnyaku thread, deep-fried tofu, soy sauce, sugar

Salted sushi, a local delicacy for special occasions, originated in Yonezawa City.

Where it is made

Yonezawa City

Main ingredients

Salmon, sushi rice

Tataki" in "Warabi Tataki" refers to a method of cooking in which the strawbi is placed on a cutting board and beaten with a knife as if cutting it, thereby breaking the fibers of the strawbi into…

Where it is made

Northern part of the prefecture

Main ingredients

Straw, miso, etc.

Frozen daikon" and "frozen rice cakes" are common preserved foods in the Tohoku region, and are made by taking advantage of the cold weather unique to the snow country.

Where it is made

Mogami area

Main ingredients

Udo (udo), frozen daikon radish, kipper, satsuma-age (fried fish cake), soy sauce, sake, sugar

Shoyu-no-Mi" is a versatile seasoning made by fermenting soybeans, wheat (pressed barley is sometimes used), rice, and seed koji by adding salt water and letting it sit while stirring.

Where it is made

Shonai area

Main ingredients

Soybeans, wheat, rice, seed malt, salt