Hyogo’s local cuisine recommended in November
Table of contents
“100 selections of local dishes”
“Local dishes loved by the nation”
“100 selections of local dishes”
The recommended local dish of Hyogo prefecture in November is “Botan nabe”. The hunting period for wild boar meat used in “Botan nabe” is from November 15th to March 15th. From November 15th, we will be able to enjoy “Botan nabe”, which is the taste of winter in the northern part of Hyogo prefecture (Tamba Sasayama region). “Botan nabe” and “Ikanago no kugi-ni” are selected from Hyogo prefecture as “100 selections of local dishes” selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/kouryu/kyodo_ryouri/attach/pdf/190131-2.pdf
“Botan nabe”
“Botan nabe” was named because the appearance of serving wild boar meat resembles a peony (Botan) flower. Usually, wild boar meat has an odor, but wild boar meat in the Tamba-Sasayama region has no odor and you can feel the sweetness of the meat. It’s a very delicious hot pot.
“Ikanago no kugi-ni“
“Ikanago no kugi-ni” is cooked with soy sauce and mirin after “Ikanago Shinko fishing” from the end of February to the beginning of March. It is called Kugi-ni because the finished product resembles an iron nail (Kugi). It can be stored for a long time and goes well with white rice.
“Local dishes loved by the nation”
“Akashi-yaki” and “Kobe-gyu steak” are selected from Hyogo prefecture as “Local dishes loved by the nation” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/kouryu/kyodo_ryouri/attach/pdf/190131-6.pdf
“Akashi-yaki”
As the name suggests, “Akashi-yaki” is a dish of Akashi City, but it is locally called “Tamago-yaki”. It is said to be one of the roots of Tako-yaki in Osaka. It has the characteristics of using plenty of chicken eggs, basically using only octopus, and dipping it in soup stock made from kelp or dried bonito flakes. Basically, no sauce is sprinkled, but in Himeji City, which is near Akashi City, the mainstream method is to sprinkle the sauce and then add it to the soup stock.
“Akashi-yaki” is very soft and goes well with soup stock, so I prefer Akashi-yaki to Tako-yaki. If you have only eaten Tako-yaki, please try “Akashi-yaki”.
“Kobe-gyu steak”
“Kobe-gyu steak (Kobe beef steak)” is a famous dish all over Japan and around the world. It can be said that the food is so well-known that it is better not to select it as a “Local dishes loved by the nation”. However, it is so expensive that it is not usually easy for locals to eat.
“Kobe beef steak” is also famous for being the origin of the name of former professional basketball player Kobe Bryant who died in 2020.