The foods of Nara

[torakris]

I love Nara! Of all of the places I have been to in Japan Nara is definitely my favorite. That being said though I don't care much for the food....

I can't stand narazuke, pickles in the Nara style.

Narazuke is a kind of pickled vegetable that is made by pickling melon cucumbers, watermelon, and eggplants in sake lees; Nara is the most important production base of Narazuke. Historical records tells us that people pickled melons in the Nara period, so there is certainly a long history behind if. It is said that Narazuke became popular at the beginning of the Edo period when monks of Todai-ji devised a method wich prevented the pickles from discoloration, contributing to its reputation at the end of the Edo period. Carrot, ginger, cucumber, and radish are also pickled today.

from here:

http://rid2650.gr.jp/betweenms/nara/nara3.html

read here to learn more about the foods of Nara:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...39entry810939

[Kiem Hwa]

I know this doesn't exactly qualify as "foods of Nara", but they make alot of sake there from rice grown in the area.

Also, there is a fabulous mochi shop on the main street leading from the train station to Nara park:

Video of mochi pounding at that shop:

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~aperry/Pounding%20...20in%20Nara.MPG

[torakris]

I remembered one food of sushi I do really like

kakinoha-zushi, these are individual pieces that are wrapped in persimmon (kaki) leaves(ha), the leaves leave ( ) a subtle fragrance and taste..

http://www.kansai.gr.jp/KansaiWindowhtml/C...ish/000159.html

[helenjp]

Kiem Hwa, that video was so nostalgic! It was worth watching it twice - ran much more smoothly the second time.

It confirmed a suspicion I had - that kusa-mochi (yomogi-mochi) seem to be very popular in Nara. When I was a young student, friends used to buy huge quantities of them from a shop in southern Nara prefecture.

[Hiroyuki]

I know this doesn't exactly qualify as "foods of Nara", but they make alot of sake there from rice grown in the area. 

Also, there is a fabulous mochi shop on the main street leading from the train station to Nara park:

Video of mochi pounding at that shop:

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~aperry/Pounding%20...20in%20Nara.MPG

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Somehow, the link doesn't work for me.

torakris, I can't stand narazuke, either. The smell...

[Kiem Hwa]

Somehow, the link doesn't work for me.

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For me, this plays automatically in Quicktime. Im don't know what happens if you don't have that program though...

[helenjp]

It's been so long since I've been in Nara that I had to cudgel my brains over this one...

somen...famous product of Mt. Miwa in southern Nara. I think that, like Koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu from Mt. Koya in nearby Wakayama), the mountains of southern Nara created the coldest winter temperatures in the Kansai region, so all kinds of dried foods are produced in this area.

Persimmons are famous, dried or fresh, though I mostly recall fresh ones scooped out and filled with various dressed ingredients. The dried ones I had were part of Obaku sect zen cooking rather than Nara traditions.

Cha-gayu - rice congee cooked in tea - is also a specialty of Nara township. When I think of leaf-sushi, herb mochi, and tea congee, I recall the green "wakakusa-yama" of Nara, and think how characteristic the color green is of the area (or it used to be, until the computer companies moved in...).

Talking of leaves, how about houba-yaki - titbits, especially miso specialties, grilled on leathery "hou" tree leaves (a type of magnolia).

All these dishes seem to be related to the old, old, traditions that go back to before rice cultivation took hold of Japan - the reliance on nuts and seeds and herbs, in particular. On the other hand, maybe dishes featuring poppy seeds have more to do with Chinese temple cooking than old native traditions...

Nara prefecture has many rivers, and some of the river fish popular in Kyoto are also eaten here.

And the Yoshino mountain and river area is also famous for "kuzu" or arrowroot dishes, another ancient food. Temple cooking has kuzu-thickened vegetarian dishes, sweets are often coated with kuzu, and many Kansai people still love "kuzu-yu", a thick, sweetened arrowroot drink often flavored with yuzu, tea, bean jam or other flavors.

I really have to stop now...just too nostalgic

[Kiem Hwa]

Here is a link talking about the foods of Nara (much discussed by helen already):

http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/syoku/umiyama/nara01.html

[Kiem Hwa]

Another link discussing foods of Kansai, including Nara:

http://www.kansai.gr.jp/KansaiWindowhtml/C...ryCode_002.html

The list from Nara includes:

Kakinoha-Zushi

Chagayu

Narazuke Pickles

Miwa Somen Noodles

Yoshino-Kuzu Dishes