Gifu

The local ramen of Hida-Takayama, often called chuka soba by locals. It has thin curly noodles and a light soy sauce broth made from chicken bones, dried sardines and more. Many shops use a unique method of simmering the soup and soy sauce base together from the start. Its simple, gentle flavor feels somehow nostalgic. Many shops are easy to drop into between strolls through the old town. It is also perfect after a visit to the morning markets.

Typical price

¥700–1,000

Where

Takayama

A local dish of the Okumino area and Gero in Gifu. Chicken is marinated in a sauce of miso, soy sauce, garlic and more, then grilled on an iron plate with cabbage, onion and other vegetables. The sauce soaks into the vegetables, making it great with rice. The sauce varies by area and shop, from miso to soy sauce to salt. It was originally cooked at home, often in a Genghis Khan grill pan. Try it along with sightseeing in Gujo Hachiman or Gero Onsen.

Typical price

¥800–1,500

Where

Gujo, Gero and around

A local dish of the Hida area: Chinese cabbage pickles that have aged and turned sour are fried on an iron plate or pan and bound with egg. It is said to have started with warming frozen pickles in the cold winter. Frying mellows the sourness, and with the gentle flavor of egg it goes well with rice and sake. It is seasoned with bonito flakes and soy sauce. Try it at izakaya and local restaurants in Takayama, sometimes served with hoba miso. Sourer pickles are said to make it tastier.

Typical price

¥500–900

Where

Takayama and the Hida area

A Hida local dish: miso mixed with green onion and shiitake is placed on a large dried magnolia leaf and grilled over a small stove as you eat. The miso turns toasty and fragrant, and the leaf adds its own aroma, making rice disappear bowl after bowl. A luxurious version grilled with Hida beef is also popular. It is a breakfast classic at Takayama inns and served at local restaurants in the city. Magnolia leaves and miso are sold as souvenirs too, so you can enjoy the taste at home.

Typical price

¥500–1,500

Where

Takayama and the Hida area

A local dish of vinegared rice topped with salmon, wild vegetables, shiitake, shredded egg and more, wrapped in a large magnolia leaf. Magnolia leaves have antibacterial properties, and their fresh scent transfers to the rice. It is made in early summer when the leaves grow large, and is loved as a seasonal taste. It has long been made at home around rice-planting time. Look for it seasonally at roadside stations and farm stands in the Hida and Tono areas. Enjoy the refreshing scent of the leaf.

Typical price

¥200–400 each

Where

Hida and Tono areas

Steak of Hida beef, a brand name that only Japanese Black cattle raised in Gifu and meeting strict standards may carry. It features fine marbling, melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and rich aroma and flavor. Many steakhouses and yakiniku restaurants around Takayama serve it. You can also enjoy it grilled with hoba miso, or as sukiyaki or shabu-shabu. It is the perfect reward on a trip. Medium rare is recommended. Pair it with a walk around Takayama.

Typical price

¥5,000–15,000

Where

Takayama and around

A popular street food in Takayama's old town: Hida beef lightly seared and placed on vinegared rice as nigiri sushi. The sweetness of the melting beef fat goes perfectly with the refreshing rice. Some shops serve it on a shrimp cracker instead of a plate, and you can eat the cracker too. It is a casual way to taste Hida beef and is hugely popular with tourists. On holidays there are often lines. Some shops let you choose salt or soy sauce. Enjoy it while strolling the old streets.

Typical price

¥600–1,200 per plate

Where

Old town, Takayama

In Gifu, through which the clear Nagara River flows, sweetfish dishes have long been loved. Freshly caught ayu sprinkled with salt and slowly grilled over charcoal offer crisp skin, tender flaky flesh and slightly bitter innards. Because of its aroma, ayu is also called the fragrant fish. On the Nagara River, ukai, the traditional method of fishing with cormorants, takes place on summer nights. Try it in Gifu City, Seki, Gujo and elsewhere. You can eat it whole, head and all.

Typical price

¥600–1,200 per fish

Where

Gifu City, Gujo and around

A local dish of cooked rice half-mashed, skewered, grilled and brushed with a sweet and savory sauce. It is loved in Gifu's Tono and Hida areas, and in Ena and Nakatsugawa it often comes in the shape of dumplings. The sauce uses walnuts, sesame, miso, soy sauce and more, and the flavor differs by area and shop. The aroma of the toasted sauce whets the appetite. You can eat it freshly grilled in the post towns of the Nakasendo and at roadside stations. It makes a perfect snack on a trip.

Typical price

¥200–400 per skewer

Where

Ena, Nakatsugawa and around

An autumn sweet famous in the Tono area, centered on Nakatsugawa and Ena. Steamed chestnuts are strained, cooked with sugar, and shaped in a cloth into a chestnut form. Made only with chestnuts and sugar, it lets you enjoy the true chestnut flavor and a crumbly texture. It is different from the kuri kinton found in New Year dishes. Many shops make it only in autumn when chestnuts are harvested, and going around confectioners to compare is fun. If you visit Tono in autumn, be sure to try it.

Typical price

¥250–400 each

Where

Nakatsugawa, Ena

A summer specialty of Ogaki: smooth bean paste wrapped in a clear dough of kudzu or bracken starch. It is set in small cups like sake cups and served chilled in cold well water. Ogaki is a city of water blessed with abundant groundwater, and this cool-looking sweet makes the most of it. Its slippery texture and gentle sweetness are perfect on a hot day. You can enjoy it at Ogaki's confectioners during summer. It is a sweet that shows off the richness of Ogaki's water.

Typical price

¥100–200 each

Where

Ogaki

A Hida-Takayama specialty of skewered rice dumplings brushed with soy sauce and grilled. Unlike regular mitarashi dango, it is not sweet but soy-flavored. Locals often call it midarashi. The toasty aroma of grilled soy sauce drifts through the streets, and the simple flavor feels nostalgic. Shops in the old town sell them freshly grilled, perfect for eating as you walk. Recommended even for people who do not like sweets. You can buy just one skewer.

Typical price

¥80–150 per skewer

Where

Takayama