Kumamoto

Kumamoto's local ramen, featuring a pork bone broth with fried garlic chips or mayu, an oil of burnt garlic. The toasty garlic aroma goes perfectly with the rich pork broth. Many shops use thicker noodles than Hakata ramen. Wood ear mushrooms, nori and roast pork are the standard toppings. Kumamoto City has many famous long-established shops known nationwide. Enjoy a fragrant bowl along with a visit to Kumamoto Castle.

Typical price

¥700–1,000

Where

Kumamoto City

A soup dish with glass noodles loved in Kumamoto. It is said to have been popularized by Chinese restaurants in Kumamoto based on a dish from Fujian, China. Glass noodles, vegetables such as Chinese cabbage and cabbage, seafood such as shrimp and squid, and pork go into a chicken broth, topped with a fried boiled egg. Using glass noodles makes it lighter and healthier than ramen. It is even served in school lunches in Kumamoto and is available at Chinese restaurants in the city.

Typical price

¥800–1,200

Where

Kumamoto City

A specialty of Aso: a rice bowl of akaushi, Japanese Brown cattle raised on Aso's grasslands. Akaushi is lean with little fat, light yet increasingly flavorful as you chew. Many shops pile grilled akaushi generously over rice with a soft-boiled egg and wasabi. Enjoy it while looking out over Aso's vast scenery. Popular shops draw lines, especially on holidays. Stop by on a drive around Aso. Some shops let you choose the amount of meat.

Typical price

¥1,800–3,000

Where

Aso and around

A specialty of the Aso area: chopped Aso takana mustard green pickles stir-fried with rice in sesame oil. The crunchy takana, its pleasant saltiness and spicy kick go well with rice. Many shops stir-fry it with egg. Rice balls wrapped in takana leaves are also an Aso specialty. Try it at diners and roadside stations in Aso. Its simple yet addictive flavor whets the appetite. It is a hearty, inexpensive meal loved by locals and travelers alike, and a good way to taste Aso farm produce.

Typical price

¥600–1,000

Where

Aso and around

A Kumamoto local dish of chikuwa stuffed with potato salad, battered and fried. It is said to have been created at Hirai, a Kumamoto bento and deli chain, to make use of its popular potato salad, and was first sold as a filling for savory bread. Crisp outside, with fluffy potato salad inside and chewy chikuwa. It is good on its own or in bread. It is sold at Hirai shops, supermarkets and delis in Kumamoto. For Kumamoto people, it is a familiar taste since childhood.

Typical price

¥100–200 each

Where

Kumamoto City and around

Kumamoto is said to be among the top in Japan for producing and eating horse meat, and horse sashimi is its signature dish. You can enjoy various cuts, such as lean red meat, marbled jo-rosu loin, and koune, fat from the mane. The Kumamoto way is to eat it with garlic or ginger and sweet soy sauce. The lean meat is light, while the marbled cuts have a melting sweetness. Try it at izakaya and specialty restaurants in Kumamoto City. An assortment is the best way to compare cuts.

Typical price

¥1,500–4,000

Where

Kumamoto City and around

A Kumamoto local dish: the holes of lotus root are stuffed with mustard miso, then coated in yellow batter and fried. It is said to have been created in the Edo period to nourish a sickly lord of the Kumamoto domain. One story says the recipe was kept secret outside the domain because its cross-section resembled the Hosokawa family crest. Enjoy the sharp mustard heat and the crunchy lotus root. It is sold at souvenir shops in Kumamoto.

Typical price

¥1,000–2,000 each

Where

Kumamoto City and around

A local dish long made in Kumamoto homes. Dago, dumplings of kneaded wheat flour, are simmered with chicken and vegetables such as burdock, carrot, taro and shiitake in a miso or soy sauce broth. The dumplings are torn by hand or flattened. With chewy dumplings and plenty of ingredients, it warms you to the core. It is said to have been a staple when rice was precious. Try it at local restaurants and roadside stations in Kumamoto. It is a simple, gentle taste of home.

Typical price

¥500–900

Where

Throughout Kumamoto

A local dish of Takamori in Aso: skewered ingredients brushed with miso and grilled around an irori hearth. Taro, tofu, konnyaku and yamame trout are used. The specialty is tsuru no ko imo, small taro with a fluffy texture. The aroma of toasted miso and the fun of grilling over charcoal are the charms. Try it at local restaurants in Takamori. Combine it with sightseeing on the south side of Aso. Enjoy the old-fashioned atmosphere around the hearth.

Typical price

¥1,500–3,000

Where

Takamori

Steak of akaushi, Japanese Brown cattle raised grazing on Aso's grasslands. It is lean with little fat, light yet full of natural beef flavor with a pleasant chew. It offers a healthy deliciousness different from marbled wagyu, and does not feel heavy even in larger amounts. Try it at steakhouses in Aso and Kumamoto City. Enjoy it along with a drive through the vast grasslands. Savor the true flavor of the beef.

Typical price

¥3,000–8,000

Where

Aso, Kumamoto City and around

A Kumamoto local sweet: slices of sweet potato and bean paste wrapped in wheat dough and steamed. One theory says the name comes from ikinari, Kumamoto dialect for easy and quick, as it can be made quickly for unexpected guests. Enjoy the fluffy sweet potato, the gentle bean paste and the chewy dough. They are especially good warm and freshly steamed. They are sold throughout Kumamoto. If they cool down, warm them up again.

Typical price

¥120–200 each

Where

Throughout Kumamoto

One of Kumamoto's best-known sweets, made by a Kumamoto confectioner. Soft gyuhi is wrapped in chunky paste of dainagon azuki beans, and its round, flat shape is modeled on the war drums beaten in battle. Enjoy the generous bean paste and chewy gyuhi. It comes in a tin, and you cut it with the string provided. It is sold at Kumamoto Station, the airport and souvenir shops. Choose it as a memento of visiting Kumamoto Castle. Enjoy it with Japanese tea.

Typical price

¥600–2,000

Where

Kumamoto City and around

A classic Kumamoto souvenir made by a Kumamoto confectioner. Smooth bean paste is wrapped in thin, flaky layers of pastry and baked. The name comes from musha-gaeshi, the curved walls of Kumamoto Castle that grow steeper toward the top. Enjoy the toasty crisp pastry and moist, refined bean paste. It is sold at Kumamoto Station, the airport and souvenir shops. Taste it after seeing the castle's stone walls. It also goes well with coffee or tea.

Typical price

¥600–2,000

Where

Kumamoto City and around

Stick-shaped doughnuts made by a Kumamoto confectionery company. Brown sugar is kneaded into the dough before frying, and they are then coated in brown sugar syrup. Crisp outside and moist inside, they offer the rich sweetness of brown sugar. They have a simple, nostalgic flavor. Some are individually wrapped, making them handy souvenirs to share. They are sold at Kumamoto Station, the airport and supermarkets across Kyushu. Enjoy them with coffee or milk.

Typical price

¥300–1,000

Where

Kumamoto Prefecture