Traditional cuisine
The traditional and unique dishes of Iwate’s regions. A joy of travel is “fitting in” with the locals by trying their strange and unique foods.
Noodle dishes
Morioka is one of the great noodle cities of Japan with a culture of “three great noodles”. One is Morioka reimen, rubbery noodles served in a cold soup. Another is jajamen, an udon noodle eaten with a salty-sweet sauce, the other being wanko soba, served in small bowls requiring multiple refills. Each of these is more or less only available in Iwate.
Iwate beef
Even within Japan, the home of wagyu, Iwate beef is top-class when it comes to quality and quantity. Maesawa brand beef from Oshu City is revered in particular for its softness and succulent marbling. Served as steak, Japanese-style barbecue or sashimi.
Seafood
The Pacific Ocean off the coast of Iwate benefits from the confluence of three ocean currents, resulting in an extraordinary wealth of fish and seafood. Try fresh seafood sushi or sashimi, and ramen noodles in seafood stock soup, anywhere near a fishing port.
Farmer restaurants
There are restaurants or pubs dotted around the west of the prefecture in particular, where farming is most widespread, run by the women of farming families and using local ingredients. Certain restaurants focusing on healthy Japanese dishes with rice, miso soup and plenty of vegetables also have menus that cater to vegetarians.
Alcoholic beverages
Iwate, a leading rice production region, has over 20 sake breweries. Eastern Iwate has soil comparable to that of Europe that is around 400 million years old and suited to grape-growing, boasting wineries large and small. Meanwhile, local beer is a growing trend, led by Baeren, winner of the Grand Prix in a national craft beer contest.