{"id":86968,"date":"2021-12-27T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-27T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=86968"},"modified":"2024-11-25T22:17:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T13:17:25","slug":"tsuruoka-best-japanese-cuisine-unesco-creative-city-of-gastronomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/tsuruoka-best-japanese-cuisine-unesco-creative-city-of-gastronomy\/","title":{"rendered":"Tsuruoka: The Best of Japanese Cuisine in Japan’s UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tsuruoka City (\u9db4\u5ca1\u5e02) in Japan\u2019s Tokohu region is truly a hidden gem of not only Japan but Japanese food culture. Yes, this once-critical port city on the way from Osaka to Hokkaido is known chiefly for its nearby Buddhist pilgrimage site, the three mountains of Dewa Sanzan<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s also known for museums, Kamo Aquarium, seaside hot springs, its castle ruins, and lots of traditional folk art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But impressively, Tsuruoka City is the first city in Japan to make it on UNESCO\u2019s very exclusive Creative City of Gastronomy list. Time-honored dishes, new takes on classics, plenty of heirloom vegetables exclusive to the region, and the Buddhist monk-derived \u201csh\u014djin ry\u014dri\u201d cuisine: Tsuruoka City really does have it all. And on top of all this, much of its cuisine, sh\u014djin ry\u014dri included, is extremely friendly to vegetarians and even vegans<\/a>. This is a rarity in Japan, and shouldn\u2019t be overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Culinary History Steeped in Health, Creativity, and Survival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Japan\u2019s main island of Honshu, in the northeast where Tsuruoka City is located, snow is very common in colder seasons. Tsuroka City is also near the shoreline, and hundreds of years ago soaked up a lot of influence from the food trade that made its way up and down the coast. The region is also covered in mountains and forests and, in older times, would not have been easy to access. All of these factors together have created Tsuruoka City\u2019s modern food culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gassan-dake bamboo heirloom vegetable in Tsuruoka<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In winter months when food was scarce, locals looked to the mountains and got creative. They had to develop ways to preserve their food, and also store it. And so, \u201chozonshoku\u201d was born: traditional, ingenuitive methods of preserving foods. At present, there are over 70 such methods at use in Tsuruoka City. Thankfully, the region\u2019s cold weather, a cause of hardship, also helped people survive, particularly the poor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Local ingredients used in the Kitamaebune course by Chef Suda, Okimizuki Restaurant<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We can look to one food \u2013 sasamaki<\/em> (\u7b39\u5dfb\u304d), a rice cake wrapped in bamboo leaves \u2013 to gain insight into why Tsuruoka City made it on UNESCO\u2019s Creative City of Gastronomy list. The key to sasamaki<\/em>, fascinatingly enough, is ash. Mochi \u2013 sticky, mashed rice \u2013 is wrapped in a bamboo leaf and soaked in a simple mixture of water and wood ash, perhaps even the ash of the bamboo tree itself. Then, using only water again, the bamboo-wrapped mochi is boiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ash has an antibacterial effect, and the bamboo an antioxidant effect. This ensured that the food not only kept well for weeks at a time but provided nourishment to live. Modernly, sasamaki<\/em> tends to be eaten like a dessert, and has black sugar syrup and kinako, ground soy powder, added to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Yamabushi Monks of Dewa Sanzan and Heirloom Crops<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not possible to talk about the cuisine of Tsuruoka City without talking about the Yamabushi monks<\/a>. The monks of Dewa Sanzan, the three sacred mountains near the city, have by all accounts lived in the region for nearly 1,500 years. They\u2019re part of the ascetic religion Shugendo, started in the 7th century by a traveling mystic named En no Gyoja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Edamame soybeans are one of the 60 heirloom plants from the Tsuruoka region.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Without the Yamabushi monks and their knowledge of mountain crops, we wouldn\u2019t have Tsuruoka\u2019s current cuisine. Mountain-grown vegetables are known as \u201csansai\u201d in Japan, which the monks have helped preserve. Hardy plains-based farmers grew their own vegetables away from mountains, and together with sansai have helped preserve Tsuruoka\u2019s original plants and largely vegetarian identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An heirloom dish of mini-eggplants<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At present, there are over 60 heirloom plants<\/a> in the Tsuruoka region<\/strong>. They include local varieties of turnips, persimmons, soybeans, and more. Each of these is planted and harvested at different times of the year and rely on the continued dedication of local farmers. Altogether, they constitute what\u2019s known as a \u201cliving cultural asset,\u201d and are indispensable in an era of identical, store-bought foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shojin Ryori: Japan’s Original Vegan Cuisine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Yamabushi monks are also responsible for fathering the aforementioned sh\u014djin ry\u014dri cuisine. Once a part of their religious practice, now a highly refined dining experience, sh\u014djin ry\u014dri is known as a Japanese vegan cuisine<\/strong>. This makes Tsuruoka, and sh\u014djin ry\u014dri restaurants in general, an excellent stop for modern travelers with specific dietary needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A complete sh\u014djin ry\u014dri meal is a worthy addition to your gastronomical journey through Tsuruoka.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sh\u014djin ry\u014dri is often referred to as \u201cvegetarian\u201d or \u201cvegan\u201d. The original Buddhist shojin-ryori was indeed vegetarian, as a way to follow Buddha\u2019s orders of non-violence towards animals. It also aimed to reflect the monks\u2019 strict, simple lives: pared-down, all-natural, with high attention to detail and strict emphasis on quality. After Dewa Sanzan converted to Shintoism, those Buddhist principles transformed and the whole purpose of eating the Shojin-Ryori has adapted to the Shinto philosophy. It is now eaten as a way to absorb the energy of the mountain and to purify the practitioner\u2019s body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSh\u014djin\u201d is a term related to asceticism to achieve enlightenment. \u201cRyori\u201d just means cooking. It took all the way from the 6th<\/sup> century when Buddhism was introduced into Japan, to the 13th<\/sup> century for the custom of eating Sh\u014djin ry\u014dri to spread. This happened as a result of the influence of Zen Buddhism. From that point on, the term \u201csh\u014djin ry\u014dri\u201d started to take on its modern form as a type of cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A sampling of small sh\u014djin ry\u014dri dishes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are many components that go into sh\u014djin ry\u014dri cooking. <\/a>Sesame, walnut, and rapeseed oil are key. Seasonal fermented vegetables (pickles) are used to balance every meal, which connects people with the land, as is tea. When cooking sh\u014djin ry\u014dri, it’s important to eat every part of the vegetable, including the skin and leaf. Water, salt use, and oil use should be at a minimum. Food is often boiled with the lid on. Soy sauce and extra salt can be added to vegetables cooked in this way, along with roasted sesame seeds. All in all, this method of cooking and eating draws out food\u2019s natural flavor, which is often masked in our modern, chemical-heavy world. It\u2019s easy to see how such an approach to food appeals to health-conscious people such as vegetarians and vegans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern Reinventions of Traditional Japanese Foods <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays, Tsuruoka City has preserved its cultural food heritage while also incorporating newer delicacies, cuisines, and methods of cooking from around Japan and the rest of the world. Regional chefs, quite aware of Tsuruoka\u2019s reputation and history, are constantly working to innovate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A decorative, sea-themed meal at Okimizuki<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Fugu (pufferfish) master Suda Takeshi\u2019s restaurant, Okimizuki<\/a>, for instance, uses a menu built from ingredients that would have been transported from the south by 17th-century merchant ships. Such ingredients include m\u014ds\u014d bamboo and conger eel from Kyoto, Japan\u2019s former capital. The full menu is available on his website \u2013 prices are quite reasonable considering the work put into each dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A full dinner set is available in Tsuruoka<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Vegetarians (including those who eat fish) and vegans will find it easy going in Tsuruoka City, but that\u2019s not to say meat-eaters are unwelcome. There\u2019s plenty of pork to go around, particularly pork tonkatsu. Pigs were one of the region\u2019s original domesticated animals. The flavor of the pork, it\u2019s said, goes back to the same regional focus on high-quality food that\u2019s used to feed the area\u2019s pigs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other restaurant options in the area include Takitar\u014d<\/a>, Naa<\/a>, Shunsai Sakura, and Shukubo Inns<\/a> at Mt. Haguro. All typically serve seafood with their meals, at minimum, but vegans can request a fish-free meal. Reservations are recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Get to Tsuruoka<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From Tokyo Station<\/strong>, take the Toki shinkansen bullet train to Niigata Station, then transfer to the Inaho Limited Express to Tsuruoka Station (\u9db4\u5ca1\u99c5, Tsuruoka-eki) (4 hours). From Akita Station<\/strong>, take the Inaho Limited Express to Tsuruoka Station (1 hour and 50 minutes). All of the city’s restaurant options are within walking distance from each other. To get to Shukubo Inns near Mt. Haguro, take the bus headed from Tsuruoka bus stop to Haguro Zuijinmon (\u7fbd\u9ed2\u968f\u795e\u9580 ) (37 minutes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n