Kansai Food– Famous Osaka Street Food & Kyoto Cuisine –
The Kansai region is one of Japan’s most historically important cultural and culinary centers. It includes major cities such as Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Nara, each known for its unique food traditions.
Kansai food ranges from famous Osaka street foods such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki to refined Kyoto cuisine such as kaiseki and tofu dishes. The region has long been associated with Japan’s culinary heritage.
In this category, explore traditional foods and regional specialties from the Kansai region.
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Gyokuro (玉露)
Gyokuro (玉露) is Japan's highest grade of shaded green tea. Farmers cover the plants for about 20 days before harvest, which raises umami-rich theanine and lowers bitter catechins. It contains roughly 2,650 mg of theanine per 100 g, abo... -
Dango (団子)
Dango is a Japanese sweet that has been loved by Japanese people for a long time, and many people miss it during the cherry blossom and moon viewing seasons. You can easily get dango at supermarkets, but what is the different betwee... -
Shojin ryori (精進料理)
精進料理 Shojin ryori is Japan's traditional Buddhist temple cuisine. It is 100% plant-based, uses no meat, fish, or animal products of any kind, and has been prepared by monks as part of their spiritual practice for over eight hundred y... -
Menchi Katsu (メンチカツ)
If you come to Japan, you can find that Menchi Katsu is sold at almost every supermarket and butcher shop. This dish may be the favourite of a lot of people since they were children. Sometimes it is called "minced katsu". Which one is co... -
Doteyaki (どて焼き)
In today's world of globalization, it is local cuisine that continues to be deeply loved. Speaking of local cuisine, what is the first thing that springs to your mind? Takoyaki from Osaka? Hoto from Yamanashi? Or Taimeshi from Ehime? Tod... -
Makizushi (巻き寿司)
Makizushi is considered to be representative of sushi along with nigiri sushi. In Japan, the food culture of sushi rolls, which appeared in the Edo period, has flourished both in Japan and overseas. With the popularity of it, various var... -
Tanuki Udon (たぬきうどん）
Udon is thick noodle made from wheat flour, often used in Japanese food. There are several ways to cook and serve udon. However, two of the most popular udon are probably Tanuki udon and Kitsune udon, which are both named after animals (... -
Temari Sushi (手まり寿司)
When autumn comes, a lot of autumn ingredients will be on the market. It's everyone's favorite season not only because of the cool weather but also because of good food. Speaking of seasonal food of autumn, what is the first t... -
Kakigoori (かき氷)
There are hundreds of matsuri (Japanese traditional festival) all over Japan when summer comes. At matsuri, you can enjoy a lot of Japanese traditional food such as yakisoba, yakitori, ikayaki, etc. Today, we would like to introduce Kaki... -
Kobe beef (神戸牛)
Kobe beef is a premium Japanese wagyu brand from Hyogo Prefecture, and the rules behind it are unusually strict. Roughly 6,800 carcasses earn the name in a typical year. That scarcity explains most of the price, though not all of the fas...
