What are some uncommonly seen or heard of foods that you know of? Here’s a list of 10 in Japan!
Japan is home to many interesting, bizarre, and unusual cuisines. When you are here, you should definitely check them out! Apart from all the ramen and sushi, here are 10 other foods you should check out in Japan!
Here’s an overview of all 10 items that will be introduced:
- Fugu (Pufferfish)
- Shirouo no Odorigui (Dancing Fish)
- Ika Ikizukuri (Squid Sashimi)
- Basashi (Horse Sashimi)
- Unagi (Eel)
- Shirako (Cod Milt)
- Shiokara
- Habushu (Snake Wine)
- Jibachi Senbei (Digger Wasp Rice Cracker)
- Square Watermelons
1. Fugu (Pufferfish)
Fugus are poisonous pufferfishes that can be prepared in a myriad of ways. Ever since the consumption of Fugu, there have been many cases of deaths due to food poisoning. Operating a store selling Fugu is strictly regulated by governments and has been known to be difficult to pass.
If you want to give this dish a shot, you can head over to:
Shimonoseki Shunpanro (First certified Fugu restaurant in Japan)
Address: 4–2 Amidaijicho, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi 750–0003
Contact: 083–223–7181
2. Shirouo no Odorigui (Dancing Ice Fish)
Shirouo no odorigui, also known as the dancing ice fish, is only available between February and April. It is a regional dish and can only be found in Fukuoka. This dish consists of many tiny fishes called Ice Gobies, that are eaten alive.
These fishes will jump around (dance) in your mouth, hence the name dancing ice fish.
If you have intentions to try this dish, you might want to check out:
Sanshiro
Address: 3–1–6 Atago, Nishi, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 819–0015
Contact: 092–881–3001
3. Ika Ikizukuri (Squid Sashimi)
This is the freshest squid you can ever get! Ika Ikizukuri is something like squid sashimi. It is raw squid that is served sliced while still being alive. Because of this dish being so freshly served, when you eat it, you might still feel its tentacles moving in your mouth! This dish originates from Saga Prefecture, but is still obtainable in some restaurants in Fukuoka.
You can check out:
Address: 1744–17 Yobukocho, Yobuko, Karatsu, Saga 847–0303
Contact: 092–271–2133
4. Basashi (Horse Sashimi)
Basashi is mainly raw horse meat served raw as sashimi or in sushi. In certain countries, it is a taboo to consume horse meat due to its pet status. However, in Japan, it is definitely not.
For a shot at horse sashimi, you can check out:
Address: 2–35–2 Ikebukuro Toshima Tokyo
Contact: 035-957-2929
5. Unagi (Eel)
Unagi is also known as the Japanese freshwater eel. It is usually served grilled over charcoal due to its fatty and tender meat with a slightly crisp and charred skin.
You can check out this Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo for some mouthwatering unagi:
Address: 2–4–29 Suido, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Contact: 003–3813–8038
6. Shirako (Cod Milt)
Shirako, also known as the sperm and genitalia of a male codfish, is sometimes eaten raw or boiled with ponzu sauce. It is usually more popular in the winter due to its seasonality. If you would like to give it a try, they can be found in many Izakayas all around Japan!
7. Shiokara
Japan is known for its fermented foods, and Shiokara is one of them. This is a Japanese dish made from fermenting seafood such as squid in their own viscera. It is usually fermented with salt and rice flour and stored over long periods of time. One of the more popular dishes includes squid or cuttlefish Shiokara. These can be usually be found and ordered at Izakayas all around Japan.
8. Habushu (Snake sake)
Habushu is Okinawan Snake wine made by drowning the snake in alcohol of freezing it then putting it in alcohol. This liqueur is believed to have medicinal properties and has been consumed since ancient times. You don’t have to worry about the poison from the snake as the alcohol would cancel out its effects. Japanese believe that by drinking this, it would give them incredible strength, energy, and vitality. This can also be found all around Japan in Izakayas.
9. Jibachi Senbei (Digger Wasp Rice Cracker)
These rice crackers are made infused with digger wasps. They originate from Nagano and can only be found there. It is not very common in other parts of Japan. People in Nagano actually still hunt digger wasps to produce these rice crackers since long ago.
For a shot at this snack, you can check out this place and get them as souvenirs:
Address: 3300–1 Omachi, Omachi-shi, Nagano 398–0002
Contact: 026–123–7511
10. Square Watermelons
These are not the conventional circular or rounded watermelons. These are watermelons grown in crates. They were originally created with the intention to be able to store them easily in refrigerators. However, over time it transitioned into more of a luxury item with prices being 2–3 times higher than the regular watermelons.
These can be found in certain departmental stores in Japan but you can check out:
Address: Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower 1F, 2–1–2 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo, Tokyo 103–0022
Contact:
033-241-0877 (Sales Department)
033-241-1630 (Fruit Parlor/Restaurant Direct)
This concludes my list of 10 bizarre foods in Japan and you should definitely check them out! If you’ve tried any of these, do share your experiences with me in the comments below! 🙂