Ask a Niigatan about what food is good in Niigata and you will likely get a mild reply as they cannot think of anything in particular. That is, until they start listing things off: “Well, the rice here is great, that is a given, but fresh seafood is caught here too. And then there is eggplant, daikon radish, long onion, tomatoes, mountain greens, oh! And you have to try the edamame! Our edible chrysanthemum called Kakinomoto makes for a delicious light side dish. For fruits, please definitely try the Echigohime strawberry, peaches, grapes, persimmons, and the Le Lectier Pear!” You soon find that they start naming a bunch of different vegetables and fruits! Niigata is a place of abundant resources to the point where people cannot really pinpoint exactly one thing that Niigata is best at.
The creation of high quality Niigata vegetables
Yuriko Goto, the store manager of “Pikari Sanchoku Market Otomisan,” a local hotspot located in Pier Bandai, explains the wonders of Niigata vegetables as follows. “Although Niigata is known for its rice, we also harvest various delicious vegetables. Snow-aged carrots, which are harvested from the under the snow at the beginning of spring, are especially sweet and vibrant in color thanks to being under the snow all winter-long. You might be surprised at how sweet they are even when eaten raw. The Meike-na (local brand of Japanese mustard spinach) and daikon radishes are also sweeter during years when there is a lot of snow. Long onions that are grown in the sandy soils of Niigata grow thick and straight, and the colder it is, the creamier the onion becomes when cooked. In many ways, the harsh climate of Niigata enhances the taste of our vegetables.”
There are producers who are raising the standard of food quality and successfully cultivating vegetables that have been never made before. Notable examples include Tatsuya Ito of Takuma Farm, which makes petit tomatoes called “Tenshino Kuchibiru®” (Angel’s Lips), which is a popular item at the “Pikari Sanchoku Market Otomisan.” This mini tomato is a sweet variety that has a thin skin and exceeds sugar content level of 10. It has been highly appraised and awarded a gold medal in 2016 at the “Vegetable Sommelier Summit” hosted by the Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association for its “cherry-like appearance and texture, with intense concentration of sweetness and sourness.”
Pier Bandai Market: Tatsuya Ito of Takumi Farm (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata
Tatsuya Ito of Takumi Farm explains, “Usually, the skin of mini tomatoes lingers in your mouth, but since the skin of ‘Angel’s Lips®’ tomatoes is super thin, they are more enjoyable to eat. We control the water supply to stress these tomatoes out so that the fruity sweetness is intensified. The slight distortion of the shape is evidence that the tomato is sweet and delicious. This tomato is of the ‘petit puyo’ variety which is difficult to grow, and cannot be harvested until it turns red. This necessitates extra time and effort which is why not many farmers produce this type of tomato but what motivates me is seeing the delighted faces of those who try my product. It’s best eaten raw, but it was quite delicious when made into a compote and sprinkled on shaved ice.”
It’s not mass distributed because it's best eaten fresh
Since Niigata is abundantly rich in delicious crops, we wanted to find out the reactions of out-of-prefecture visitors when they try the food here. We asked Mr. Kazushige Ikinari, the owner of a long-established restaurant called Ikinariya, “Is there a Niigatan food that surprises out-of-prefecture visitors?” Mr. Ikinari replied, “Our customers are definitely surprised when they try our edamame. From June until October, different types of wonderfully delicious edamame are grown in various areas of Niigata. Some customers even ask for seconds of the edamame that we serve during our full-course meal. In such case, since we served the edamame cooled initially we serve it hot for the second serving. That way, they can enjoy different flavors, as well as the aroma of freshly boiled edamame.” Niigata’s edamame charms various people including local residents, but it’s unfortunately not mass distributed outside of the prefecture. This is because the key to its quality lies in its freshness. Its true quality cannot be delivered after going through a long distribution process. This is why the top-notch edamame grown in Niigata can only be eaten in Niigata.
Edamame-gohan (2015)City of Gastronomy Niigata
Pier Bandai Market: Echigohime Strawberries (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata
Furthermore, the “Echigohime Strawberry” known for its soft flesh and the “Le Lectier Pear” known for its bold aroma and silky texture are also hard to find outside of the prefecture due to limited supplies and the possibility of damage during transit. “We are now able to ship the fruits due to the development of new packaging materials, but it’s definitely best to visit Niigata and try them during their peak season when they are as fresh as possible,” says Mrs. Goto of “Pikari Sanchoku Market Otomisan. The Niigata producers have a huge desire to deliver their products in the best condition as possible because they know how delicious they can be when eaten fresh. The best way to experience the true wonders of Niigatan vegetables is to visit Niigata yourself. The locals know the best ways to eat their food so casually ask the locals at a restaurant or markets about the food items that are in season, or about the best way to eat something. This might just be the optimal way of fully experiencing the food culture of Niigata.
Cooperation with:
Otomi-san
Takumi farm
Photos: Misa Nakagaki
Text: Orika Uchiumi
Edit: Saori Hayashida
Production: Skyrocket Corporation
