A FOOD TRADITION
Chugoku Cuisine
Chugoku cuisine comes from western Honshu, spanning the Inland Sea, the Japan Sea coast, and mountainous interior districts. Its ingredients range from oysters, conger eel, and small fish to rice, wheat, citrus, root vegetables, and locally raised meats. Inland and coastal communities developed different preservation and seasoning practices, including drying, curing, simmering, grilling, and batter cooking. Familiar examples include Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, layered with cabbage, noodles, and other fillings; anago meshi, rice served with grilled conger eel; and fugu dishes associated with Yamaguchi, prepared in established local traditions. Chugoku is a broad regional category rather than a uniform style, with substantial variation between San'in and Sanyo food cultures.
Dishes linked to this cuisine
1–5 of 5
Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki
Hiroshima's layered griddle dish of thin batter, abundant cabbage, pork, yakisoba noodles and egg, finished with a rich sweet sauce.
Izumo Soba
Dark, aromatic Shimane buckwheat noodles made by grinding the whole buckwheat seed, served as cold stacked warigo soba or hot kama-age soba.
Kaki no Dote Nabe
Hiroshima oyster hot pot in which miso is spread around the pot and gradually stirred into broth with tofu and vegetables.
Mamakari-zushi
Okayama sushi of small Seto Inland Sea fish, commonly vinegar-pickled and served over vinegared rice.
Okayama Bara-zushi
Okayama celebration sushi with seafood, seasonal vegetables, shredded omelette and garnishes scattered across vinegared rice.
Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.