Latest news with #Matsusaka
Japan Today
01-07-2025
- Japan Today
5 famous foods you'll find in Miyazaki
By Kerri King Down in the sunny southeast corner of Kyushu, Miyazaki Prefecture is best known for sunny skies, pristine beaches and some seriously flavorful food. With rich farmland, top-tier livestock and tropical fruit production, the region is a powerhouse of both comfort dishes and luxury delicacies. From juicy wagyu to sweet-tart mangoes, here are five famous foods in Miyazaki. 1. Miyazaki Beef (Wagyu) Rich, buttery and unforgettable beef Image: PIXTA/ june Miyazaki Beef consistently ranks among the top wagyu brands in Japan, rivaling even Kobe and Matsusaka in marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture. The cattle are raised with meticulous care in the Miyazaki countryside, resulting in rich, buttery and unforgettable beef. Whether served as a sizzling steak, seared yakiniku or delicate shabu-shabu slices, this is luxury you can taste. 2. Chicken Nanban A bold and addictive combination Image: PIXTA/ koalakko Fried chicken. Vinegar. Tartar sauce. Name a more iconic trio. This retro-style dish started in a Miyazaki restaurant in 1956 and quickly became a nationwide classic. Chicken nanban features crispy, deep-fried chicken soaked in a sweet vinegar marinade, topped with a generous heap of creamy tartar sauce. It's a bold, addictive combination that somehow balances crunchy, tangy and rich all at once. 3. Hiyajiru (Cold Soup Over Rice) It's a refreshing and nourishing dish. Image: PIXTA/ ささざわ A local favorite during Miyazaki's summers, hiyajiru is a chilled miso-based soup poured over rice, often with cucumber, grilled fish, sesame and shiso. It's a refreshing and nourishing dish. You'll find this local favourite across Miyazaki's restaurants, family kitchens and in ryokan (traditional Japanese inns). Click here to read more. External Link © GaijinPot
SoraNews24
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Musical ekiben adds a tune to your train station bento meal
Japan's only musical ekiben lets you sing for your supper. One of the great things about train travel in Japan is the chance to pick up an 'ekiben' (literally 'train station boxed meal') from a kiosk at the station to enjoy on the journey. The only problem, however, is choosing one from the many eye-catching options available, but now that choice is made easier as you might just come across an ekiben that plays a melody when you eat it. Called the 'Moo Taro Bento', this boxed meal is a specialty ekiben from Aratake, a company famous for meals containing Matsusaka beef, a prized Wagyu beef from t he Matsusaka area of Mie Prefecture . These ekiben are so popular they can even be purchased online, where you can pick up the Moo Taro Bento with Moo Taro Sushi as a recommended set. ▼ So that's what we did, ordering the set for a taste test at home. Starting with the 'Moo Taro Bento', the first thing you'll notice is how arresting it is to look at, with the face of a cow staring into your soul. However, the real surprise comes when you lift the lid, because that's when you'll see a cardboard insert inside that tells you this is Japan's First Melodical Ekiben. The music happens when the sensor on the underside of the lid is exposed to light, so you can eat your meal to the musical accompaniment of 'Furusato', a popular children's song. One important thing to note is the sensor needs to be removed if you're going to heat the bento up in the microwave. The sensor is located on the back of this sticker so it's easily removed, and once you've separated it from the bento, you can reuse it anywhere you'd like a melodical surprise, like cupboard doors, refrigerators and even the boot of your car. The musical aspect makes this one of the most unique bentos in Japan, but is the food inside just as good? Thankfully, it's more than good — it contains a delicious sukiyaki (a traditional simmered beef hotpot dish) made with prized Wagyu beef that adds extra richness and sweetness, elevating it to a luxury meal. Although bentos like these can be eaten as is when travelling, if you're ordering it to eat at home you should definitely try heating it in the microwave as it makes the meat and rice even more supple…and that much more addictive. Pleasantly surprised by the sukiyaki, it was now time to try the 'Moo Taro Sushi', which, despite having no musical accompaniment, comes in a box featuring a cute original character called 'Moo Taro-kun'. The boxed meal comes with a pair of chopsticks and a cute sticker, based on a series where Moo Taro-kun is depicted at regional sightseeing spots. ▼ The stickers are included at random so once you receive one, you may be tempted to collect them all. As for the sushi, it's pre-cut into easy-to-eat pieces that are perfect for the hungry traveller. The filling is packed with beef shigureni, a traditional simmered dish made with a sweet and savory soy sauce-based broth flavoured with ginger. The Wagyu beef is excellent, immediately elevating this above a regular beef-based meal, and the balance with the vinegared rice is fantastic. ▼ Plus, it's all wrapped up in a tasty nori seaweed from Matsusaka, adding to the quality. Both these meals made us grin with delight, not only from the delicious flavour but the sense of playfulness they provided. With music and stickers included, nobody does bento quite like Aratake, so next time you're travelling be sure to keep an eye out for them. If crab-shaped bentos are more your thing, though, then this station platform vending machine has exactly what you're looking for. Related: Aratake Ekiben Photos©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
