What to eat in Yamaguchi: fugu, kawara soba and Dassai sake

With two coasts and fertile valleys, Yamaguchi eats very well. It is the home of Japan’s most famous fugu market, an unusual noodle dish cooked on a roof tile and some of the country’s best-known sake. Here is what to try.

Fugu

Fugu, or pufferfish, is Yamaguchi’s most famous food, and Shimonoseki is its capital: most of Japan’s fugu passes through the city’s market. Locals call it fuku, which sounds like the word for good fortune. The fish contains a deadly poison, so it may only be prepared by chefs with a special licence, and at licensed restaurants it is perfectly safe.

• Fugu sashi: sashimi sliced so thin that you can see the pattern of the plate through it, eaten with ponzu sauce.
• Fugu nabe: a hot pot of fugu, tofu and vegetables, finished with rice cooked in the broth.
• Karaage: deep-fried fugu, crisp outside and tender inside.
• Hirezake: hot sake poured over a grilled fugu fin.

Fugu is in season from about autumn to early spring, and at its best in winter. A full fugu course is not cheap, but it is a memorable experience.

Karato Market

On Fridays, weekends and holidays, stalls inside Karato Market in Shimonoseki sell fresh sushi, including fugu, by the piece. Pick what you like and eat it on the waterfront boardwalk, watching ships pass through the Kanmon Strait.

Kawara soba

Kawara soba is green tea soba noodles served sizzling on a hot clay roof tile, topped with sweet beef, shredded egg, seaweed, lemon and grated radish, and dipped in a warm broth. The noodles crisp up where they touch the tile. It was created at Kawatana Onsen, in the north of Shimonoseki, inspired by a story that soldiers in the 1870s cooked on roof tiles. You can find it across the prefecture.

Iwakuni-zushi

A pressed sushi from Iwakuni, made in large wooden frames with layers of vinegared rice, fish, shredded egg, lotus root and shiitake, then cut into squares. It is said to have been created for the Kikkawa lords, and is found in restaurants near Kintaikyo Bridge.

Natsumikan and sweets

Natsumikan, a large, tart summer orange from Hagi, is made into marmalade, candied peel, juice and soft-serve ice cream. Yamaguchi uiro, a soft, chewy sweet made from bracken starch and red beans, is a classic souvenir from Yamaguchi city.

Sake

Yamaguchi has become one of Japan’s most exciting sake regions. Dassai, from a brewery in the hills of Iwakuni, is famous around the world for its delicate junmai daiginjo, and breweries such as Toyo Bijin in Hagi and Gangi in Iwakuni are also highly rated. Look for local sake at izakaya, and for tastings at breweries and shops.

Tips

• For fugu, choose a licensed specialist restaurant. Ryokan in winter often offer fugu dinners too.
• Go to Karato Market early on weekends to beat the lunchtime queues.
• See the best time to visit for the fugu season.