Eating Kyūshū: a guide to Japan's secret foodie hotspot
21.07.2023 - 08:25
/ roughguides.com
Kyūshū, the most southerly of Japan’s four main islands, is pretty much left alone by tourists. Yet, the island – only a bullet-train ride from Tokyo – is one of the country’s culinary hotspots. Proximity to mainland Asia and historical legacies from trade with the British, Dutch and Portuguese has led to a fusion of styles. You can see this in the Chinese- and Korean-inspired ramen soups, Nagasaki’s famous castella cakes and the Fukuoka-style yakiudon noodles, which are typically served with a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
Delicious food is everywhere – from the cheap and cheerful street food of Fukuoka to the high-end sushi restaurant. Here are the foodie experiences worth making a detour to Kyūshū for:
The clear waters around Kyūshū yield an abundance of seafood. There’s Takezaki Crab and super-tender squid, mounds of fat tiger prawns and fugu, Japan’s deadly pufferfish – a popular sushi delicacy. Famous seafood dishes include ikizukuri, a live-squid sashimi typical of Yobuko in Saga – don’t try this if you’re squeamish.
What fresher way to try seafood than in its sushi form. Sushi no Jirocho in Kurume is one of the best sushi restaurants on the island. Here, you’ll sit at the counter and watch chef Ryoji Katsuno preparing immaculate plates. In a silvery flash of his knife, Katsuno presents a steady stream of sashimi: highest-quality “fatty” tuna, tender squid and grilled seabass follow fugu, oysters and the ever-popular horse mackerel. Katsuno then impresses with a selection of miniature matchbox sushi.
Japanese Fugu Sashimi (Puffer Fish) © HikoPhotography/Shutterstock
At the source of a river in Asakurashi, southern Fukuoka, an unassuming weed grows in abundance. This is the rare suizenji nori (kawatake) river weed and it’s believed to only grow in this metres-long stretch of clear volcanic spring water. The Endo Kawatake plantation, which harvests the weed here, sells a single sheet of nori for around ¥10,000. It is also prized as an anti-inflammatory beauty product.
Kuzu root starch is another expensive Kyūshū delicacy, known for its healing benefits. It’s served in jelly form with a sweet sauce or as noodles in soups. The country’s largest producer is Hirohachido, a family-run business based in Kagoshima Bay, in southern Kyūshū. Visit the 200-year-old Hirokyukuzu Honpo store in Akizuki.
Look out for kuzu noodles or fronds of suizenji nori in your miso soup at upmarket restaurants across Kyūshū.
Wagyu (beef) is one of Japan’s most famous exports and regularly features on world’s-most-expensive-food lists. Myth has it that wagyu cows are raised like emperors, fed beer and massaged to produce the intense marbling that creates an exceptionally tender, almost creamy, texture.
Kyūshū is home to one of the