Autumn (秋) in Japan lets us enjoy the beautiful moon at night and eat moon dumplings. It’s getting colder, trees in the cities and mountains turn red and yellow.
Seasonal food is an important aspect of Japanese culture, as a result of the popularity of different products with seasonal taste or “seasonal menu”. Speaking of which, we decided to make a top list of Japanese fall cuisine.
1. Kuri (Chestnuts) 栗
Probably the most popular among Japanese would be chestnut. Traditionally there are a lot of recipes with chestnuts but recently many restaurants and grocery stores sell “seasonal limited” sweets with chestnut taste such as Mont Blanc cookies, chocolate, and desserts. There are small kiosks selling Roasted Chestnuts on the streets in many towns. Sweets with Kuri have become more famous than other food with chestnut.
Kuri Gohan is Japanese rice with chestnuts which symbolizes autumn in Japan. Because the cooked chestnut looks like yellow leaves on the rice, which reminds of autumn. Kurigohan has a hit of sweet taste because of chestnuts which make it unique.
2. Yaki Imo (Roasted Sweet potato) 焼き芋
Yaki Imo is probably the most popular and beloved Japanese snack in autumn. Yellow inside and purple outside, Yaki Imo is a roasted sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are sold as caramelized snacks with sesame on the top or as simply roasted potatoes in paper bags. It’s likely to see Yaki Imo mobile tracks driving around the towns and play the song “Yaki Imo” to get more people to buy the sweet potato. It’s very easy to find by following the sweet smell of potato from the track.
Caramelized sweet is usually sold as potato snacks in food stalls at Matsuri along with Yakisoba and Takoyaki. Yaki Imo can be also found in big grocery stores, specialized station kiosks and some convenience stores in autumn.
3. Kabocha (Pumpkin) かぼちゃ
Pumpkin associates with Halloween, but Kabocha associated with autumn in Japan. Japanese Kabocha has green skin and orange flesh. Kabocha is more similar to winter squash rather than pumpkin. There are a lot of food with Kabocha in Japan. Kabocha is added to bento (lunch box) nabe (hot pot dishes) and nimono (stewed food) in Japan. The most popular autumn sweet with Kabocha would be Kabocha pudding which can be found in any convenience store around Japan.
4. Kaki (Persimmon) 柿
There are many things in Japan called “Kaki”, and persimmon would be one of them. Kaki is also one of the most popular fall fruits in Japan. You will never find astringent persimmon in Japan, it would be always sweet and easy to eat.
Many people prefer to eat persimmon without the peel. Persimmons are also sold as souvenirs (Omiyage) in boxes. Fruits picking tours are very popular in Japan; there are seasonal picking tours for Kaki in the autumn. In old fashion style, persimmon is also eaten as a dry fruit in Japan.
5. Fish and Seafood
Salmon (鮭) and Sanma (秋刀魚) are the most strongly associated with autumn in Japan. The fish is the best to eat in the autumn because its fat content is high, which is more healthy. Fish is served in different ways in Japan; Salmon is served as sashimi, o-don, Ochazuke or grilled whole with salt.
Sanma can be served as sushi, sashimi or simply grilled with salt and served with daikon radishes and soy sauce (Sanma no Shioyaki), or lime juice. It is often used in BBQs. If you live and work in Tokyo, you should visit Meguro Sanma Festival in September.
This is only the list of 5 top autumn foods in Japan. There are other popular fall foods in Japan but we will talk about it next time.
We hope you enjoy the Seasonal food this autumn in Japan. To make your autumn season memorable, you should visit parks popular for Momiji (紅葉) and try one of Japanese fall foods.