Top 10 Great Specialties and Local Products of Tottori for a Souvenir Gift!

Tottori Prefecture is really well known for its sand dunes, Tottori Sakyu. Being located in Chugoku area, and facing the Sea of Japan, it has many wonderful local dishes cooked with fresh seafood. Now, you may be thinking of traveling to Tottori. If so, check this list of the Top 10 Great Specialties and Local Products of Tottori for a Souvenir Gift. Get some when you visit Tottori!

“Suna Choco”

When people think about a famous attraction of Tottori, “Tottori Sakyu [sand dunes]” is the place that comes to mind. Tottori has an interesting museum, “Suna no Bijutsukan”. They exhibit sand scluptures themed on “Travel Around the World with Sand”. A momentary aesthitic beauty that can exist for a short time is the fascinating point of them.

At this place, they offer a unique product, called “Suna Choco [sand chocolate]”. You would find the chocolate crunch different. Being covered with soy bean powder, it gives you an image of sands of the sand dunes. Of course, it tastes good with its sesame flavor. There are two varieties: Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate. Popular among many generations. Perfect for a gift as a souvenir from Tottori.

“Tennyo no Nashi Kuchen”

“Panini” is a popular bakery shop that offers fresh baked homemade bread and baumkuchen. Their most popular specialty is “Tennyo no Nashi Kuhen [baumkuchen with pear compote of heavenly maiden]”, that is made with a whole pear. Tottori’s speciailty farm product, 21seiki Nashi [21st century pear] is used for it. The name is derived from a local legend story, “Hagoromo Tennyo Densetsu”, passed from generation to genaration around the area, Yurihama-cho, Tottori.

The pear-shaped baumkuchen tastes awesome with its moist cake that goes well with a nice texture of pear. This special product has won “the award of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries” at “the Central Competition of Quality Local Food Products”. Being wrapped in a cute package, it would be a perfect souvenir gift from Tottori.

“Tofu Chikuwa”

“Tofu Chikuwa (fish cake)” has been a staple local food for people in this area since Edo era. Its fishing port was not developed enough at that time and fish was very valuable. That is why “Tofu Chikuwa” made with tofu instead of fish was created. People have kept eating it when shrine festivals and wedding ceremonies were held too. “Chimura” is a traditional maker of “Tofu Chikuwa”. They have kept the special ratio of 70% of tofu to 30% of fish paste passed from Edo era.

This unique fish cake whose fluffy texture comes from tofu is a treat for Tottori people and cannot be eaten anywhere else. “Chimura” offers “Tofu Chikuwa” making experiences too, and you can eat fresh made delicious “Tofu Chikuwa”. Enjoy their traditional skills and taste when you visit to Tottori.

“Takaisami”

Local Japanese sake can be a very good gift souvenir from Tottori. There are many Japansese sake breweries in this prefecture because it has quality ingredients for sake such as natural water, “Ame no Manai”, “Fuse no Shimizu”, and good brewer’s rice, “Yamada Nishiki”, “Tamasakae”, “Gohyakuman-goku”.

Among many, there is a famous long standing sake brewery, “Otani Shuzo” that makes vary popular sake “Takaisami”. It is made from underground water of Mt. Daisen, and has a sharp aftertaste. They call it “sake of men”. Tastes refreshing with rich scent, and makes food more tasty. Pick Tottori’s sake for your souvenir gift.

“Rakuda no Ashiato”

“Pandra no Hako [Pandra box]” is Tottori’s popular cake shop that is famous for its light taste dorayaki, “Namadora (Japanese pancake sandwich with azuki bean jam and whipped cream inside),” loved by all generations. Their another specialty is sweet rusk “Rakuda no Ashiato [footprint of camel]”. It was created by imaging a camel walking in Tottori sand dunes.

The baguette specially made for rusks has a nice crispy texture and wonderful flavor, and shows a pride of “Pandra no Hako”. It is located 10-minute walk from Tottori Station. Stop by and get some for souvenir gifts when you visit Tottori!

“Suna no Oka”

“Hogetsu-do” is a long-standing Japanese confectionery shop. They have been there for 100 years keeping their traditional skills, and also keep challenging to create new modern confectioneries. Among many products, their specialty is a Japanese cookie, “Suna no Oka [sandhill]”. It has nice rich butter flavor with a new texture that smoothly melts in a month.

Its white powder sugar covering the cookie is a sugar mixture of various Japanese sugar, which reminds of sands of Tottori sand dunes. Its package that the owner designed looks cool and nice for a souvenir gift. The white package is Awa Wasanbon Flavor, and the black one is Shikano Ginger Flavor. This stylish Japanese cookie would be accepted by many generations.

“Inaba no Shiro Usagi”

“Inaba no Shiro Usagi [white rabbit of Inaba]” is one of Izumo’s myths passed around Sanin area. It is possible to say the story is Japan’s oldest love success story of Okuninush no kami and Yagami hime. This product is made being derived from the myth. It is a cute rabbit shaped baked bun with azuki bean jam inside. Made with fresh local butter and its stuffing includes Kimi An (bean jam mixed with egg yolks), and Matcha An (bean jam mixed with Matcha green tea) and both tastes modertaely sweet.

Once you eat, it gets a kind of addicitive. You would feel like eating more. The package is tied with a purple string, and the knot is considered as a lucky knot for Love Success, “Goen-musubi”. Looks really elegant. “Inaba no Shiro Usagi” is Tottori’s staple product for a souvenir gift loved by everybody. Get this must buy product.

“Oenosato Baumkuchen”

This another must buy product, very popular “Oenosato Baumkuchen” is made in a German style. They beat egg yolk and white separately and carefully finish up without using any food additives.

Especially eggs, that changes a flavor of Baumkuchen, are strictly selected. By increasing a ratio of egg yolks, a richness and umami falvor of the local eggs, Tenbi Ran, are fully extracted. “Oenosato Baumkuchen” with 20 layers is made with best selected ingredients by being baked in their kiln. One of the best specialty of Tottori.

“Rakkyo-zuke”

“Rakkyo-zuke (pickled scallions)” is also one of the specialties of Tottori. Its nice texture and refreshing taste is unspeakable. “Tottori Sakyu Rakkyo” and “Fukube Sakyu Rakkyo” are regisetered in Japan’s Geographical Indication Protection System. These products have the nice texture, of course, and a dry aftertaste. Be careful and try not to eat too much.

Rakkyo-zuke goes really well with any dishes as a refreshing garnish. Also it would be a perfect souvenir gift along with Tottori’s local sake. You should get one while you are in Tottori.

“Yōka Medama Oyaji”

Tottori is well known as a home prefecture of Japanese famous cartoonist, Shigeru Mizuki. He is a writer of “Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro” and recognized as a founder of yōkai monster cartoon. Tottori has a spooky looking sweets shop, “Yōkai Shokuhin Kenkyujo [yōkai monster food institute]” at a tourist street, “Mizuki Shigeru Road” in Sakaiminato. Its specialty that cannot be available anywhere else is “Yōka Medama Oyaji [yōkai monster confectionery uncle eyeball]”. It is produced by Tottori’s famous long standing tea and confectionery shop, “Saiun-do”.

“Yōka Medama Oyaji” is one of the Japanese confectioneries, called Jo Nama-gashi [high grade moist conectionery]. It is made with koshian (smooth azuki bean jam) mixed with crushed honey marinated chestnuts) wrapped with nerikiri (mixture of white bean jam, sticky rice flours and other ingredients). Its red and black part of an eyeball is made with yokan (azuki bean jelly). Being made by skilled confectioners, its quality is guaranteed. The impressive appearance would surprise you. It would be a great souvenir gift.

Get Great Souvenir Gifts in Tottori!

How did you like it ? This article was about the Top 10 Great Specialties and Local Products of Tottori for a Souvenir Gift! Did you find anything appealing? Tourists often don’t have enough time to buy souvenir gifts while on travel. If you want to avoid that, check the list above and make up your mind what to buy in advance.