This is the Local Specialty of Gifu prefecture! The Best 10 Local Gourmet!

Gifu prefecture holds various sightseeing spots including Shirakawago, old townscape of Takayama city, historical spots, hot springs resorts represented by Gero Onsen. Gifu prefecture is very popular for sightseeing. Let’s walk through the 10 must-have local gourmet on your visit to Gifu. Do not miss any of them!

Traditional Local Cuisine in Gifu, Keichan

The local dish preserved among the mountains in Gifu. Keichan is stir-fried seasonal vegetables like cabbage and onions and chicken pickled with the special sauce of miso, salt and soy sauce. Its taste goes perfectly with cooked rice and alcoholic drinks.It received the award at the Hokuriku B-1 Grand-prix in 2017. It can be arranged to Nabeyaki Udon noodles, the fried, the boiled or the boiled rice with tea, which does show that it has been familiar with the local people.

“Tsugi-jiru” is a clean soup made from the Dashi stock of kelp, dried sardines, dried Shiitake mushroom. It has a deep flavor brought by simple ingredients and a fine spiciness. “Tsugi-jiru” is definitely one of the attractions here besides Keichan. Daily bento lunch box is also popular. You can have five cereals rice and Tsugi-jiru as much as you like. Highly recommended!

Famous in Gifu! Japan’s Top Brand Beef, Hida-gyu

“Hida-gyu” has a beautiful and fine marbles and melty soft texture with rich flavor. It has received the Japan’s top rank by the National Wagyu Registry Association. In rich nature of Gifu, called as Sanshi Suimei (beautiful scenery), the premium Waghu is safely and carefully bred, which cannot be missed.

Its outstanding taste comes from the original steak sauce of “Moromi soy sauce” cooked with shank of Hida-gyu, rich amount of pot herbs and beef stock. It also has the shop next door, where you can buy the products with Hida-gyu for souvenirs. “Gohan ni Kakeru Hida-gyu Hamberg” is the popular product introduced on the TV program.

Enjoy Unique Taste of Each Restaurant. The Regular Local Gourmet of Gifu, Nakatsugawa Tori Toma Don

“Nakatsugawa Tori Toma Don” is the local specialty of Nakatsugawa, cooked with Ena-dori chicken and tomatoes produced in Nakatsugawa. Chicken bred in Nakatsugawa is low on fat and soft, which goes well with any kinds of food. It has the rule to be defined officially that it has to be cooked with local chicken and tomatoes with as much local ingredients as possible served for under 1000 yen.On the other hand, there is no limitation on the way of cooking, which allows each restaurant to create a unique bowl. There are now around 20 different styles. This is definitely one of the must-have dish in Gifu.

“Tori Toma Don” at Suehiro is seasoned with Unagi sauce preserved from the establishment, showing its long history as an eel cuisine restaurant. The sweet and spicy sauce goes well with the sourness of tomatoes. You can enjoy changing tastes adding Ajime pepper or Sansho pepper.

Born in Gifu, Authentic Kakamigahara Kimchi

“Kakamigahara Kimchi” was born as the part of the exchanges between sister cities; Kakamigahara city and Chuncheon city in Korea. It is made with carrots produced in Kakamigahara and pine nuts from Chuncheon city. Kakamigahara Kimchi pot has received the bronze Grand-prix at the B1 Grand-prix, which is one one the local gourmet representing Gifu.

The pot is cooked with more than 10 different ingredients including Ramen noodles, zucchini, chorizo, beef, glass noodles, which has a unique taste thick, deep and mild. You must get addicted to it. While waiting for the pot served, enjoy 7 kinds of side dishes. Do not miss fried rice to wrap up your pot meal. Salted offals are also one of the signature dishes here.

Enjoy the Home Cooking in the Hida region of Gifu! Tsukemono Steak

“Tsukemono Steak (pickles steak)” is one of the regular home cooking dishes, wrapping stir-fried pickled Chinese cabbages produced in the Hida region with eggs. It is regularly served as a side dish for drinking at the local Japanese-style pubs. It is said that it originally started when people stir-fried cold pickles to eat it warm.

“Tsukemono Steak” is definitely the one popular here. You can order additional toppings on it such as the famous Hida-gyu, expensive red seabream, mushrooms and butter in autumn. Why don’t you create your own Tsukemono Steak?

Local Miso in Gujo as the Secret Ingredients! Popular Gourmet in Gifu, Okumino Currey

There are 3 rules for “Okumino Currey”; “Use the local Miso in Gujo, locally familiar in the area for a long time”, ” Use the local ingredients to promote them” and “Make curry with love every day to express the warmth of the local in Gujo”. There are more than 70 different styles of dishes available in 25 restaurants in the city.This is the very local curry cooked with Hida-gyu, Okumino local chicken, Mino Healthy pork, local vegetables, and the secret ingredient, Miso of Gujo.

First taste each currey, then mix the both, which gives you 3 different kinds of curry at once! There are other popular dishes such as “Marumanma Onion & Mushroom Curry” served with a whole onion, and “Keichan Don” served with the local specialty “Keichan” and currey. Worth visiting!

New Local Gourmet Born from 1000-year History in Gifu, Seki Ayu Don

“Oze Ukai” is the traditional fishing method succeeded over 1000 years in this area. The scenery where Usho fishermen catch ayu by a cormorant is one of the features of Nagaragawa River.The definition of “Seki Ayu Don” is “rice bowl with locally caught ayu fish”, which is rather simple.There are a variety of collaborated dishes such as brown sauce deep-fried ayu, Miso deep-fried ayu, the sweetened and boiled ayu, pickled sashimi, Dengaku of dried ayu overnight. It is the very local rice bowl as well as salted and grilled ayu fish and “Seki Ayu Tessa”, sashimi of ayu.

The presentation is just photogenic, which is the massive volume of rice, cabbages and two of freshly fried big ayu. It is too big to put a lid on it. This is the must-have local dish stimulating your appetite with the original sauce. Visit here to experience it.

The Classic Spicy Yakisoba with Half-boiled Egg, Taji Miso Yakisoba

“Taji Miso Yakisoba” is stir-fried noodles with spicy Miso and a half-boiled egg. There is the strict definition besides it, so each restaurant has created a unique “Taji Miso Yakisoba” with different cooking styles and presentations.You will find it that shop masters in Tajimi are all friendly and open. You can enjoy conversations with the local people on your gourmet trip.

Taji Miso Yakisoba at “Kamiya” is cooked with handmade special Miso, green onions, and chicken, served in a plate, Oribe ware, which has been preserved from the Azuchi-Momoyama period, when Oda Nobunaga governed this area. Do not miss it.

Traditional Local Specialty in Gifu, Gohei Mochi

Gohei Mochi is the local dish preserved in Gifu for a long time, which it is said that began with a light meal mountain workers had for a break putting cooked rice around a stick to grill it and having it with Miso. The shapes are various like a straw sandal, round, which depends on each area. You can enjoy different dipping sauce from each area such as Miso, soy sauce, walnut and sesame sauce and so on.

Especially, “Gohei Mochi” in “Magome”, which was the post-town on the Nakasendo road connecting Edo Nihonbashi and Kyoto, was just outstanding. You can enjoy it with nostalgic townscape with stone-made street, which cannot be missed.”Kanameya” is located in that area, which offers 2 styles; a straw sandal-shape and round, of Gohei Mochi with 5 different dipping sauces; walnut, sesami, peanuts, soy sauce and sugar. You can explore different tastes. Good for souvenir too.

Winter Gourmet in Gifu! Botan Nabe

“Shishi Nabe” is the local specialty in Gifu in winter. From the presentation to put sliced wild boar meat like Botan flower (peony), it is also called as “Botan Nabe”. It is a pot meal cooked with Miso. It is a classic way to have it with raw eggs after boiling with white and red Miso and powdered Japanese pepper. The meat of wild boar gets softer by boiling it, with low-fat, low-calorie and high collagen, which attracts female customers.

On the “Tarumi Railway” connecting Ogaki and Tarumi, “Shishi Nabe Train” is operated for the limited season. You can enjoy Shishi Nabe and other seasonal dishes on the ride on the local train. The ticket includes the admission for Usuzumi Onsen in Tarumi. It must be perfect to heal yourself in a hot spring after enjoying the delicious Botan Nabe.Tarumi Railway operates a variety of event trains in each season, such as Ume Bonten Train in spring, Yakuso Train in the early summer and autumn, which serves a special lunch box! Highly recommended!

Enjoy the Amazing Local Gourmet in Gifu!

Here is the 10 must-have local gourmet in Gifu when you visit Gifu for sightseeing. Has anything caught your eyes? There are more local dishes to enjoy here in Gifu. Visit and explore its outstanding gourmet in Gifu!