Tohoku
Kiritanpo: rice skewers, broth-soaked.
kiritanpo
Kiritanpo, skewered and grilled rice sticks, represents Tohoku's adaptation to its cold climate and focus on hearty, warming foods.
View page →Tohoku is the cold, rural northeast of Honshu, prime rice and sake country, and its cooking leans on fermentation and warming hot pots. The Akita signature is kiritanpo: pounded rice molded onto cedar skewers, toasted, then simmered in a chicken broth with vegetables. Sendai is known for gyutan, thick-sliced grilled beef tongue served with barley rice and oxtail soup, and the region eats a lot of natto, the sticky fermented soybeans, along with miso. Iwate's party dish is wanko soba, small bowls of buckwheat noodles refilled until you tap out. A local sweet, zunda, is a bright-green paste of mashed young edamame, used on rice cakes (mochi).
The Palate
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The rice sticks in Kiritanpo Nabe absorb flavors deeply, making each bite a savory delight.
Why start here · This dish embodies Tohoku's embrace of hearty, warming meals.
The natto and miso combination in ramen introduces a unique texture and depth of flavor.
Why start here · It showcases Tohoku's use of fermentation and umami-rich ingredients.
Grilled to perfection, Sendai Gyutan is tender and full of smoky flavor.
Why start here · This dish highlights the region's skill in grilling and flavor balance.
The Pantry
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Herbs & Spices
How They Cook
Techniques that define this cuisine
Kindred Kitchens
Cuisines built on the same signature ingredients
Other regions
Siblings within Japanese — each its own tradition.
