Aichi Food Guide: Nagoya Meshi, Miso Katsu & Hitsumabushi

Aichi Prefecture is home to a unique food culture known as "Nagoya Meshi" — a collection of bold, distinctive local dishes including miso katsu, hitsumabushi, and chicken wings. These richly flavored, one-of-a-kind dishes are rooted in the tradition of soybean miso, hatcho miso above all, and leave a lasting impression on everyone who tries them. A visit to Nagoya means immersing yourself in a culinary world unlike anywhere else in Japan.

Miso Katsu — Deep, Savory Perfection

Miso katsu is one of Nagoya's most iconic local dishes. A crispy, freshly fried pork cutlet is topped generously with a rich, sweet-savory sauce based on soybean miso such as hatcho miso. The deep umami of the soybean miso pairs perfectly with the crunchy cutlet, making every bite incredibly satisfying with rice. It is also commonly served on skewers as "miso katsu kushi," a favorite at izakaya. While it may look indulgent at first glance, the combination of savory miso glaze and golden-fried pork is truly harmonious — a dish beloved as the very emblem of the bold, hearty character of Nagoya Meshi.

Hitsumabushi — Three Ways to Enjoy Eel

Hitsumabushi is Nagoya's celebrated eel dish. Finely chopped grilled eel (kabayaki) is placed over rice in a wooden serving tub called an ohitsu, and the dish is enjoyed in three distinct ways. First, eat it as it comes; next, add condiments such as green onion, wasabi, and seaweed; and finally, pour dashi broth or tea over the rice for an ochazuke-style finish — a luxurious way of eating in which the flavor changes again and again within a single serving. The pairing of fragrantly grilled eel with plump, fluffy rice is exceptional. It is a dish well worth trying when you visit Nagoya.

A Diverse Lineup of Nagoya Meshi

Aichi has plenty of other appealing Nagoya Meshi. Tebasaki chicken wings, with their sweet-savory glaze and a good hit of pepper, are the ultimate companion to a beer. Kishimen, a Nagoya specialty defined by its flat noodles, is classically served in a broth made with tamari soy sauce and garnished with fried tofu and dried bonito flakes, offering a wonderfully smooth slurp. Unique menu items like ankake spaghetti and ogura toast are also distinctly Nagoya. The coffee shop "morning" culture is firmly rooted here too, and the service of getting toast and an egg thrown in with a single cup of coffee never fails to surprise visitors. It is a food culture full of individuality.

Miso Nikomi Udon — A Winter Standard

Alongside kishimen, Aichi's other representative noodle dish is miso nikomi udon. Firm, chewy udon is simmered in a hatcho miso broth and served in the earthenware pot it was cooked in. Hatcho miso is a soybean miso that originated in Hatcho Village — present-day Hatcho-cho, Okazaki City — located eight cho (about 870 m) from Okazaki Castle, the residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Made almost entirely from soybeans and fermented and matured over a long period, it is characterized by its rich flavor and deep color. As with houtou noodles, the udon is made from only wheat flour and water, with no salt. Because no salt is added, the noodles do not soften easily even when simmered, and they keep a firm bite. Originally a home-cooked dish, it is said to have been served at an eatery in Ichinomiya City by the Meiji era, after which it came to be widely eaten in and around Nagoya City. The ingredients vary by shop and by household, but fried tofu, chicken, kamaboko fish cake, and green onion are common, with an egg cracked in at the end as the standard finish. The sound of the earthenware pot arriving still bubbling away, and the aroma of soybean miso that rises the moment you lift the lid, are the greatest of treats in the cold season. It is enjoyed in the depths of winter, of course, but also all year round.

Miso Dengaku and Nameshi Dengaku

Miso dengaku, tofu skewered, topped with miso, and grilled, is another flavor long rooted in Aichi. Around the middle of the Heian period, farming villages had a custom of dancing in the paddies to the beat of drums at times such as the rice-planting season, known as dengaku mai. The dengaku hoshi who made a living from these performances would dance on a single pole wearing white hakama and a colored jacket, and because that figure resembled the dish of white tofu topped with miso and grilled on a skewer, the dish came to be called "dengaku." Aichi's miso dengaku has regional variations: in the Mikawa region, nameshi dengaku, which pairs herb rice with dengaku, is the local specialty. Shops in the post towns along the Tokaido highway in the Edo period also made it their signature dish. In the Owari region there is fu dengaku, made by deep-frying raw wheat gluten and spreading red miso on it. In earlier times it was a winter dish for warming the body, but once it came to be garnished with kinome (young sansho leaves) it grew popular as a dish announcing the arrival of spring. The moment the miso bubbles over the charcoal fire and the fragrant scent of it charring rises is irresistible.

Oni Manju — A Humble Sweet Snack

Oni manju, enjoyed throughout the prefecture with Nagoya City at its center, is a simple steamed confection made by mixing sweet potato cut into one-centimeter cubes into a batter of wheat flour and sugar. During the food shortages of the war and postwar years, it was made from sweet potato and wheat flour, which were relatively easy to obtain, and it spread as a staple food in place of rice. The name is said to come from the way the corners of the cubed sweet potato jut out roughly, calling to mind the horns and iron clubs of oni (ogres). Depending on the area it goes by various names, including imo uiro, imo man, and imo manju. Later, during the era of rapid economic growth, it was valued as a cheap, filling snack for farming households, and it became firmly established. It is most often made in autumn, the sweet potato harvest season, but since it is on the shelves of practically every Japanese confectionery shop, it can be enjoyed year round. Its appeal lies in the contrast between the chewy batter and the fluffy, sweet texture of the sweet potato.

Best Season and Access

Nagoya Meshi can be enjoyed all year round, but hitsumabushi eel is especially popular during the midsummer doyo period. For access, many famous establishments cluster around Nagoya Station, where the JR, Meitetsu, and subway lines converge, and well-known shops are also scattered throughout the Sakae area. Access by Shinkansen is excellent as well. Combining a food-hopping tour with visits to Aichi's landmarks such as Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Jingu is recommended. Do come and savor the many rich, distinctive dishes of Nagoya Meshi at the source.

Access and Tips

Nagoya is easily accessible via the Tokaido Shinkansen, with the journey from Tokyo taking approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, and from Osaka about 50 minutes. The city's subway system and Meitetsu railway network make it easy to explore the many gourmet districts. The areas around Nagoya Station, Sakae, and Osu Kannon are particularly well-known for their concentration of Nagoya Meshi restaurants. Lunch is often more affordable than dinner, and many establishments offer set meals (teishoku) that let you sample multiple dishes at once.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• The foundation of the food culture: The base of Aichi's flavors is its brewing culture of miso, soy sauce and mirin. Aichi's mame-miso (soybean miso) has the character of "tasting better the longer it is simmered," which makes it ideal for simmered dishes
• Signature dishes made with mame-miso: miso nikomi udon, miso oden, miso katsu, and nameshi dengaku
• Specialties listed by the official Aichi Prefecture site: kishimen, hitsumabushi, tenmusu, and miso nikomi
• Kishimen: characterized by flat noodles served with a broth made using tamari soy sauce
• Season and timing: Nagoya-meshi can be enjoyed all year round. Hitsumabushi (grilled eel) draws particular popularity around the midsummer Day of the Ox (Doyo no Ushi no Hi)
• Main areas where it is served: The area around Nagoya Station, where the JR, Meitetsu and subway lines converge, and the Sakae area
• Note on allergies: Miso and miso-based sauces usually contain soybeans and wheat; kishimen, ankake spaghetti and ogura toast contain wheat; and the morning sets served at coffee shops often contain egg. Please take care if you have any of these allergies

* Opening hours and prices at individual restaurants vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: Aichi Prefecture official tourism website "Aichi Now")