Ehime Food Guide: Tai-meshi, Jyako-ten & Citrus Sweets

Tai-meshi — Two Styles

Ehime has two kinds of tai-meshi. The Uwajima style is a fisherman's dish in which raw sea bream sashimi is placed on rice together with a beaten egg sauce thinned with dashi, while the Matsuyama style is an elegant rice dish cooked with a whole sea bream. Because the two "tai-meshi" taste completely different, tasting and comparing both is one of the pleasures of a trip to Ehime. In the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "100-Year Food" programme, both "Uwajima tai-meshi" and the cooked-in-the-pot "Hojo tai-meshi" handed down in the Hojo district of Matsuyama City were certified together in fiscal 2021.

Jyako-ten (Fish Cake)

Ehime's speciality fish paste product, made by deep-frying the ground paste of small fish. It is widely enjoyed on its own or as a topping for udon. Because the fish are ground bones and all, it is rich in calcium, and it concentrates a fragrant savour and the umami of the fish. It is said that in 1615 Date Hidemune (the eldest son of Date Masamune), who became the first lord of the Uwajima domain, invited kamaboko craftsmen from Sendai, and the techniques of making fish paste products were thereby transmitted to Uwajima. Jyako-ten itself is said to have been created around the late Edo period, and in the Nanyo region small fish such as "hotarujako" (known locally as haranbo) are used. Because the miscellaneous small fish ("zako") caught in bottom trawls are used whole, skin, bones and all, it was called "zako-ten," and this is said to have shifted to "jyako-ten." It is best eaten straight from the fryer with grated daikon and soy sauce.

Ehime, Kingdom of Citrus

Ehime is one of Japan's foremost producing areas. According to Ehime Prefecture's statistics, the total citrus harvest for the 2022 crop year was about 189,000 tonnes, second in Japan; of that, mid- and late-season citrus such as Beni Madonna, Kanpei and Setoka accounted for about 79,000 tonnes, first in Japan. The harvest of satsuma mandarins also ranks second nationally. The number of citrus varieties grown reaches 42, the largest in the country. A year-round supply system passes the baton from autumn satsuma mandarins to iyokan, kanpei, setoka and Kawachi bankan, so seasonal citrus can be enjoyed throughout the year. There are also facilities where mandarin juice comes out of a tap, and a wide range of citrus sweets.

Iyo-beef & Hime-ko Jidori

Ehime's branded beef and native chicken. Raised in rich natural surroundings, these ingredients let you enjoy local flavours in yakiniku and other dishes. Savour the finely marbled Iyo beef and the firm-textured Hime-ko jidori chicken, each with its own umami.

Satsuma (Iyo Satsuma)

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Our Local Cuisine" project, "satsuma" is a local dish handed down throughout the Nanyo region, including Yawatahama City. Grilled white fish is flaked, ground in a mortar together with barley miso, then lightly toasted until fragrant, thinned with a dashi made from the bones and poured over hot barley rice. The garnishes are finely sliced spring onion, lightly seasoned konnyaku cut into strips, and finely chopped mandarin peel. The soft fragrance of citrus peel is a very Ehime touch. Barley rice was once widely eaten in Uwajima City and Ainan Town, and the dish is said to have been devised as a way of making the somewhat dry barley rice good to eat; it is also known as "Iyo satsuma." There are various theories about the name — that it was transmitted from Satsuma Province (Kagoshima Prefecture); that the rice, cut with a cross so the broth soaks in, resembles the crest of the Shimazu family; or that it comes from "sazuma," meaning a husband helping his wife — and none is certain. Because it takes effort, it is less often made at home now, and today it is mainly eaten at local-cuisine restaurants. Smooth on the throat, it is a dish that goes down easily even in summer when the appetite fades.

Matsuyama-zushi

"Matsuyama-zushi" is the scattered sushi handed down in the Matsuyama area. Vinegared rice is made with a dashi taken from small Seto Inland Sea fish such as lizardfish and gobies, and with a slightly sweet vinegar; chopped conger eel and seasonal vegetables are mixed in, and shredded egg and seafood are scattered colourfully on top. It is also called "moburi-zushi" because "moburu" is the Matsuyama dialect word for mixing. In 1892, when Natsume Soseki first visited Matsuyama and called at the house of Masaoka Shiki, it was this Matsuyama-zushi with which Shiki's mother Yae entertained him, and it is said that Soseki ate it without spilling a single grain. Shiki too composed the line "I love the sushi of my Yoshu, of Matsuyama." Handed down as a feast for celebrations and for guests, it was the subject of a revival effort by the Matsuyama City Fisheries Market Management Council in 2006, and a poem monument entitled "Small Fish of the Seto, Matsuyama-zushi" has been erected in front of the market.

Imotaki, Senzanki and Imabari Yakitori

The event dish that represents autumn in Ehime is "imotaki." Said to have originated in Ozu City, it is a hotpot in which chicken, taro, konnyaku, shiitake and other ingredients are simmered in a large pot, and it has spread throughout the prefecture. In the Toyo region (mainly around Imabari City), where chicken dishes flourish, there is "senzanki," deep-fried chicken. "Imabari yakitori," another Imabari speciality, is characterised by grilling unskewered chicken skin on an iron plate and pressing it down with a small flat iron weight to finish. That the food cultures of the Toyo, Chuyo and Nanyo regions are so clearly different is part of what makes a food trip in Ehime interesting.

Local Sweets of Matsuyama and Dogo

"Botchan dango," known as the signature souvenir of Dogo Onsen, and "roken manto," a steamed bread confection long enjoyed by the people of Matsuyama, are also popular. Their simple sweetness, nibbled after a bath, evokes the mood of travel.

And there is one more confection that represents Matsuyama City: "taruto." In Ehime, "taruto" does not mean a Western-style tart but a wagashi in the shape of a roll cake, with bean paste rolled up in castella sponge. Cut into slices, a spiral pattern appears in the cross-section, and it is a standard gift item.

Dogo Senbei

A delicate, thin cracker from Dogo Onsen — one of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts.

Best Season

November to February, when mandarins and other citrus come into season, is especially recommended. Sea bream is at its best in spring, before spawning.

Access Information

There are many local-cuisine restaurants in Matsuyama City and around Dogo Onsen. Uwajima tai-meshi is best at eating places in Uwajima City. For mandarins, farm stands in the producing areas are recommended during the season from November to February.

Practical Information

• Citrus statistics: According to Ehime Prefecture's official website, the citrus harvest for the 2022 crop year was about 189,000 tonnes, second in Japan; of that, mid- and late-season citrus accounted for about 79,000 tonnes, first in Japan. The 42 varieties grown are the most in the country, and a year-round supply system passes the baton from autumn satsuma mandarins to spring mid- and late-season citrus
• Sea bream: According to Ehime Prefecture's official website, the farmed red sea bream harvest was about 37,393 tonnes in 2023, first in Japan
• 100-Year Food: In the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "100-Year Food" programme, "Uwajima tai-meshi" and "Hojo tai-meshi" were certified in fiscal 2021 (that same year "igisu-dofu," "Tsushima no roppo" and "Mitsuhama-yaki" were also certified)
• Main areas where these are served: Uwajima tai-meshi in Uwajima City; the cooked-in-the-pot Hojo tai-meshi in the Hojo district of Matsuyama City. Jyako-ten is centred on the Nanyo region, in Uwajima, Yawatahama and elsewhere
• Note on raw fish and raw egg: Uwajima tai-meshi uses raw sea bream sashimi and raw egg. Because raw fish carries a risk of Anisakis and raw egg a risk of salmonella, small children, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone concerned about their health should choose a cooked version such as the pot-cooked tai-meshi
• Note on allergies: Fish paste products such as jyako-ten are made from fish, and depending on the product, shrimp or crab may be mixed in. Anyone with a seafood allergy should check the list of ingredients

*Opening hours and prices at individual shops vary from establishment to establishment.*

*(Sources: Ehime Prefecture official website, "Special Products of Ehime Prefecture" and "Citrus Statistics"; Agency for Cultural Affairs, "100-Year Food" list for Ehime Prefecture; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)*