Miyagi Food Guide: Gyutan, Zunda Mochi & Sanriku Seafood

Sendai Gyutan (Beef Tongue)

Sendai invented Japan's thick-cut grilled beef tongue culture. Served over barley rice with tail soup, it is the city's most iconic meal.

Zunda Mochi

Rice cakes topped with sweet paste made from mashed edamame beans. The vivid green colour and fresh flavour make it Sendai's most beloved souvenir sweet.

Sanriku Seafood

Oysters, scallops, wakame seaweed and saury from the Sanriku coast are outstanding. Miyagi is one of Japan's top oyster producing regions.

Sendai Miso

A rich, deeply flavoured miso brewed in Sendai for over 300 years — the backbone of local soup and cooking.

Harako Meshi

Salmon and ikura (salmon roe) served over rice cooked in salmon broth — a beloved autumn harvest dish from Miyagi.

Access

Gyutan restaurants and specialty shops are concentrated near Sendai Station. Ishinomaki and Kesennuma are excellent bases for fresh Sanriku seafood.