food culture

Traditional Nakatsu Conger Eel Cuisine

 

Kusu-machi is a town in a basin surrounded by tableland with large variations in temperature between morning and evening. Nakatsu has open fields looking out onto the sea and is connected to Kusu-machi by the vast ravine known as
Yabakei. The rain which falls in the forest of Yabakei, enveloped in a dense, wet fog, soaks up the life force of the trees and is filtered by the earth before gathering in Yamakuni River and pouring into the Nakatsu Tidal Flats—the largest of its kind on the Seto Inland Sea. The highly varied terrain here, with basins, ravines, open fields, and tidal flats, created an abundant food culture. The road which Murakami Dencho opened up during the Meiji period connects the two castle towns of Kusu and Nakatsu, and the coming and going of people on this road brought prosperity to the circulation of food as well. A Yabakei Sightseeing journey allows the traveler to enjoy a variety of cuisine from the mountains, rivers, and sea.

 

Bungo Wagyu Steak and Rice Bowl

 

Kusu-machi, which was Bungo-no-Kuni in ancient times, is one of the largest producing areas of Oita Bungo Wagyu beef. Selective breeding has been performed in the area since the Taisho period to the extent that people now say that “beef in Bungo started in Kusu.” In particular, the Itofuku-go of Kusu-machi is responsible for spreading the name of Oita Bungo Wagyu throughout the country. The meat boasts a fine-grained marbling and a sweet, mild flavor.

Kusu’s Rice With a Focus on Kakeboshi Drying

 

Kusu-machi is a rice producing area. Rice here is raised in a climate with intensely varying temperatures, fertile red clay, and an abundance of spring water, and a focus on kakeboshi (hang-drying) brings out the umami of the rice. It is quite sticky with a chewy texture. It has a characteristically strong sweetness and, due to its great flavor, is even served on the JR Kyushu cruise train Seven Stars in Kyushu.

 

Yabakei’s Wild Game

Yabakei’s Wild Game

 

One hears the term “wild game” more and more recently. Travelers to Yabakei have been enjoying the flavors of wild game from times of old. It is said that the man who named Yabakei, Rai Sanyo, greatly enjoyed the boar stew he was served there and drank together with others atop a giant rock. The meat of boars and deer is full of a rustic umami and can be enjoyed as sashimi or in a variety of other ways, including as grilled meat, boar stew, curry, and croquettes.

 

Chicken Sashimi and Tataki

Momiji (Boiled Chicken Feet)

 

Oita Prefecture is famous for its chicken. Nakatsu Kara-age, famous around the country, is a great choice, but the undisputed local recommendations are sashimi and tataki. The yuzu citrus pepper paste used as a a condiment brings out the umami of the chicken. One particularly great delicacy eaten in Kusu-machi is momiji. This dish is made from chicken feet and gets its name from the fact that chicken feet look like momiji (Japanese maple) leaves. The appearance of the dish may be surprising, but these sweet and salty boiled chicken feet have a chewy texture and strong umami flavor and are well-loved as a snack or as a dish to be enjoyed with alcohol.

 

Yabakei Soft-Shell Turtle Cuisine

 

The Yabakei hot springs well up in abundance from Nakatsu to Kusu. Soft-shell turtles are raised in Yabakei using fairly lukewarm water. These turtles raised in hot springs with beautiful skin have no bad smell and are served up for guests piled high on large plates as sashimi. After enjoying the meat with jiggly collagen which melts in your mouth from a warm hot pot, the meal is finished off with a rice gruel made from the remaining soup. Relish every last drop of soft-shell turtle flavor.

 

Yabakei Soba

 

The soba handed down by the defeated soldiers of the Heike Family who managed to run away has long been loved by travelers to Yabakei. The feudal lords from Kusu who visited Rakanji Temple are also said to have enjoyed soba while looking out on the view of Yabakei from Shigetsuan. During the season of fresh buckwheat, the soba using 100% buckwheat flour is highly recommended. After enjoying the aroma of the soba, try your first bite without any flavoring so that you may enjoy the flavors of the buckwheat flour. In doing so, you will be able to enjoy the rich soba flavor which fills your mouth. Get a soba manju steamed at the storefront as a souvenir. Flowers bloom in the buckwheat fields twice per year in early summer and early fall, and the fields dyed pure white with flours are certainly a sight to behold.

 

Japanese Yam Tempura

 

This round clump reminiscent of the masses of rock in Yabakei is Japanese yam tempura. Inserting your chopsticks into the delicacy will reveal a strong and springy elasticity. Steam gently rises from the tempura when the clump is broken open. Using the powerful viscosity of the Japanese yam grated with the skin on, this Japanese yam tempura is balled up and fried in oil as-is and served with piping hot tempura dipping sauce. These yams are a precious blessing of the Earth tracked down by expert Japanese yam pickers. This fall delicacy, which can only be enjoyed in the Yabakei region, is a hidden specialty of Yabakei only available in a select few shops.

 

Conger Eel Bone Cutting

Fresh Conger Eel Nigiri Sushi

Conger Eel Shabu-Shabu Hotpot

 

The sea of Nakatsu, into which water full of minerals from the forests of Yabakei flows, is a treasure trove of delicious seafood. Thanks to the road created by Murakami Dencho, one can still find fish procured from Nakatsu in the fish shops of Kusu-machi even today. Of particular note among the delicious fish of Nakatsu is the region’s conger eel cuisine. Conger eel is often associated with summer, but it can be enjoyed year-round in Nakatsu and has been well-loved there from times of old as a common fish. The technique for finely and thinly chopping up the bones is actually said to have been passed down to Kyoto from Nakatsu. Conger eel shabu-shabu hotpot is a dish which allows one to enjoy the truly delicious flavors of the conger eel. The umami of the oil which slowly seeps out from the pure white meat that rolls up around and around after being dipped in the hot water is irresistible. What’s more, in Nakatsu, where fresh conger eel is readily available, one can enjoy conger eel sushi as well. A sprinkling of salt and kabosu citrus is used in place of soy sauce, and the meat with its bones finely cut breaks apart and melts in your mouth with a slowly expanding sweetness.

 

Makigaki

intsuba

Chestnut Manju

 

One of the most famous historical souvenirs from Yabakei is the specialty which has been made since the Edo period, makigaki. The confection is made by removing the seeds from dried riverbed persimmons and layering them in a cylindrical shape, and thinly slicing those cylinders into round slices allows one to enjoy the resulting spiral cross-section. A record remains showing where makigaki were delivered to Tayama Katai, who traveled to Yabakei in the Taisho period. The souvenir wrapped in straw makes an impression with its shape, and this presentation comes from the historical practice of wrapping the confection in straw and hanging it up for storage. In addition, a typical confection from Kusu is chestnut manju. Most people think of brown-colored manju with a chestnut

inside when they think of chestnut manju, but the chestnut manju from Kusu are slightly different. They are confections with a simple sweetness which are formed into a round, flat shape, and the melt-in-your-mouth dumpling wrapper which encases the red bean paste will keep you coming back for more. Chestnut manju are a famous confection which were born in the first year of the Showa era (1926) when Kusu-machi was flourishing as the entranceway for Yabakei sightseeing, and they have a history of being well-loved as a Rakanji Temple souvenir as well. Along with the round and flat kintsuba, which is made to resemble the tsuba (guard) of a sword, Kusu-machi is home to a tradition of unique Japanese confections.