Food and Beverage from Kochi Prefecture to the World
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Kochi Food and Beverage from Kochi Prefecture to the world Kochi Kochi Prefecture faces the vast Pacific Ocean and covers half of the southern part of Shikoku Island. In former times it was called Tosa. Its distance from the Inland Sea coastal side, as well as being divided by a steep mountain range, has preserved its unique culture. Food culture Local dishes such as sashimi, Katsuo Tataki, and sushi are served on a huge dish of 60 centimeter in diameter. This is popular Weather and culture when having parties in Kochi-prefecture. KochiPeople and culture raised in the great environment of Kochi-prefecture. Weather The weather in Kochi is warm and humid, which is typical tropical weather. Typhoons often hit this re- Country Style Sushi gion in the summer, but the sun is very strong even in Sushi in Kochi is a bit different from sushi known winter. Temperatures change dramatically between abroad. Vinegared rice with an accent of Yuzu cit- day and night. Kochi prefecture’s climate varies de- ron vinegar is served with foods from the moun- pending on the season and location within the pre- tains. This local dish has been passed down for gen- fecture. Yosakoi Festival erations in mountainside villages of Kochi “Yosakoi Festival” is a summer festival in Kochi pre- Prefecture. fecture. Farming tools called naruko are used in Yo- sakoi dancing. Naruko was used to scare away spar- rows from rice fields. More than 10,000 dancers keep dancing for a few days every year, which colors the street in Kochi. Kochi Prefecture’s population and em- ployed population by industry Kochi Prefecture has a population of approximately 800 thousand. It has various industries which sup- ports Japan. Population of Number of Kochi Prefecture 797,444 people Primary Number of industry 47,198 people Agriculture included in 39,766 Number of the above people Secondary Number of Katsurahama industry 71,144 people Katsurahama is famous as a “moon-viewing spot.” In addition, Tertiary Number of industry 247,648 people it is a notable site as a place from which Ryoma Sakamoto, a population Employed great man during the late Edo Period, thought about foreign Total 370,395 Number of countries. people Ref: Y2005 National Census Vegetables・Fruits Vegetables Vegetables ■ Fruit Tomato Good acidic taste comple- ments the flavor of fruit to- mato. Fruit tomatoes are smaller than other tomatoes Fruits and have thick skins. These are very popular among gourmets nationwide. These ■ Okra are used as gifts in Japan. Tosa as a horticulture country Okra is a representative summer vegetable of Kochi. This gooey vegetable is used in many stamina enhancing dishes. Warm Kuroshio (Black Current) and reflection wet in summer. It is chilly in the mornings and eve- ■ Ginger from the ocean make Kochi prefecture very warm. nings and temperatures change dramatically be- This ginger is characterized by a rich flavor and juici- It is located along the coastline. Mountains block tween day and night. This enables the cultivation of ness. This is one of the spe- cold air from the north; therefore, it is warm and fruits and vegetables of high quality. cialty products of Kochi pre- dry in winter on the plains. In contrast, it is hot and fecture. Why Kochi is called horticulture country Kochi Prefecture is one of Japan’s top agricultural ture is a pioneer in promoting environmentally producers in shipment volume. Centered on horti- friendly agriculture by obtaining ISO14001 certifi- culture, its land productivity ranks No.1 in Japan cation and introducing voluntary inspections for ■ Myoga (6.5 million yen / ha in Kochi while Japan’s average pesticide residue. Particularly, the amount of natu- This is good not only as a spice but also for salads. The crispy tex- is 2.43 million yen / ha, both excluding rice farm- ral predators it purchases as a measure to reduce ture, moderate hot flavor, and distinct flavor stimulate your appetite. ing, according to the Bank of Japan’s Kochi branch pesticide use via biological control accounts for office estimate for fiscal year 2009.). Kochi Prefec- 25.1% of the domestic market. Fruits ■ Yuzu (citrus) ■ Earl's Favorite Kochi is the most famous Melon area for the production of Kochi prefecture’s produc- Yuzu in Japan. Yuzu is a tion volume of the Earl's Fa- fragrant citrus with a fresh vorite Melon is the second taste. Yuzu is a popular food highest after Shizuoka-pre- in the homes in Kochi pre- fecture. Prices are relatively fecture, their fruit juice is reasonable when compared Kochi’s agricultural produce ranking high used for fruit vinegar and to the other types of mel- the rind as spice. ons, making it affordable to Shipping National enjoy the taste of a quality Produce volume Share (%) rank melon. (Ton) Eggplant 37,600 13.6 1st Cucumber 20,800 4.0 7th ■ Tosa Buntan ■ Niitaka pear It’s amazing how ecological farming is advancing in Kochi. Green pepper 9,920 8.5 3rd (citrus) The season of Niitaka pear comes the latest among the Small sweet green pepper 4,080 50.8 1st Promotion of eco-agricultures in Kochi Tosa Buntan is a local spe- cialty fruit that represents other types of pear. This Myoga 4,509 77.5 1st Kochi Prefecture is promoting environmentally friendly agriculture Kochi prefecture. This fruit pear is referred to as the mainly in the in-house grown vegetable sectors by minimizing the use is a large-size citrus that king of pears. There are Green chive 12,700 22.7 1st of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, introducing the integrated pest large-size Niitaka pears that management (IPM) techniques such as natural predation, bug screen, tastes delicious especially Okra 2,467 23.0 2nd during the winter and spring. exceed 1 kilogram with di- moss repellent yellow light, and composting. Kochi Prefecture is a ameters of more than 20 leading runner in promoting eco and consumer friendly agriculture. Tosa Buntan has a lot of fra- Ginger 10,900 40.8 1st grant fruit pulp and is mod- centimeter. These large- size pears are bigger than Yuzu (citrus) 6,566 45.8 1st Use of natural predation erately sweet with a fresh taste. Only Kochi’s tropical your face. Not only are they Tosa Buntan (citrus) 8,037 87.5 1st Kochi Prefecture makes use of insects that feed on pest insects in or- weather could make such big, but their flavor is of the der to reduce the amount of chemical pesticides used. flavor. best quality. Also, they are Konatsu (citrus) 1,691 34.7 2nd very juicy. Ref: Horticulture of Kochi Prefecture (March, 2008) Yuzu Kochi is famous for Yuzu citron Processed Yuzu products Yuzu For example, the rind is used as spice and for flavoring, and seeds are used in skin lotion. Various processed Yuzu is one of the fruits that represent Kochi. products are made, such as fruit vinegar (Yunosu), Yuzu juice, and Yuzu ponzu sauce (soy sauce with citrus It is essential for Japanese cooking. juice) that are produced by squeezing Yuzu fruit juice. What is Yuzu? Yuzu citron is often used as a flavoring agent since it emits a strong aromatic fragrance when its lumpy rind filled with many oil glands is peeled. While this fruit with high resistance to cold, disease, and pest is pro- duced widely in Japan, Kochi Prefecture accounts for about more than 50% of the domestic production. A Yuzu weighs around 100 to 130 grams and its rind is rich in vitamin C. The fruit also contains calcium, iron, potassium, vitamins B1 and B2. The rind also contains a fragrant oil. In Japan, people enjoy the fragrance of Yuzu by putting chopped rind into soups or nabe (Japanese one-pot dish cooked at the table) dishes, or adding squeezed fruit juice to grilled or raw fish in combination with soy ■ Yuzu seasoning (Ponzu sauce, dressing, pepper) sauce. Yuzu ponzu sauce is made by blending special Yuzu fruit juice into soy sauce and bonito broth. There are also dressing and pepper that use Yuzu. These go well with various foods such as salad, fish dish- es, and meat dishes. Recipe that uses Yuzu dressing Boil a whole tomato in boiling water for about 20 seconds and take it out. Cut it crosswise light- ly with a knife. The skin can be easily peeled. Remove the skin and hull together. Cut the tomato into easy-to- eat pieces. Dress the cut tomato and chopped fresh basil with Yuzu dressing (from Tosa Reihoku website). ■ ■ Yuzu fruit juice ■ Yuzu sweets Yuzu miso (Yuzu vinegar) (sherbet, juice, jelly, candy, It is easy to use this miso, such as for dip- ping vegetables. It is also delicious. This Yuzu vinegar is an essential seasoning in chunky sweet bean jelly) miso is a specialty of Kochi Prefecture. Kochi cooking. It is used for sushi and Tat- aki as a family’s staple. These are the sweets that use the flavor and fresh taste of Yuzu. Landscape of a Yuzu farmhouse Unlike other types of citrus that are produced in the warm coastline, there are many Yuzu production areas in the inland mountain areas. The mountain climate with dra- Exporting Yuzu matic temperature changes between day and night con- In recent years, Yuzu is becoming popular among French chefs as a tributes to the increased flavor of Yuzu. The Yuzu field flavoring agent, and Kochi’s Yuzu juice is being exported to Europe. enjoys plenty of sunlight along mountain slopes with good Kochi Prefecture is actively exploring marketing routes for its Yuzu water drainage. You can enjoy a view of dazzlingly gold- products.