Autumn Gourmet in Japan

In western countries, they have harvest festivals such as Oktoberfest, Halloween, and Thanks Giving, from autumn to winter. As having many of harvests at the same time in Japan, we see various food and ingredients in market from September to the end of November and it is the season of Autumn Eating (Shokuyoku no Aki: feeling strong appetite in autumn). This time, we would like to introduce Japanese autumn food and ingredients and how to enjoy them. (September, 2008)


Why string appetite in autumn?
Let me just explain why Japanese autumn is considered as appetite autumn. Summer, which has a lot of humidity, rain and sunshine, ends in early September and autumn comes right after summer end and is the season to ingather harvest. As freshly-harvested rice and soba are knows as representatives of autumn harvests, it is needless to say that freshly-harvested food is the most delicious. If you go out to mountains, you see harvests from mountains and forests such as rice and chestnuts. If you visit around ports, you find out harvests from ocean such as brevoort and salmon. People eat these harvests to get back energy which was lost due to summer heat and get ready for long and cold winter. On the other hand, eating harvests in autumn is historically seasonal ways to have fun of autumn as Japanese who love four seasons and it also can be that they have appreciation for harvests.
 
There are other autumns such as Undo no Aki (Sports in autumn), Geijutsu no Aki (Arts in autumn) and Benkyo no Aki (Study in autumn). Autumn is not to cold and not so hot, which means it is the most suitable season to do any activities in Japan. Thus, people often go traveling in this suitable season rather than summer.

Autumn Gourmet Yama no Sachi (Harvest in mountains, forests and fields such as vegetables)
Chestnuts (Japanese name: ku ri)
In autumn, as many of travel agents plan chestnuts ingathering tour every year, people enjoy chestnuts national wide in Japan. Kuri Gohan (chestnuts flavored rice) is the representative food in this season. Since Kuri Gohan cooking package is sold well in super markets every year, people usually cook and eat this at home. We don't see so many at restaurants in town but some of them provide as autumn food with grilled brevoort so you should check or ask if it is available on menu. Otherwise, as chestnuts food, chestnuts sweets and chestnuts soups can be seen in town, too.


Matsutake mushroom (Japanese name: ma tsu ta ke)
Matsutake is called the king of autumn food which tastes very simple but it is prices so high due to the difficulty of cultivation and small lots of shipment. We have various ways to cook such as matsutake soup, matsutake Gohan (matsutake flavored rice) and pot-steamed matsutake. People enjoy it at Japanese restaurants in town around mid of September; however, its price is so high that you would not see them in cheap spots but high-end Japanese restaurants. You can purchase matsutake at super markets but they might come from foreign countries. Anyway, you should try them only in the condition that you can afford them.


Soba (Japanese name: so ba)
Soba (noodle) is one of representatives of Japanese foods and is ingathered in the end of summer and autumn. People enjoy freshly-harvested soba every autumn at soba restaurants which have "fresh soba ready" on their store and it is easy to eat even in big cities like Tokyo. Fresh soba has strong smell and gives you good bites. Price is around from 700 to 1,000 JPY, which is inexpensive, so please try this if you have a chance. By the way, soba is usually spread out in east Japan and Udon (this is also noodle but different ingredients) is usually spread out in west Japan.


Rice (Japanese name: ko me)
It might be no exaggeration to say that rice is representative of Japanese food, known as suchi, rice-bowl and onigiri. People enjoy this taste not only in Kuri Gohan and Matsutake Gohan but also taste of rice itself which has succulent bite. As the same as chestnuts, this is national wide food but rice from Tohoku region has certain reputation and they rather have own brands for each area like Koshihikari, Sasanishiki, Hitomebore and Akitakomachi. There are not so many restaurants which sells rice brands but people want to eat freshly ingathered rice in autumn. If you could enjoy to evaluate its original taste, you are Japanese food connoisseur.


Egg Plant (Japanese name: na su)
Old people used to say "Do not let your wife eat autumn egg plants". This is because autumn egg plant is more delicious than ones in summer even though the most egg plants are usually ingathered and shipped in summer. Like soba, this is also affordable food and people can eat many of Japanese restaurants and Izakayas. You see a lot of kinds of egg plants menu such as pickles but personally recommended one is grilled egg plant, the best way to enjoy this taste.


Autumn Gourmet Umi no Sachi (Harvest from oceans such as fish)
Brevoort (Japanese name: sa n ma)
Brevoort seasonally pass through Pacific Ocean side of Tohoku and Kanto regions with Cold Ocean Current from the end of summer to autumn and they finally arrive in Kinki and Kyushu regions. They come down for spawning so you see that autumn Brevoort tastes so good because they have natural fat (Fishers do not take brevoort with eggs). In super markets, you can find out them around 100 JPY per fish so it provides you reasonable price. Also, you can find them out at restaurants and Izakayas as one of autumn menus with cheap price. In addition, Japanese usually grill to eat with salt. Otherwise, people eat as Sushi and Sashimi (sliced raw fish)


Salmon (Japanese name: sha ke)
Fishers usually catch them when they run along rivers in Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. It is supposed to be the same as other countries such as Canada and North Europe, however, Japanese eat them with not only Sushi and Sashimi as popular ways to eat but also Chan Chan Yaki (grilled salmon with miso flavored vegetables), Sanpei Jiru (salmon and vegetables in salty hot pot), Ishikari Nabe (salmon and vegetables in miso hot pot) and Shiokara (fermented salmon). As the same as brevoort, you see the menus of salmon in restaurants and Izakayas. This is also affordable price so have a try if you could have a chance.


Crab (Japanese name: ka ni)
This should be much more expensive than salmon and brevoort but it guarantees good taste. Fishers usually take crabs around Japan Sea and Okhotsk Sea and they have several kinds of brands such as Echizen, Taraba, and Hanasaki like rice brands. In big cities, we do not see crab on menu in normal restaurants but you can enjoy its taste in high-end Japanese restaurants and Sushi restaurants. Furthermore, the way to eat is very unique that people use crab folks and crab scissors (very complicated to explain so please ask store staff)


Salmon Roe (Japanese name: i ku ra)
As the same as caviar, salmon roe is rare delicacy. As the name shows, it is salmon egg and fishers take salmon roe in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions. It might make you an impact when you see it because it is pink small fish egg but it gives you sweet and salty taste after you put it in your mouth. It especially matches with rice so this can be often used in Sushi and rice bowls. Like crab, people can not say this is inexpensive food so if you can afford them, please have a try!