Mouthwatering cuisine you have to try in the cornucopia of Miyazaki

The season for Ise ebi, or Japanese spiny lobster, begins in September, and the lobsters reach their most delicious flavor in the autumn. Accordingly, there are numerous events and fairs related to the lobsters held on and around the Nichinan Seacoast. Try the signature dishes featuring fresh natural spiny lobster at a variety of different restaurants.

The natural oysters that grow in the rough waters off the coast of Takanabe Town in central Miyazaki are smaller than average, but offer very rich flavor. Meanwhile, the rock oysters that can be caught off the Nippo coast to the north of the prefecture, a famous example of a “ria” type coastline, are larger in size and feature a rich, creamy flavor. 

Nichinan city, where the fishing industry has thrived for ages, features the largest catch of bonito in Japan, and each fish is caught individually using a fishing rod. Enjoy bonito in one of the dishes typical of Miyazaki, such as Yakikkiri, where only the skin is lightly seared and the then the fish is eaten with soy sauce, or Aburi Ju, where the bonito is seared and placed on rice.

Both yellowtail and amberjack are actively farmed in Miyazaki prefecture. The beautiful, transparent flesh, resilient texture, and just the right amount of fat for taste, are highly praised throughout Japan.

Eel from Miyazaki (unagi in Japanese) is notable for the thin skin, soft texture, and ample fat that seems to melt in your mouth. Eel farming is also popular in Miyazaki, taking advantage of the rich environment, resulting in the third highest yield in Japan. So as a production region, visitors to Miyazaki can enjoy high quality eel at a relatively reasonable price.

The Japanese fish Mehikari (Chlorophthalmus albatrossis) features an elegant flavor with pale white flesh, soft bones, and just the right amount of fat. The fish is served in such dishes as karaage, himono dried fish, and Nanban-zuke, where the fried fish is marinated in a sweet and sour sauce mixed with chili pepper.

Miyazaki is famous throughout Japan for its mangoes, so much so that it’s the first thing some people think of when they say Miyazaki. The mangoes are ready to eat when the skin takes on a certain elasticity, the fragrance grows stronger, and the surface of the fruit becomes shiny. Miyazaki mangoes are known for their melt-in-your-mouth fruit pulp and their rich sweetness.
There is also a variety in Miyazaki called Taiyo-no-Tamago (Egg of the Sun), a luxury item for which only those fruits which meet the strictest standards for flavor, weight, and color are allowed to bear the name. Thanks to the focus on ripeness, the fruit are allowed to ripen on the tree and harvested by catching them in nets when they fall off naturally.

Hyuganatsu is a local type of citrus fruit that is so good you can partially eat the peel. When eaten, you peel off just the outer colored part of the peel, as though peeling an apple, and then eat the rest, including the white part of the peel. The sweet white meat of the peel and sourness of the pulp combine to produce an elegant and refreshing flavor.

This small fruit can be eaten raw, peel and all, offering a sweet, sour, and bitter taste. Compared to normal kumquats, Miyazaki’s own Tamatama brand of ripe kumquats is known for being surprisingly large and sweet. The fleshy, thick pulp offers a sweet and refreshing taste.

The lettuce-maki, or lettuce roll, was invented by a sushi restaurant in Miyazaki City known as Ippei. The dish consists of lettuce, shrimp, and an original mayonnaise placed over sushi rice and wrapped in seaweed. This is said to be the original prototype that later became the salad-maki or other rolled sushi dishes found outside Japan. There are many restaurants that serve the dish other than sushi places, such as Izakaya bars and udon restaurants, so you can enjoy the interpretation of each wherever you go.

Hiya-jiru, which means chilled soup, is a local Miyazaki dish that is perfect for combatting the summer heat.
Not exactly a soup, the dish consists of chilled miso soup poured over a dish of rice with shredded seared fish on top, and topped with cucumber, shiso, and tofu.
You can visit a few restaurants to experience different interpretations of the dish, as the recipe at each restaurant is slightly different.

The citizens of Miyazaki City just love gyoza. There are many specialty restaurants serving gyoza, a type of Chinese dumpling, not only in the city but throughout the prefecture, and in addition to eating in, there is a culture rooted here of buying the gyoza to take out and fry at home. Miyazaki gyoza comes with a wide variety of stuffing and skins. We recommend hopping from restaurant to restaurant to compare all the different flavors.