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Specialties

Oysters and Other marine products

Sendai Bay holds a treasure trove of marine products. Fresh fish and shellfish of all seasons are brought into the harbor. These aquatic products include, among others, oysters which are also known as "Milk from the sea." The Oysters in Sendai Bay are a popular choice of gourmets as they are really tasty. With oysters, you can enjoy various ways of cooking, such as Nabe (a kind of hodgepodge), deep-frying, and mixing with boiled rice. Although, the best way to enjoy its full taste is to eat it raw and the high season for tasty oysters is October-March. Abundance in marine products is further shown by the delicacy of Hoya (seasquirt), bonito, tuna, and saury. Sendai's great quality of marine life products, helps make cooking richer.

Gyu-tan (Beef tongue)

Those who know Gyu-tan would know that its origins are from Sendai. While it is a very popular item on menus now, Gyu-tan was not so common before. Crispy beef with a savory smell will turn you into a regular eater of Gyu-tan. Gyu-tan, charcoal-broiled to save its taste, oxtail soup, and Mugi-gohan (rice boiled with barley) is the most popular meal, a delicacy of Sendai and a must to try!

Sasa-kamaboko (Bamboo-leaf-shaped fish cake)

We may safely say that Sasa-kamaboko is the favorite of the local products of Sendai. You may not know but this title was only recently commonly used after the war. Before that and from the Meiji period to the Taisho and Showa periods, it had different local names such as Tenohira-kamaboko or Konoha-kamaboko. In addition to its unique shape, Sasa-kamaboko has great characteristics of color, flavor, taste, and crispiness. While you can enjoy it uncooked, a few drips of soy sauce will add a lot to the taste. The popular items include Sasa-kamaboko with cheese, salami or sea urchin eggs inside. Both go really well with Sake (Japanese rice wine).

Zunda- mochi (Rice cake covered in sweetend mashed green soybeans)

Zunda- mochi is a typical rice cake of Sendai. To make zunda, boil soybeans which are still in the pod with salt, shell the peas and peel the thin skins off. Next, crush them in a mortar, then add sugar, salt and a little amount of water. In Sendai, "Zunda" is one of the most popular bean pastes, such as azuki-an (red-bean) paste, goma-an (sesame) paste, and mitarashi-an (soy sauce flavor) paste. It is said that Zunda-mochi was a favorite of Lord Date Masamune, a famous feudal lord of the Date-han. The origin of the name is uncertain; some say it comes from "Zunda" (beating bean pods in order to shell) and others say it comes from the word "Jindachi", a wartime sword that Date Masamune carried with him and used to mush beans to eat. It was shortened to "Jinda", then to "Zunda" (some people spell Zunda "Dzunda", although it varies).

Sendai-gyu (Beef)

The title "Sendai-gyu" (beef) is given only to beef that is of the Wagyu (black-furred Japanese cow) type. The meat usually weighs between 300-400 kg. A cow is said to be an elite one provided the meat is of good quality marbled beef. Thanks to the improvement and development of technology and skills to get quality meat, Miyagi-ken is known nation-wide as a leading region to breed cows for producing top quality meat.

Sendai Jizake (Locally made Sake)

Sendai has a long tradition of sake brewery. This has been done due to the delicate quality of the delicious rice clear water which is made under the best conditions possible. Out of some 50 brewery houses, nearly half have received gold at the National Fair of Newly-brewed Sake. What attracts people, is the endless pursuit of higher quality which has never changed and the rich taste of the sake. As symbolized by the "Miyagi Junmai-shu (refined rice wine) Appeal", famous rice-growing regions such as Sendai, boasts a super-high quality of sake in Japan.

Sendai Miso (Fermented bean paste)

After the foundation of Sendai Castle on Mt.Aobayama, Date Masamune built a large-scale Miso brewery facilities on the site to pursue high quality miso. The long tradition of 400 years of miso is still expressed in Sendai miso today. This miso is characterized by its reddish tint and gloss, and is also known as "Aka (red) Miso". The long period of time required for maturity gives it a rich taste.

Naganasu-zuke (Pickled Egg Plant)

This product has a glossy bluish-purple color and a neat slender shape of its own. It is firm with tender skin and has a refined taste where a lot less salt is used.

Hiyashi-chuka (Cold Chinese noodles)

Chinese food has always been well known for its hot dishes. This gave the false impression that hot dishes were served all the time. Because of this, there would be less customers in summer which is why Chinese restaurant owners started studies in an effort to solve this problem and finally they found their answer in Hiyashi-chuka. This menu was originated to up sales during the summertime and has now become a well-known dish over the nation. Here in Sendai, over 40 restaurants serve Hiyashi-chuka through the whole year.

Wagashi (Traditional Japanese Sweets)

The popularity of tea ceremony in Sendai is heavily influenced by Lord Masamune who liked and enjoyed tea ceremony. Tasty Chagashi (cakes served with tea) and Wagashi are also popular. What is particularly popular is Sendai-dagashi (sweets), which has a long history that stems back to the Hansei-jidai (feudal fief times). It gained popularity along with the development of Sado (tea ceremony). Dagashi was made a lot during the Edo era and in the first year of the Meiji era (1868), Nigiri-okoshi (a kind of dry Japanese candy) was first put on the market. Its idyllic shape and simple taste attracts many people. Each and every piece of Sendai-dagashi is still hand-made today.