Charm of the food culture

in Tsuruoka

1.

Treasury of food ingredients, blessed by mountains, rivers, plains, sea and the four seasons

Tsuruoka city is located in northern Japan on the seaside in the region known as Shonai area and is home to approximately 130,000 people. Taking pride in its topography which undulates from the mountains to the sea, the city offers a magnificent landscape.

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In the mountains, where beech and oak trees thrive, fresh greenery sprouts in spring and provide various edible wild plants. The rich, green mountains are also the source of pure freshwater. The Akagawa River, which runs from south to north, enriches the flat land in its basin with its mineral-rich water. The vast Shonai Plain is the center of food production, farming one of Japan’s best tasting rice varieties, along with a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Akagawa eventually flows into the Sea of Japan, which provides various seasonal marine products for local dining tables.

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In this environment which is blessed with an array of food ingredients, industries such as agriculture, fisheries, food manufacturing, and sake brewing have been developed since days of old.

2.

The noteworthy “Living Cultural Assets” – Inheritance of heirloom crop varieties

Among the array of food ingredients, the most noteworthy are the heirloom varieties unique to Tsuruoka. Cultivated since the old days in Tsuruoka, these crops are rare varieties that are not grown elsewhere. Around 60 species of those heirloom varieties are cultivated in the area.

This is unrivaled worldwide in terms of the number of species grown in a single area and has received acclaim. Since the unique characteristics of each heirloom variety differ depending on cultivation methods and soil conditions, the knowledge about raising them has been inherited for generations and is utilized in their production. Such heirloom crops are thus attracting attention as “Living Cultural Assets”.

3.

Tradition of the Food Culture of Prayer and challenges for the new gastronomy.

Various traditional events have been passed down for generations in the city of Tsuruoka. Many of these events have continued as established ceremonies to pray for a rich harvest as well as a healthy and happy life.

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Moreover, the lofty Mt. Haguro is well-known as one of the best places for practicing the asceticism of shugendo, which is s religion that fused mountain-worshipping and Buddhism, and is known for its harsh training. The “Shorei Festival” held at Dewa Sanzan Shrine is one of the well-known festivals of shugendo. This festival also acts as a prayer for farming in general.

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Buddhist vegetarian dishes and other local cuisine are offered at these traditional events, and the custom of serving these dishes later to the participants in the festival still remains today. The tradition of the Food culture of Prayer has been inherited over generations in this way, through ceremonial feasts.

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Meanwhile, the variety of gastronomy continues to be refined in order to bring out more new ways to appreciate the food, along with the inherited traditional styles such as the dishes of hospitality served at the twenty spas within the city, as well as the offering meals that preserve the lifestyle of the castle town during the feudal government era.