Naniwa Pinchos - Casual and Delicious Konamon & B-Grade Gourmet
Osakans are passionate about food. They treasure ingredients, avoid waste, and try to throw away as little as possible. They spare no time or effort to cook well and make the food taste delicious. They hone their skills to cook for their families or to impress guests. This has created a bottom-up food culture, giving birth to the term "kuidaore" (to eat to your heart's content).
Cheap and delicious street food such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki, known as konamon, are a major part of Kansai food culture. Udon can also be considered konamon. Kitsune udon can be found all over the country, but Osaka's kitsune udon (at the Dotonbori Imai main store and Usamitei Matsubaya in Minamisemba) is exceptionally delicious. This is due not to the deliciousness of the noodles themselves, but to the careful selection of dashi (made with kelp, dried mackerel, dried urume, etc.).
Kushikatsu, a representative Osaka B-class gourmet dish known for its "no double dipping" rule, can be enjoyed at many kushikatsu restaurants in the Shinsekai area around Tsutenkaku Tower. Okonomiyaki and takoyaki can be found in abundance in the Minami area.
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Tradition and history create delicious foodDuring the Edo period, when Kitamae ships were in operation, kelp harvested in Hokkaido was transported via the "Kelp Road" in the Sea of Japan, and then via the Nishikigoi route from Shimonoseki through the Seto Inland Sea to Osaka and Sakai, known as "the kitchen of the world."
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Seafood and mountain bounty from Naniwa terroirOsaka Bay was once so rich in fish that it was called the "fish garden." The name "Naniwa" is written as "fish garden" and pronounced "Naniwa." This is said to be the origin of Osaka's other name, "Naniwa."
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Naniwa Artisans - The Craftsman Spirit that Supports Food CultureSakai, located in the southern part of Osaka and a satellite city of Osaka City, has been a source of technology and culture, to the point that it is known as "Sakai, where everything begins."
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Osaka Gastronomy: Evolving QualityWhen Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Osaka Castle, he invited merchants from Sakai and Fushimi to Osaka, making it a distribution hub, and Osaka rapidly developed as a commercial city.