About Osaka

Ponzu is a condiment beloved by Osakans. It's a Japanese seasoning with a refreshing tartness from citrus juice. It's also flavored with dashi stock made from kelp and bonito flakes. The word derives from the Dutch word pons (a type of cocktail made by mixing distilled alcohol with citrus juice and sugar; now obsolete), and is thought to be a coined word using the kanji character for "vinegar." It's not uncommon to find as many as 20 different types of ponzu on supermarket shelves in Osaka. Many ponzu aficionados use different varieties to suit different dishes, including pork, chicken, seafood, and salads. While ponzu can be paired with a variety of dishes, it's especially essential for tetchiri.

"Tecchiri," a winter staple in Osaka, is a hot pot dish made with fugu. While Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a famous fugu production area, approximately 60% of the total catch is consumed in Osaka. Osaka residents adore the delicate sweetness and unique crunchy texture of fugu, paired perfectly with ponzu sauce. Fugu is particularly well-suited to the sharp, crisp acidity of sudachi, a citrus fruit grown in Tokushima. Each fugu specialty restaurant makes its own ingenious homemade ponzu sauce (chiri vinegar), each with its own unique flavor and loyal customers. But why is fugu hot pot called tecchiri? In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued a ban on eating fugu. Fugu was also taboo during the Edo period, as poisoning would be a disgrace to samurai. However, Osaka is a merchant town. "I don't know anything about the rules of the samurai," they said, using the secret word "tetsu" (tetsu), which is like a gun and means "you die if it hits you," and enjoying fugu.It can also be said that this flavor was nurtured by Osaka's anti-authority, rebellious spirit.