About Osaka

Osaka Bay is a fish kingdom that includes the Seto Inland Sea, Japan's largest inland sea.

Osaka Bay was once so rich in fish that it was called the "fish garden." It is written "fish garden" and pronounced "Naniwa." This is said to be the origin of Osaka's other name, Naniwa. Sea bream, mackerel, conger eel, hairtail, sardines, and conger eel—the sea was rich with a diverse variety of fish. Osakans were known for their love of sea bream, and whole sea bream, complete with head and tail, was served at celebratory occasions. The fish that spawn during cherry blossom season, when they turn a deep red, were especially prized and called "sakura sea bream." Seasonal sea bream is delicious and inexpensive. Furthermore, since no part of the fish was wasted, it fulfilled the Osaka merchants' "spirit of waste." A variety of sea bream dishes, from sashimi and grilled with salt to heads cooked with bones and steamed, have been compiled into a book called "Tai Hyakuten Ryori" (One Hundred Delicacies of Sea Bream) and remain a part of Osaka’s Food Culture.

Small fish are also plentiful, and among them, the small shrimp Saruebi (called Jacoebi in Osaka and Tobiara in the Kanto region) is used as a stock for summer somen noodle soup, and in the Senshu region, it is used in the local dish Jacogoko, cooked with water eggplant. Also, blue crabs, commonly known as Gazamiri, are an essential delicacy at Kishiwada's Danjiri Festival, also known as the Fighting Festival. It is so well-known that it is also known as the "Crab Festival." Although it declined for a time with modernization, even now, more than 200 species of seafood are landed daily, and local seafood is highly valued in Osaka's restaurants and sushi shops.

Tessa and Tetchiri

Osaka accounts for 60% of Japan's total consumption of fugu. Osaka Bay is a treasure trove of fish, also known as Naniwa (fish garden). Until around the 1950s, fugu were caught in large quantities in Osaka Bay. When it comes to fugu dishes, tessa (fugu sashimi) and tetchiri (fugu hotpot) come to mind. The name comes from the fact that the poisonous fugu was hung on a "teppo" (a gun) that would kill anyone who was hit by it. In the past, it was a dish enjoyed by the common people. Then, in 1947, an Osaka city ordinance lifted the ban on eating fugu. This led to a sudden increase in the number of restaurants serving fugu.

Sakai specialty: conger eel dishes

Conger eel, along with sea bream and conger eel, is an essential part of Osaka’s Food Culture. Longline fishing for conger eels was once popular in Osaka Bay, and conger eels caught off the coast of Sakai were particularly famous. Before the war, Sakai's Dejima Island was home to numerous conger eel processing companies, known as "Anagoya-suji." Osaka offers a variety of dishes, including boxed sushi and pressed sushi, conger eel rice bowls, hot pot dishes, and chawanmushi, all featuring tsukeyaki (simmered conger eel) dishes. Hansuke tofu, made with tsukeyaki conger eel heads and grilled tofu, is also popular. Other dishes include anago sushi (sushi rolls) and tempura, made with boiled conger eel. Narutomaki (simmered quail eggs wrapped around raw conger eel in a sweet and spicy sauce), and a variety of other dishes, including salt-boiled liver and liver tsukudani (simmered conger eel stew). Japanese spotted conger eels are born 2,000 kilometers due south of Osaka and far east of Taiwan. Transparent larvae arrive in the early spring. They metamorphose into young conger eels about 8cm long, and by the end of the year they have grown to about 28cm. The larger they get, the more fat they contain, making them tastier. They are in season from May to June.

Kansai flavor: Conger eel

Conger eel catches are increasing, and they migrate to Osaka Bay in spring and summer to spawn and feed. Many return to the open sea in late autumn. While known as a summer fish, they are also in season in autumn and winter, when they actively feed after spawning, gaining fat and a rich flavor. Conger eels live on sandy and muddy bottoms less than 100 meters deep along the coast, and are active in shallow waters in summer. They are carnivorous and forage at night, with large eyes. Young fish feed on small fish, shrimp, and crabs, while larger fish prey on squid, octopus, and sometimes even conger eels. Like eels, conger eels are hardy and can survive long transports alive. In Sennichimae and Dotonbori, there are famous restaurants serving delicious conger eel dishes, including live conger eel, conger eel shabu-shabu, conger eel pressed sushi, and conger eel chiri.

Naniwa's "Otai-san"

The shiny red sea bream, affectionately known as "Otai-san," is a fish beloved by the people of Osaka. This is thanks to the ingenuity, wisdom, and techniques for distributing live fish that have been passed down since the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and is a relatively easy place to enjoy dishes such as sashimi and sushi, as well as "tai chazuke."

"Naniwa traditional vegetables" that can only be found in Osaka

During the Edo period, Osaka, known as the "Kitchen of the Nation," boasted numerous unique vegetables that were served daily. However, as farmland was converted into residential land and diets became more Westernized, traditional varieties gradually disappeared. In recent years, there has been a growing movement to rediscover these traditional vegetables, and with the support of Osaka Prefecture, an increasing number of producers are working to unearth and revive "Naniwa Traditional Vegetables." As of 2019, there are 18 "Naniwa Traditional Vegetables" certified by Osaka Prefecture. While Kyoto vegetables are famous for their beautiful, elegant taste and appearance, as they were presented to the Imperial Court, Osaka's traditional vegetables are characterized by their rugged appearance and strong flavor, as common people simply sought delicious food. For example, the Tamatsukuri Kuromon Shirouri melon (Tamatsukuri Kuromon Shirouri) has a large fruit length of approximately 30 cm. The Katsuma pumpkin is small but rugged, with sticky, gooey flesh. Moriguchi radishes are long and slender, and can grow to over 180cm in length. Kema cucumbers are characterized by their firm texture and strong bitterness. Other varieties include Kintoki carrots, Osaka Shirona, Tennoji turnips, Tanabe radishes, shiso buds, Hattori koshi melon, Torikai eggplant, Mishima angelica tree, Suita arrowhead, Senshu yellow onions, Takayama mana, Takayama burdock, Usui peas, and Namba leeks.