Local foods
We are proud of our superb traditional Japanese foods and the local products that have long been popular in this area.
Each season has its own unique delicacies – give them a try!
Okukuji shamo
Shamo is a variety of chicken that is also used for cockfighting. In Daigo Town, free-range Okukuji shamo is carefully raised over 100 days in an entirely natural environment. Shamo meat has a firm texture and rich taste.
You can eat shamo in various dishes, such as nabe (hot pot), soba, and curries.
Okukuji apples
The town has a climate with wide temperature differences and gently sloping land, making it ideal for growing apples.
There are many apple orchards in the Town: you can enjoy apple picking events from September to November. You can choose and pick perfectly ripe apples and take them home.
Various processed products using apples, such as apple pies, jams, and juices, are also on sale.
Ayu (sweetfish) in the Kuji River
It is said that the ayu fished from the Kuji River are the tastiest and most beautiful-looking in Japan due to the healthy moss growing in the clean river water. Ayu no shioyaki is a popular dish, in which freshly-caught sweetfish is salted, skewered and grilled over a charcoal fire. You can sample it at the storefronts of souvenir shops and local restaurants.
Okukuji soba
Daigo Town is also known as an excellent soba producing area. Okukuji Soba has the perfect balance of aroma, flavor, and sweetness, so the taste is highly rated by soba chefs all over the country. There are many soba restaurants in Daigo Town where you can eat freshly made soba noodles.
Okukuji tea
Daigo Town has been a famous green tea producing area in Japan for about 500 years. Okukuji tea has a deep color and strong aroma, and is noted for its astringency and richly complex flavor. The tea-picking season is from mid-May to early June. There are places where you can pick your own tea.
Rice
The rice produced in Daigo Town is renowned and has won first place in various contests in Japan. Its excellent flavor is due to the clean water and the local climate which has large temperature differences. There are many restaurants in the town where you can taste our local rice.
Okukuji konjac
Konjac is a food made from the konjac potato, a plant in the Arum family, and is characterized by its rubbery texture. It is low in calories and rich in dietary fiber.
Daigo Town is a major producer of konjac potatoes. Nama Konjac, which has a smooth texture, and Shimi Konjac, which has a sponge-like texture, have long been local typical specialties.
Shimi Konjac goes well in various recipes such as simmered vegetables, tempura, and stir-fried dishes.
Locally-brewed sake and craft beer
Clear water and a climate with large temperature differences are necessary conditions for brewing the best sake. Daigo Town meets both requirements, and sake brewing has prospered here since ancient times. In addition to the traditional sake breweries, there is a new brewery that makes craft beer.