Savor the Flavors of Kagoshima: A Gastronomic Delight from Land and Sea

Text by TRAVELER Luxe April issue

 

When it comes to Kagoshima cuisine, the first thing that might come to mind is black pork. But did you know that Chiran is actually the second-largest green tea producer in Japan? The newly harvested Chiran tea in May is especially beloved for its perfect color, aroma, and flavor. At Shunsai Chaya Wa, an old traditional house converted into a restaurant, the signature dish is lightly fragrant tea rice cooked with Chiran tea leaves, served with a hearty donabe stew made of tender chicken, shiitake mushrooms, burdock root, and carrots. After tasting the original flavor, mix in the restaurant's special yuzu pepper sauce and pickles made with tea leaves—this subtly spicy and fragrant treat is the perfect appetizer for hot summer days.

 

◎ Shunsai Chaya Wa

Address: 93, Kori, Chiran-cho, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Phone: +81-(0)993-83-1753

 

The fine teas of Chiran aren’t limited to just green tea. The estate-grown black tea from Satsuma British House gained fame in 2007 when it won the Gold Award in the Tea category at the Great Taste Awards—the “Oscars” of the food world in the UK. Grown organically and hand-picked, the production is limited, so you’ll have to visit to enjoy a proper English afternoon tea and savor the lingering taste of Chiran’s award-winning black tea.

 

◎ Satsuma British House

Address: 13746-4, Kori, Chiran-cho, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Phone: +81-(0)993-83-3963

Website: www.satsuma-eikokukan.jp

The Fukuyama area along Kagoshima Bay is famous as the home of high-quality black vinegar. Premium groundwater, pure rice, and traditional Satsuma clay jars produce a tangy yet mellow vinegar. To share the benefits of vinegar with more people, the long-established Sakamoto Black Vinegar opened a scenic restaurant named “Tsubo uQ” three years ago. Its menu—from pre-meal vinegar dishes, cold mountain vegetable salads, scallion-leek steamed chicken, black vinegar oyster sauce stir-fried pork, to egg drop soup, pickled vegetables, and even desserts—are all healthy Chinese dishes infused with black vinegar. The master vinegar brewer even shared a tip: mix fruit vinegar with milk at a 1:4 ratio, and you’ve got a healthy, yogurt-like delicious drink.

 

◎ Sakamoto “Tsubo uQ”

Address: 3075, Fukuyama, Fukuyama-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Phone: +81-(0)995-54-7700

Website: tsubobatake.jp

For a taste of fresh local ingredients and a variety of shochu, head to Kagoshima Yatai Village, where 25 small but well-equipped food stalls offer everything from shabu-shabu, Spanish cuisine, sushi, ramen, to yakitori. You’ll wish you had four stomachs like a cow to try them all.

 

◎ Yatai Village

Address: 6, Chuocho, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Phone: +81-(0)99-255-1588

When it comes to souvenirs, Kagoshima offers irresistible options such as Satsuma cut glass, often called a dreamlike craftwork that shows layers of vibrant gloss under light. Even more unique is the Seahorse House at the seahorse aquaculture farm, where various goods embedded with real seahorse specimens are said to bring good luck. Especially popular are the “heart”-shaped pieces with male and female seahorses pressed together—believed to be an omen of good relationships.

 

◎ Seahorse House

Address: 5202-2, Beppu, Eiwa-cho, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Phone: +81-(0)993-38-1883

 

 

●  Read More:

Six Must-See Attractions in Kagoshima: Discover the Hometown of Tsuruhime