You haven’t really been to Aomori if you haven’t tried its famous train bento!

Text & Photos byXiaohu’s Food Dream

The bento I’m introducing today is called “Baccha Gosho,” a true “Heritage of Tsugaru Cuisine” that condenses the local food culture of Aomori Prefecture into one compact box. It can be purchased on the 2nd floor exit of Aomori Station. If you ask the sales clerk which bento is the most delicious and popular, she will definitely recommend this one!

Aomori Prefecture was formerly known as the “Tsugaru Domain,” and seeing these two characters instantly tells you it’s Aomori. The outer packaging is quite simple and not particularly eye-catching.

The lid is wrapped in bamboo leaves, which is a rather rare design. Perhaps it also adds a hint of bamboo fragrance to the meal?

There are as many as 140 types of local dishes in the Tsugaru region. This bento has been officially recognized by Aomori Prefecture as one that best represents the flavors of Tsugaru. It was developed by the restaurant “Akita-ya,” based in Hirosaki City. After trying it, you’ll understand what the “taste of Tsugaru” really means. Opening the thin piece of paper is like reading a bento instruction manual—quite unique—and it also lets you know which dishes you’re about to enjoy...

Now let’s take a closer look at this bento. The color scheme is elegant and pleasing, and uniquely, the entire bento box is bound with bamboo leaves, with only the edges reinforced by small wooden strips. The side dishes are separated by plastic sheets, which also helps avoid flavor transfer.

The “umeboshi” (pickled plum), commonly found in Japanese bentos, was historically eaten with rice when families were poor, serving as a filling meal on its own—and it still holds that purpose today. The umeboshi in this Aomori version has had the pits removed and is pickled with perilla leaves, so it’s not as salty and tastes closer to the sweet-salty preserved plums we’re used to. In the old days, when fresh vegetables were scarce in Tsugaru, the carrot mixed with cod roe on the left was already an important source of nutrition for local households. The squid ball in the middle is a method of preserving seafood, mixed with seasonings, deep-fried, and has now become a common side dish in Aomori households.

In the harsher, colder past of Aomori, eggs were an important source of nutrition. This egg dish, made by mixing egg with miso and cooking it in shellfish broth, is even believed to help ward off colds. The egg has a sweet miso flavor, is tender and smooth, and pairs perfectly with rice.

This piece is “battakou” (boiled cod), which becomes firm and has a sweet-salty taste after being simmered in sauce with butterbur. Overall, every item in this bento is delicious, and I finished the whole thing!

Heritage of Tsugaru Cuisine “Baccha Gosho”
Purchase location: 2nd floor of Aomori Station
Price: 1050 yen

"Xiaohu’s Food Dream
If “eating” is just about filling your stomach, then “food” would be far too boring~~"