Introducing the top 10 unmissable local gourmet dishes from the Yamagata region.

Benkei Rice

A traditional Yamagata dish steeped in history and the bounty of nature

Benkei Rice (弁慶飯, Benkei meshi) is a flavorful mixed rice dish and a cherished traditional food from Yamagata Prefecture. Its bold and hearty taste is said to be inspired by its namesake, the le...

Dondon-yaki

A beloved Yamagata soul food for all ages

In Yamagata’s inland region, Dondon-yaki is usually flavored with sauce. Its defining feature is that it is rolled around a disposable chopstick, making it easy to carry. To make it, a thin batter ...

Grilled Black Sea Bream

A mild, refined fish with broad appeal.

Black sea bream are commonly caught around rocky shores and breakwaters from Yunohama in Tsuruoka to the area near Kamo. Like other sea bream, they have firm white flesh. Those caught in summer, wh...

Sakata Ramen

A satisfying bowl that even ramen connoisseurs will want to enjoy again.

Sakata Ramen is a regional ramen style said to have originated in the northern Shōnai region, centered on Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture. Its broth is made with pork bones, chicken carcasses, d...

Natto-jiru

Yamagata’s beloved winter dish, natto-jiru, is even a seasonal word for winter.

Natto-jiru is a nourishing winter home-style dish that has long been enjoyed in Yamagata Prefecture. Whole natto beans are ground to bring out their flavor, and the soup is packed with vegetables f...

Itasoba

Fragrant Itasoba, beloved across Yamagata

Itasoba is a style of soba eaten widely throughout inland Yamagata Prefecture. Its distinctive feature is that the noodles are served in a long, shallow wooden box rather than on a bamboo tray or i...

Tama Konnyaku

A beloved Yamagata snack, often served on skewers

Yamagata has long been a producer of konnyaku yam, and tama konnyaku—affectionately called “tama-kon”—is a local soul food. As the name suggests, it consists of spherical konnyaku pieces about 3 cm...

Hiyashi ramen

It was born to survive the hot summer in Yamagata. It is a cold ramen that originated in Yamagata City. As its name suggests, it is cold ramen, and both soup and noodles are cold, and sometimes ic...

Musou Jiru (Bamboo Shoot Soup)

A herald of spring from Shonai—Savor the rich flavor of fresh bamboo shoots

Musou Jiru (孟宗汁, Bamboo Shoot Soup) is a traditional springtime dish from the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, made with tender bamboo shoots from the Mosochiku bamboo and served in a miso-...

Kujira Mochi

An old-fashioned flavor passed down in Mogami, Yamagata

Kujira Mochi (くじら餅, Kujira mochi) is a traditional sweet that has been enjoyed for generations in the Shinjō and Mogami regions of Yamagata Prefecture. Despite its name, it does not contain a...