FAVOURITE thing in the whole world, and it means a lot to me, and I’d really appreciate

if you would listen:

I… really

love to eat.

I love food I love to eat

I love food Oh my god

I never knew it was possible to be so obsessed with eating until I moved to Japan,

ESPECIALLY until I moved to kyushu

It is actually very well known that Kyushu has some of the best food in all of Japan.

So having said that, today I’m going to introduce to you seven foods that are unique

to Kyushu that are SO good that I’m sure you wish you could

try them too!

For example, this is "buri no ryukyu" from Oita prefecture.

Do you want some?

This is buri (yellowtail) that has been taken from the oceans surrounding Oita prefecture

here in prefecture.

So THAT makes it special

But what also makes it special is the sweet sauce that it has been marinated in.

This is a sweet sort of soy sauce, also flavoured with sesame seeds and onion.

And this type of cooking, ryukyu, is popular in Oita.

Itadakimasu~~

The sauce it was marinated in makes it both sweet and salty at the same time, but with

the white sesame seeds on top it adds another layer of sweetness.

This is the kind of food you would want to eat a Japanese Izakaya or bar because it would

really go great with sake or white rice.

Alright, now take a look at this:

You’re probably thinking something like “thats a sausage” but No.. No

This is Fukuoka’s specialty food mentaiko, which is fish roe (eggs),

and it’s stuffed inside of squid.

This is actually the first time I’ve seen it inside a squid. Pretty interesting.

Its so chewy!

This one will definitely go good with rice

The squid on the outside is very chewy, I would say rubbery but in a ~delicious~ way,

and the mentaiko inside is kind of spicy so it makes it a good finger food or light snack.

Next we have, Ayu no Shiyoyaki.

and this is from Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto isn’t generally known for its seafood but this Ayu (freshwater trout) is actually

a freshwater fish.

That is why, in order to enjoy the true natural flavour of this fish, it is seasoned with

only salt.

Without one word of a lie salted fish is actually one of my favourite foods in all of Japan.

Fresh, and simple, and it tastes great!

Next is Kuro-Maguro (black tuna) that is taken from the seas of Kagoshima

What makes kuro-maguro different from normal maguro is the lack of fat and muscle tissue

in the meat, meaning it is softer and literally melts in your mouth!

Itadakimasu~~

This is the "toro", this is one of the better cuts, the “fatty" cut of the tuna.

And it’s just gorgeous!

The lines in this fish are very faint so its going to be super soft, I’m really excited

to eat this!

It’s incredible!

This is beef stew from Saga Prefecture and while Saga Prefecture is probably known for

its stew, it is known for its beef!

Saga Beef is known to be very very soft and chewy and juicy

Eating stew is also perfect for the holiday season as it heats you right up!

Mm, look at those chunks of meat!

It’s so good it reminds me of slow cooker meals my mom used to make at home!

Next, we have Kurobuta no Sumibiyaki from Miyazaki Prefecture.

This is charcoal grilled pork.

And, just like with Saga Neef, depending on where and how you raise you meat, it has a

huge impact on the flavour.

You wont be able to tell just by looking at it, but it has this great charcoaled smell,

it smells like its fresh off the barbecue and Ican’t wait to try it.

That is incredibly chewy.

This one would taste great with rice too.

Next, from Nagasaki Prefecture we have Suigyoza

These gyoza are boiled, not fried, so they’re a little bit healthier for you.

They don’t use a lot of garlic so they’re nice on your breath,

and they’re small enough that they only take about one bite to eat so you can eat

a lot.

Take a look at this gyoza!

So there you have it we just tried seven foods from around Kyushu.

i don’t know why I’m saying “we”, it was totally all me, and I was hungry, and

now I’m actually getting quite full, I’m having a great time, how are you???

I think that to truly enjoy Japanese food culture you need to go all over Japan and

see the differences in the ways that regular foods are prepared, and I mean that is where

you experience true culture.

but if you can’t make it all the way down to Kyushu to try all this delicious food,

there will be a chance for you to try it in Tokyo as well!

That's right, from January 20th-24th we will be holding "KYUSHUTEN", a Kyushu food event, in Isetan Shinjuku.

January 20th in Shinjuku we will be holding an event where you can try

foods from all over kyushu and it is a great opportunity for people in Tokyo to get out

there and try some of the amazing food that I’m talking about

I will actually be at the event so if you want to come and eat food with me or talk

about kyushu or talk about anything japan related while eating delicious food, please

absolutely come out and say hi!

Looking forward to seeing you!

BYE