When mentioning Nagano Prefecture, the first highland delicacy that comes to mind is probably Shinshu soba.
Nagano is one of the few inland prefectures in Japan, surrounded by mountains and crisscrossed by clear streams, which has fostered a unique mountain dining culture. This time, I visited Nagano and specifically went to "Kirishita Soba-dokoro Sagaya" to taste the famous Kirishita soba, and unexpectedly encountered a local dish full of Nagano flavor—char sashimi.
The so-called "Kirishita soba" refers to soba cultivated in highlands where fog easily forms in the morning and evening, and the climate is cool. The area around Shinanomachi in Nagano Prefecture is a well-known production site, and the huge temperature differences between day and night, along with clear water sources, give the soba noodles a delicate aroma and a smooth texture.
I ordered the classic "duck soba" (kamo soba). Duck meat and soba noodles are a perfect match—soba noodles are refreshing, while the fatty, sweet, and rich duck meat, when blended with the broth, not only enriches the soup's flavor but also highlights the grain aroma of the soba noodles. The fine noodles carry the rich duck oil aroma as they slide down the throat, simple yet memorable.
Equally impressive is the plate of char sashimi.
Although Nagano has no sea, it boasts rich mountain streams, making river fish like char and Yamame trout important mountain products. When thinking of river fish, one might worry about a muddy taste, but char, which grows in clear, cold streams, is completely different. Properly handled char sashimi has a slightly bouncy texture; as you chew, a refreshing and elegant wild aroma gradually spreads in your mouth. Looking at the translucent fish flesh with a hint of pink in the plate, one might even momentarily lose focus, thinking they are tasting the sweet flavor of summer sweetfish.
From a bowl of exquisite soba to a plate of refreshing freshwater fish sashimi, Nagano, without an ocean, distills its high mountains and clear streams into a rich dining experience.
This meal deeply illustrates the close and intimate connection between Shinshu cuisine and this natural landscape.
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