From Sakaiminato snow crab and Tottori wagyu to beef-bone ramen and Daisen dairy, this guide covers seven signature local flavors and where to try them.
7 Signature Foods That Define Tottori
Red Snow Crab. Recommended restaurant: Ajidokoro Misa Crab is one of the seafoods Taiwanese travelers most look forward to in Japan. Hokkaido may be the name people know first, but Tottori has been one of Japan's top crab-catching prefectures. Its nickname, "Crabtori Prefecture," is well deserved, and Sakaiminato accounts for a large share of the catch. Ajidokoro Misa may be the best-value crab meal I have had in Japan: a crab kaiseki with about one and a half crabs per person, served in a lovely Japanese garden room, for only 3,300円 (JPY). 小虎食夢網 (Xiao Hu Shi Meng Wang) Read the article Tottori Wagyu. Recommended restaurant: Yakiniku Masashige Yakiniku Masashige focuses on Tottori Wagyu and buys whole cattle, which means a wide range of rare cuts. Tottori Wagyu is also promoted for its "55 percent oleic acid" fat profile. In simple terms, the fat melts at around 40 degrees Celsius and is closer in composition to olive oil, making it feel lighter and easier on the body. The important point is that it tastes rich without feeling heavy. Yakiniku Masashige Kurayoshi Address: 589-2 Yamane, Kurayoshi, Tottori 682-0023, Japan Phone: 0858-26-2919 小虎食夢網 (Xiao Hu Shi Meng Wang) Read the article Beef-Bone Ramen. Recommended restaurant: Kamitoku Most ramen in Japan begins with pork-bone broth and is then seasoned as salt, miso or soy-sauce ramen. In Tottori, the signature style is beef-bone broth. More than 100 shops in the prefecture serve it, and one of the best known is Kamitoku, with more than 60 years of history. It has even been featured on the popular Japanese variety show Himitsu no Kenmin Show during segments on Tottori's local culture. 齊哥的食旅探go (Qi Ge de Shi Lü Tan Go) Daisen Milk. Recommended stop: Daisen Makiba Milk no Sato For milk lovers, Daisen Makiba Milk no Sato is a required stop. Try the White Rose milk soft serve, cream puffs, cakes, milk hot pot and milk curry, all built around the clean richness of Daisen dairy. Daisen Chicken. Recommended restaurant: Daisen-dori Sumibiyakitori SMILE Daisen-dori Sumibiyakitori SMILE, founded in 2009, operates many branches across Japan, including shops in Tottori and Yonago. Its defining feature is a commitment to Daisen chicken raised in Tottori Prefecture. The birds are raised with natural water, allowed room to move, and later fed without antibiotics. The result is firm, juicy meat with a good balance of muscle and fat. 齊哥的食旅探go (Qi Ge de Shi Lü Tan Go) Daisen Ham. Recommended restaurant: Terrace the Daisen Beside the Shoji Ueda Museum of Photography in Hoki, Terrace the Daisen is a small takeaway shop opened in September 2022 by Daisen Ham, a company founded in 1941. It is a pleasant place to sit down for locally made German-style food and coffee, with an unobstructed view of Mt. Daisen and the terraced fields. Japan's Only Wild-Yeast Beer. Recommended stop: Talmary Cafe and Bakery Talmary Cafe and Bakery in Chizu is a bakery, cafe and small bar with a distinctly creative spirit. Set in a renovated old house, it is known for a rare claim: its six craft beers are brewed with locally cultivated wild yeasts. The bakery also uses natural yeasts grown in-house, including sake yeast, raisin yeast, levain and beer yeast. The result is a food-and-drink experience that feels deeply tied to the local landscape.