Imoni (Yamagata local food)

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Yamagata has a famous traditional local food called "Imoni" (芋煮).

Latest update : 2023.10.20

Yamagata has a famous traditional local food called "Imoni" (芋煮). Imoni is basically a soy sauce based soup with taro (里芋 in Japanese), beef, green onion, etc. I quite like the imoni that my grandma cooks.

As you see the huge pot in the picture above, Yamagata holds Imoni festival in summer where imoni for thousands of people is cooked with the huge pot and served on the riverbank. Because this festival is so popular and thus crowded, local people have come up with their own way of holding a small imoni festival. It is like BBQ, but instead of grill you bring a large pot and cook their own imoni with a group of small number of people like family, friends and/or colleagues.

Imoni goes very well with sake. There will be imoni party organised as part of my tour in summer time!

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Story of Sake, Ltd

Yamagata

Story of Sake, provides you with authentic sake experience combined with the local culture of Yamagata. Once you pass the mountain ranges and enter into Yamagata, you will see the untapped nature with local culture well preserved, where prominent “made-in-Yamagata” sake is brewed. In Yamagata, you will visit some of the best sake breweries in the world, know about sake and taste sake, as you visit wineries in Bourgogne. In the evening, you will be having sake pairing dinner – the best way to enjoy sake. Further, a lot of local experiences of your taste – including activities in the preserved nature and warming in an onsen – are waiting for you.

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