If you come to Uonuma, try the local delicacy "Raw Motsuyaki"!

What comes to mind when you think of Uonuma City 's gourmet food?

In Uonuma City , which is nurtured by abundant water, you can find a variety of delicious foods, including Uonuma Koshihikari rice, wild vegetables, and hegi soba noodles.

The local delicacy beloved by the locals of Uonuma City is , of course, "motsuyaki," or grilled pork innards.

In this article, we will introduce grilled offal (raw offal), a dish unique to Uonuma.

Uonuma City official commercial "Don't eat too much offal" won the Niigata Hometown Commercial Grand Prix

A commercial promoting Uonuma City's offal culture has won the Grand Prix at the Niigata Hometown Commercial Awards.

This commercial shows the people of Uonuma who love grilled offal. Please take a look!

• Table of Contents
• What is Uonuma's soul food, "Grilled Raw Pork Motsuna"?
• Why raw offal? The historical connection between Uonuma and grilled offal
• Enjoy fresh offal in Uonuma City! Introducing restaurants and shops where you can enjoy grilled offal
• Summary: If you come to Uonuma, try the plump and tender "motsuyaki" (grilled offal)!

What is Uonuma's soul food, "Grilled Raw Pork Motsuna"?

Grilled pork innards is a staple dish found all over the country. The pork offal used for this dish is usually pre-boiled "boiled offal."

However, in Uonuma City, there is a well-established food culture of grilling pork offal raw without pre-boiling it.

This food culture is rare even nationwide, and many people are surprised when they hear about it for the first time.

Why is Uonuma City able to offer "raw offal"?

This is because the pigs from Uonuma are raised on specially selected feed and with Uonuma 's underground water, and are processed at a slaughterhouse near the city, allowing us to handle extremely fresh raw pork offal.

However, by the time it arrives at the store, it will inevitably have an unpleasant odor, and pre-processing is crucial to remove this odor.

This process involves rinsing the meat with water and using a knife to remove excess fat as thoroughly as possible. At first glance, it may seem simple, but excessive processing can reduce the flavor of the ingredients, and insufficient processing can result in an unpleasant odor and oily texture. This is truly a task that only a craftsman can perform.

The "raw offal" made in this way has a completely different, firm texture and sweetness compared to "boiled offal."

We have received many comments such as, "I didn't like grilled offal, but I love the raw offal I eat in Uonuma City," and if you try this, your image of offal may change.

This food culture has become so established that Uonuma residents make "motsuyaki" at home almost every weekend.

Many households have grills and stoves, and on weekends, the "raw offal" sold at butcher shops and supermarkets often sells out by mid-morning.

"Let's grill offal" is more commonly used than "Let's have a BBQ," and the main dish is of course "raw offal." Other meats are served as side dishes.

There is a little trick to grilling it, and the Uonuma style is to pour the raw offal onto the grill all at once .

Do not spread it out immediately, wait until it has cooked a little all over before spreading it out.

Once it is cooked to the point of browning, it is ready to eat.

Why raw offal? The historical connection between Uonuma and grilled offal

It is said that the reason this raw offal culture took root in Uonuma City is related to the construction of the Tadami Oku in the 1950s .

* Oku Dam: A dam built across Hinoemata Village Village , Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Prefecture Prefecture and Uonuma City , Niigata Prefecture . It is a linear gravity concrete dam with a height of 157m and a total length of 480m, making it the tallest dam of its type in Japan.

First, markets and slaughterhouses were built to provide food for the people working on the dam's construction. This allowed them to obtain fresh offal, and it was also a cheap and convenient food source that provided stamina, so it is said that offal quickly became popular among the dam's construction workers.

Its popularity continues to this day, with the city lined with butchers selling raw offal and restaurants specializing in grilled offal .

When purchasing raw offal at a butcher, many stores sell two types: unseasoned and seasoned. Of these, the seasoning varies from store to store, so one of the joys of the seasoned version is finding the one that suits your taste .

Even if you try it at a specialty store, the seasoning and cutting method will vary depending on the store, so it may be a good idea to go around and try different specialty stores.

Enjoy fresh offal in Uonuma City! Introducing restaurants and shops where you can enjoy grilled offal

We will introduce restaurants and shops where you can eat grilled offal, as well as stores that offer dishes using Uonuma offal.

lunch

Store name	address	TEL	Opening hours	Closed days
Minoya *Open at night	139-3 Nanakaichi Shinden, Uonuma City	025-792-4516	11:00-13:30 17:00-21:00	Thursday

dinner

Store name	address	TEL	Opening hours	Closed days
Yamani	124-26 Izu Island , Uonuma City	025-792-0120	17:00-22:00 Last order 21:30	Sundays/Holidays
Koasa	1209-70 Izu Island , Uonuma City	025-792-8144	17:00-22:00	Irregular holidays
Grilled Motsuna Motchan	1130-1 Nakajima, Nakajima Uonuma City	025-792-7189	17:00-22:00	Tuesday
The first step to Yakiniku	968-1 Iguchi Shinden, Uonuma City	080-8119-1627	17:00-22:00	Tuesday

Buy raw offal

Store name	address	TEL	Opening hours	Closed days
Uonuma Meat	1208 Izu Island , Uonuma City	025-793-0298	9:00-18:00	Sundays (open in the morning from May to September) / Tuesdays
Seijiro Meat Shop	127-3 Nanakaichi Shinden, Uonuma City	025-792-1921	9:00-18:00	Sundays / Tuesdays *Other holidays
Wakaba	1562-4 Itagi , Uonuma City	025-793-7911	9:00-17:00	Sunday
Sakakiya	3-1 Honmachi , Uonuma City	025-792-8777	9:30-19:00	new year's day
Uonuma Hyakusaihana	260-3 Uonuma City	025-792-7066	9:00-17:00	Wednesdays from November to April
Meat Shop Maejima	177-1 Oishi , Uonuma City	025-798-20252	9:00-18:00	Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Enjoy a BBQ plan (food and equipment set plan available)

Store name	address	TEL	Opening hours	Closed days
Yu-Park Yakushi	643-1 Nanakaichi Shinden, Uonuma City	025-792-5554 (Advance reservation required)	11:00-21:00 Implementation period: Early May to late October	Wednesday
Sacred Hot Spring and Village of Interaction	583 Kiyomoto , Uonuma City	025-799-3350 (Advance reservation required)	10:00-20:00 Implementation period: End of April to mid-November	Irregular holidays
Asakusa Asakusa	887-127 Shirakawa, Uonuma City	025-796-2331 (Advance reservation required)	11:00-15:00 17:00-21:00	Need confirmation

Eat a dish using offal

Asakusa Asakusa

[Menu name] Spicy miso hormone teppanyaki set meal 1,200 yen (tax included)

This popular dish from a famous Tokyo horumon hotpot restaurant is made with Uonuma offal! The sweet and spicy miso and sesame flavor are sure to become addictive.

Asakusa Asakusa	More Information
TEL	025-796-2331
address	887-127 Shirakawa, Uonuma City
Opening hours	11:00-15:00
Closed days	Irregular holidays
Store site	Home page

Shiki no Sato Yakushi Onsen Yamabikoso

[Menu name] Uonuma Motsu Miso Butter Garlic 800 yen (tax included)

*The set meal is 1,500 yen (tax included). Raw offal is seasoned with miso, butter and garlic, and then grilled and steamed in a ceramic pot.

Yamabiko-so	More Information
TEL	025-792-7015
address	1173 Nanakaichi , Uonuma City
others	*For hotel guests only *Advance reservations required
Store site	Home page

Sudo fish shop

[Menu name] Lightly stewed offal 500 yen (tax included)

It has a light miso flavor and is a popular dish with many repeat customers!

Sudo fish shop	More Information
TEL	025-792-0313
address	503 Izu Island , Uonuma City
Opening hours	17:00-22:30 (last orders 22:00)
Closed days	Sundays and other irregular holidays
Store site	Introduction page

Restaurant Mont Blanc

[Menu name] Ginger Motsuni 480 yen (tax included)

It is simmered with root vegetables in a broth made with plenty of kelp and bonito. It is a light and comforting dish with plenty of ginger. Set meals are also available.

Mont Blanc	More Information
TEL	025-792-1052
address	646-1 Sari , Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture
Opening hours	11:00-21:00
Closed days	Thursday
Store site	Home page

Go to a BBQ spot (bring your own equipment and ingredients)

Store name	address	Advance reservation
Echigo Herb Fragrance Garden Irihirose	3118-1 Yokone , Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture	need
Hibiki no Mori Park	1531-2 Hoshimizo , Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture	need
Oyu Park	14-3 Oyu Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture Prefecture	need
Suhara Park	5171 Suhara , Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture	need
Tsukioka Park	Horinouchi 2012, Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture	need
Ginzandaira Campsite	852-19 Kitanomatazawa, Utsuno, Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture	need

Summary: If you come to Uonuma, try the plump and tender "motsuyaki" (grilled offal)!

We introduced you to "Motsuyaki," a gourmet dish loved by the locals of Uonuma.

Once you try it, you'll be hooked, so be sure to try grilled offal in Uonuma!　Uonuma City Official Site