[Fukui Prefecture] Eat, drink, and take home! Try the gourmet food and souvenirs of Mihama Town

• Table of Contents
• What kind of place is Mihama Town in Fukui Prefecture ?
• Recommended gourmet food in Mihama Town
• Alcohol you'll want to try in Mihama Town
• If you want to buy souvenirs in Mihama Town, this is the place!
• How to get to Mihama Town

What kind of place is Mihama Town in Fukui Prefecture ?

Mihama Town is located in the southwestern part of Fukui Prefecture, and is easily accessible from Shiga Shiga Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya, and is conveniently located by car or Shinkansen. With the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga Station, it has also become easier to access from Tokyo.

As its name suggests, Mihama is a town with a beautiful beach. It is a place rich in nature, with not only a beautiful ocean but also lakes and rivers.

The town's scenery changes with the seasons, captivating many visitors, including the pure white sand beach of Suishohama and the mystical five-colored Mikata Five Lakes, which are registered as a Ramsar Convention wetland.

Surrounded by a rich variety of nature, including the sea, mountains, rivers, and lakes, Mihama Town is a treasure trove of fresh ingredients, including seafood. There is an abundance of delicious food, including seafood such as "heshiko" and "kanburi" (cold yellowtail), preserved foods packed with human ingenuity, mountain produce such as wild vegetables and game, and local sake that has fans all over the country.

This time, we will introduce some of Mihama Town's most recommended specialties.

Recommended gourmet food in Mihama Town

Heshiko, a traditional food of the Wakasa region

Heshiko is a type of fish pickled in rice bran, and is a local dish from the Wakasa region of Fukui Prefecture . It is made by salting fish such as mackerel and letting it age for a long period of time. It has long been eaten as a preserved food for the winter to help people get through the harsh cold of winter.

It is said that Mihama Town began to produce it extensively from the mid-Edo period as a valuable source of protein during the winter when fishing trips were often not possible.

Mihama is characterized by its two-stage pickling process. It is characterized by the addition of unique secret ingredients such as soy sauce, mirin, sake lees, and chili peppers during the final pickling process, resulting in a low-salt, delicious flavor not found in other regions. Mackerel and other fish are salted, and the resulting hisio salt is called "shie," which is used as a base for the final pickling process with a secret sauce and rice bran, and then the sauce is left to ferment in a barrel for about a year. The secret sauce varies and is unique to each household and restaurant.

Heshiko is typically eaten grilled. When grilled, the mackerel's fat seeps out, allowing you to enjoy its salty and savory flavor. It is perfect as part of a meal or as a snack with alcohol. It has a strong salty flavor, packed with the richness and umami of the fish's fat, and has a unique flavor that is sometimes described as "Japanese ambicho" or "cheese of the sea."

In addition, fresh heshiko can be used as sashimi, or for first-timers, as a topping for ochazuke, or for those who want to experiment, as a topping for pizza or pasta.

The best winter yellowtail: "Hirugahibiki"

Yellowtail, a fish that Japanese people love to eat, is best eaten from late November to early February and is known as winter yellowtail. It is a luxury food that is rich in fat and flavor even in winter, and the waters off Wakasa Bay Bay are particularly known as a good fishing ground for winter yellowtail. Its flesh is firm from being tossed about by rough waves and is well-stocked with nutrients.

Among them, the winter yellowtail caught in Hyuga , Mihama Town, is known as the brand fish "Hiruga Hibiki" and is highly acclaimed for its delicious taste.

Ikekoshi means bringing the fish home alive, and then draining the blood and nerves to remove any unpleasant odor, allowing you to enjoy the fish in its freshest state. Its rich, fatty flavor is very popular among gourmets.

If you want to enjoy the deliciousness of winter yellowtail as it is, sashimi is the best way to do it. In Mihama Town, you can taste fresh winter yellowtail that has just been caught. Another option is "buri shabu," where yellowtail is gently dipped in broth and eaten, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and delicious flavor.

Alcohol you'll want to try in Mihama Town

Hayaseura

Miyake Hikoemon Sake Brewery was founded in 1718 and is a long-established sake brewery in Mihama Town with a history of over 300 years. Its flagship brand, Hayaseura, is a popular sake with many fans nationwide.

It is characterized by a dry, well-balanced flavor, nurtured by spring water with a strong fermenting power, and is a rich, savory sake that is satisfying to drink but not tiring to drink. With a diverse lineup for each season, it continues to convey traditional sake brewing that continues to be closely aligned with local food culture.

● Miyake Hikoemon Sake Brewery Ltd.
21-7 Hayase , Mihama Town, Fukui Prefecture
https://www.Fukuisake.jp/akuramoto.php?id=30

If you want to buy souvenirs in Mihama Town, this is the place!

If you're looking to buy souvenirs in Mihama Town, we recommend the roadside station, which sells a variety of local specialties.

Roadside station "Wakasa Mihama Hamabiyori"

Wakasa Mihama Hamabiyori, a roadside station that opened in June 2023, is located in front of JR Mihama Station along National Route 27. The two-story facility houses a direct sales area for local agricultural and marine products, as well as a restaurant and cafe that uses local ingredients, and a bar that serves Mihama's famous sake, Hayaseura, allowing you to enjoy the delicious food of Mihama in a variety of ways.

The agricultural, forestry and fishery direct sales store has a wide selection of local vegetables, processed heshiko products, and seafood such as dried fish dried in volcanic ash.

● Roadside station "Wakasa Mihama Hamabiyori" 35-15-1 Matsubara , Mihama- Mihama Town , Fukui Prefecture
https://hamabiyon.com

How to get to Mihama Town

Take the train to Mihama Town

●From Osaka Station or Kyoto Station

From JR Osaka Station, JR Osaka Station, or JR Kyoto Station, take the limited express "Sandbird" to JR Tsuruga Station. From Tsuruga Station, take the Obama to JR Mihama Station, which takes about 20 minutes.

●From Tokyo Station

From JR Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to JR Maibara Station, then transfer to the Maibara Main Line to JR Tsuruga Station.

Drive to Mihama Town

From Kyoto, head towards Shiga via National Highways 1 and 8. Head north on National Highway 303 and then take National Highway 27 to JR Mihama Station. It takes about two hours to get from JR Kyoto Station to Mihama Town.

For tourist information on Mihama Town, click here