[Fukui Prefecture] Eat, drink, and take home! Enjoy the gourmet food and souvenirs of Obama City

Obama City, the starting point of the Mackerel Highway, has long been known as Miketsukuni (the land of food), delivering seafood and other ingredients to Kyoto and supporting the food of the capital. Facing Wakasa Wakasa Bay, Obama City is rich in seafood, and you can enjoy delicacies that are colored by the sea and history, such as mackerel sushi and small sea bream sasa-zuke.

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Visit North Kansai

This is a voluntary tourism organization that promotes the attractions of the northern Kinki region of Tamba, Tajima, Tango, and Wakasa. The flavors of Northern Kinki are not limited to crab, a representative winter sea delicacy, but also include oysters, yellowtail, and pufferfish, as well as cockles, rock oysters, and white squid in the summer, and mountain flavors such as Tamba chestnuts and Tamba black beans, and the summer fruit sand dune melon, making this an area where you can enjoy gourmet food all year round. I would be happy to be able to visit the vast northern Kinki region many times and share information on railroad journeys.

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Table of Contents
What is Fukui Prefecture Obama City, Fukui Prefecture like?
Recommended gourmet food in Obama City
Drinks you should try in Obama City
Introducing popular souvenirs from Obama City!
How to get to Obama City

What is Fukui Prefecture Obama City, Fukui Prefecture like?

Known as "Nara by the Sea," the city is home to many shrines and temples, including the national treasure Myozu-ji Temple, as well as old streets such as Sancho-machi, which retains its charming streetscape, so you can enjoy visiting temples and strolling around the city.

Obama City , facing Wakasa Bay , is rich in seafood, and you can enjoy a variety of delicacies colored by the sea and history, such as mackerel sushi, pickled small sea bream, heshiko, Wakasa pufferfish, and kuzu manju.

This time, we will introduce some of Obama City's most recommended specialties.

Recommended gourmet food in Obama City

Wakasa Obama small sea bream pickled in soy sauce

Obama City in Fukui Fukui Prefecture , facing Wakasa Bay , has long been known as a region with a thriving sea bream fishing industry. "Small sea bream sasa-zuke" is a preserved food that has a fresh taste similar to sashimi, and has been popular in Kyoto.

Small sea bream from the Sea of Japan is filleted into three pieces, salted, and then added to vinegar and barreled to finish.

Its beautiful pale pink skin makes it a visually stunning sight, and it is a highly popular specialty product that represents Obama.

Mackerel dishes at the starting point of the Mackerel Highway

Obama City is the starting point of the "Mackerel Highway," which transported seafood from Kyoto, and is famous for its delicious mackerel catches, thanks to its long history. Mackerel is generally in season from autumn to winter, but in Fukui Prefecture, there is a custom of eating grilled mackerel in early July. Obama is a familiar fish to the people of Obama, and they have a special affection for it.

"Grilled mackerel" and "mackerel sushi" are must-try dishes when you come to Obama. Grilled mackerel is a whole fish grilled on a bamboo skewer and cooked slowly.

"Saba sushi" is sushi made with mackerel marinated in vinegar. During the Edo period, vinegar was not used to preserve the freshness of the mackerel when it was transported to Kyoto along the Saba Kaido road. In Obama, Obama can be cooked on the day it is caught, so you can eat fresh mackerel sushi made with mackerel that has just been caught. Each restaurant has a different cooking method, so it might be worth trying different ones.

Drinks you should try in Obama City

Junmai Ginjo "Wakasa" and Special Junmai Daiginjo "Pentagram"

Obama Brewery was established in 2018 and is the only sake brewery in Obama City, inheriting the history of Wakasa Fuji Co., Ltd., which was founded in 1865.

Among the "Wakasa" series, which is said to be a succession of sake breweries, "Junmai Ginjo Wakasa," which won a platinum award in Europe, is attracting attention. This local sake from Fukui Prefecture is brewed with Fukui yeast developed at a research institute in Fukui Obama City and underground water from the Fukui Prefecture River that flows through Obama . It has a fruity aroma and a slightly sweet, gentle taste.

The special sake "Gobōsei," featuring a five-pointed star, a symbol of Onmyōdō, on its label, has also received high praise. Brewed according to a calendar based on the phases of the moon and using locally grown sake rice, "Gobōsei" won the highest award at the 2023 Milan Sake Challenge.

Obama Brewery Co., Ltd. 18-34 Nakai , Obama City, Fukui Prefecture
https://obama-sake.com

Introducing popular souvenirs from Obama City!

Decchi Yokan

Mizu-yokan, a traditional Japanese sweet, is a representative summer treat, but "Decchi-yokan," a traditional sweet from the Wakasa region, is a winter treat. There are many Japanese confectionery shops that produce "Decchi-yokan" in Obama City, and you can even see the "Decchi-yokan Festival"in the Obama City.

The difference between this and mizu yokan is that it uses less agar, which is a coveted ingredient, and is characterized by its modest and elegant taste. The Fukui way is to eat the cold and smooth "Decchi Yokan" in a warm room during the cold winter.

Sea urchin hisio

"Hishio" is essentially a seasoning made by heating the water that comes out of salted seafood. The umami of the fish is also dissolved in the sauce, and this evolved into "fish sauce" by fermenting and aging the seafood. Because the umami of the ingredients is well preserved, it is perfect as a secret ingredient in a variety of dishes.

Among them, "Uni Hishio," developed by Obama Co., Ltd., is a fish sauce made with high-quality sea urchin. It uses a generous amount of fresh sea urchin that can be eaten raw, allowing you to enjoy its powerful umami flavor in dishes. The recommended way to eat it is to mix it with pasta to make "Uni Hishio Pasta." Sea urchin goes well with milk and mayonnaise, so you can enjoy a luxurious dish at home.

How to get to Obama City

Take the train to Obama City

●From Osaka Station or Kyoto Station

From JR Osaka Station or JR Kyoto Station, take the Thunderbird Limited Express to JR Tsuruga Station. From JR Tsuruga Station, take the Obama and get off at JR Obama Station. It takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Kyoto Station.

●From Tokyo Station

From JR Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to JR Maibara Station. From Maibara Station, transfer to the Shirasagi Limited Express to JR Tsuruga Station. From Tsuruga Station, transfer to the Obama and get off at JR Obama Station. The journey takes approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes from Tokyo Station.

Drive to Obama City

From Kyoto , take National Route 367 to Takashima Takashima City , Shiga Prefecture . From Shiga Prefecture Takashima City , take National Route 303 to Obama City, Fukui Prefecture . It takes about 2 hours from Kyoto Station.

Click here for tourist information on Obama City

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Visit North Kansai

Kyoto

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