Shizuoka is a great place for foodies! It’s surrounded by ocean and mountains, so along with loads of amazing fresh fish and sushi, there is loads of amazing local produce and of course green tea to try! In this post, we’re rounding up 9 foods you should try when you visit Shizuoka:
Shizuoka Green Tea
Shizuoka is famous for its’ green tea- ryokucha, not matcha. This also makes a great omiyage- we recommend the chamachi area of town if you have time, there are some amazing tea shops. If you are pressed for time, the omiyage gift kiosks in the station have lots of reasonably priced options.
Shirasu
Shirasu are small white fish, which are usually served boiled, but in Shizuoka you can also try nama (raw) shirasu, which is a rarity in Japan!
Tororo
this one is for people who like trying new food- and aren’t put off by a slimy texture- Tororo is made from grated yamaimo mountain potato. You will either love it or hate it, but it’s definitely a unique food to try for the more adventurous!
Shizuoka Oden
Shizuoka is famous for its’ oden, which is like stewed vegetables. This is another one that is a bit unpalateable to some people, and definitely doesn’t look the tastiest, but trust us, it’s really yummy! Places like oden yokocho and oden-gai have a great atmosphere (and are totally instagram worthy too!)
Sakura ebi
Sakura ebi are tiny shrimps, which are laid out to dry in the sun in spring and autumn. You can buy sakura ebi furikake- which is seasoning to put on rice, which is small and would make a great omiyage for any foodie friends.
Kuro Hanpen fish cake
hanpen fishcakes are available in other parts of Japan, but Shizuoka’s are black instead of white. Try them deep fried at an izakaya!
Ocha Wari
Shizuoka’s famous green tea, but with alcohol! A must try if you’re in an izakaya.
Wasabi
Shizuoka is also famous for its’ wasabi- you can even find wasabi flavoured ice cream next to parco on Gofuku-cho dori!
Strawberries
Kuno-zan in the south along the coast is called the ‘ichigo kaigan‘ as there are loads of strawberry farms! The strawberry season is from December to early May, and you will find many small strawberry farms that do pick your own strawberries during that period. Even when the strawberries aren’t in season, you can pick up strawberry flavoured souvenirs, jam, ice cream and snacks. Read our post on Where to go in Shizuoka City: Kunozan Toshogu for more information ♡
Thanks for reading! What’s your favourite Japanese food? Are there any more famous Shizuoka foods we missed? Please let us know in the comments!
And if you’d like more information about Shizuoka, please check out our blog and our instagram page!