Niigata Prefecture is Japan’s number one rice-producing region and is famous for it spremium Uonuma Koshihikari rice. The region also is known for its livestock and fishing industries. That’s one reason why Niigata Prefecture is one of the best places to enjoy hands-on foody experiences. Get to know some local specialties by making them yourself! These hands-on experiences are perfect ways to sample Niigata food and give back to local businesses and communities in Niigata Prefecture!
HOME HOME NIIGATA – Make sasa-dango (bamboo grass dumplings)
Sasa dango is a specialty of Niigata Prefecture and a type of Japanese confectionery. Sasa dango is a dark green dumpling made of grain flour kneaded with water, rolled and steamed or boiled. It is usually flavored with mugwort, filled with red bean paste, and wrapped in a bamboo leaf.
It is said that this dish was first developed as a “portable preserved food” during the Warring States period (late 15th – late 16th century), with dumplings mixed with yomogi (mugwort) and wrapped in bamboo leaves, which have antibacterial and antiseptic properties. At that time, the dumplings were not filled with red bean paste like today’s dumplings but rather with ingredients such as simmered vegetables.
HOME HOME NIIGATA offers a unique experience of making sasa dango in Tokamachi City. This travel agency offers a variety of experiences and tours so that visitors can enjoy a trip “to immerse oneself into everyday life of locals.” Everyone from children to adults can enjoy making dumplings! At the sasa dango making experience, masters will kindly teach you how to knead dumplings, to stuff them with sweet bean paste, and how to wrap them with bamboo grass. The taste of handmade, freshly steamed sasa dumplings is exceptional and different from the taste of store-bought sasa dumplings. Sasa dango can be eaten hot right after you cook them or after they cool down. You can even take them home as a souvenir. Due to the anti-bacterial properties of bamboo leaves, sasa dango can be stored for a short period of time.
We hope you will experience and taste handmade sasa dumplings on your trip to Niigata!
Business hours: According to scheduled classes
Address: 1253-2 Babacho, Tokamachi-shi
Niigata Senbei Oukoku – A rice cracker kingdom in Niigata
Niigata Prefecture, one of Japan’s leading rice-producing regions, is famous for rice, sake, and rice crackers. A rice cracker is a treat made from uruchi rice. The crackers can be baked or fried and are enjoyed in a variety of textures, depending on how they are made.
Niigata Prefecture is famous for producing approximately 60% of Japan’s annual rice crackers. Kuriyama Rice Crackers (Befco), headquartered in Niigata, is known for its hit rice crackers like “Bakauke” and “Hoshi Tabeyo,” a cute star-shaped rice cracker. On the premises of the headquarters factory, there is an experience-based rice cracker theme park called Niigata Senbei Kingdom (Niigata Rice Cracker Museum).
At Niigata Senbei Kingdom, visitors can experience a variety of rice cracker-related activities and observe the process of craftsmen making thousands of rice crackers a day. Especially for those with children, a rice cracker experience of drawing pictures and writing with soy sauce is highly recommended! You can draw your original picture with soy sauce on a large rice cracker (about 25 cm in diameter) to make your one-and-only rice cracker in the world. You can take home the rice crackers you make in a special package as a souvenir. Several other programs also are available, including a miniature rice cracker baking experience and a flavoring experience to make your own original “Bakauke” rice crackers or star-shaped “Hoshi Tabeyo” rice crackers.
After the tour, enjoy unique original foods, such as soft-serve ice cream and croquettes made from rice crackers. Also, at the souvenir shop, you will find many limited edition souvenirs of Niigata Senbei Kingdom. Don’t forget to buy some original flavored rice crackers to take home!
Business hours: 9:30-16:00 (weekdays), 9:30-17:00 (weekends and holidays)
Address: 2661 Nizaki, Kita-ku, Niigata-shi
Teradomari Fish Market (Sakana no Ameyoko) – A lively fish market street
Teradomari in Nagaoka City, located in the center of Niigata Prefecture, is a port town where ships used to leave for Sado Island. In this town, many seafood stores are lined up on Route 402, which faces the Sea of Japan. This place is commonly called Sakana no Ameyoko. Ameyoko is a famous shopping street in Ueno, Tokyo, where a variety of goods can be purchased at low prices. Teradomari‘s fish market street is called Sakana no Ameyoko because it is a place where you can buy fish at low prices, just like Tokyo’s Ameyoko.
In Teradomari Fish Market you’ll find a huge selection of fresh local seafood, as well as seafood from all over Japan! As you walk along the street feeling the pleasant sea breeze, you can hear the laughter of the customers and lively voices coming from the stalls. Every day feels like a festival here. Fresh fish is mainly brought in at Teradomari fishing port or nearby Izumozaki Port. Seasonal fish, such as sweet shrimp, squid, kampachi (amberjack), horse mackerel, and sea bream are on sale, along with some higher-end seafood, such as red snow crab and black sea bass.
Seafood can be grilled on the beach and eaten on the spot, or you can use the restaurant’s cafeteria on the second floor of the market.
Sakana-no-Ameyoko is a place where not only tourists but also locals shop on a daily basis. If you want to enjoy shopping at a leisurely pace, you may want to visit during the daytime on a weekday as it is pretty crowded during the weekends. The entire market is open until 5:00 p.m., but many stores close early, so it is best to go at noon rather than in the evening.
Business hours: 8:30-17:00
Address: Teradomari Shimoaracho, Nagaoka-shi
