The Famous Cuisines - Hyogo Prefecture
Kobe Beef
Kobe Beef is a prized Japanese delicacy and probably the most widely-known regional specialty food in Japan. It is one of several breeds of Wagyu, or Japanese cattle, which are bred throughout the country and often associated with the area where they are raised. While Kobe Beef is probably the best known type of wagyu outside of Japan, there are many other breeds, such as Matsuzaka and Yonezawa Beef, that are equally or even more famous among Japanese gourmets.
Kobe Beef is usually served as steaks, shabu shabu (thin slices of meat quickly boiled in a broth) or sukiyaki (meat slices simmered in a hot pot).
Akashiyaki
Akashiyaki is a small round dumpling from the city of Akashi in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The dumpling is made of an egg-rich batter and octopus dipped into dashi (a thin fish broth) before eating. Locals refer to it simply as tamagoyaki "grilled egg". Modern style akashiyaki first started selling in the Taishō period by a yatai shopper Seitarō Mukai. There are over 70 akashiyaki shops in Akashi now.
Although takoyaki, another Japanese dumpling, is more popular in Japan, it is based on akashiyaki. Both are made with a takoyaki pan, a type of frying pan or cooktop with many hemispherical molds. Compared to takoyaki, akashiyaki has a softer, more eggy texture.
Ikanago no Kugini - Simmered Japanese Sand Lance
The unique Japanese cuisine is "simmered sand lances" which is it mixture of soy sauce, sweet rice wine, sugar and ginger turns them a "tan color" and causes them to curl up.
Funny things about this dish is the dish’s name loosely translates as “simmered nails” which comes from the curled up, brown shape the sand lance take on as they are cooked, giving an appearance similar to rusty nails. The savory and spicy-sweet elements inherent in the sand lance make it a great pairing with white rice or with sake, and it is well-liked as a common family dish, with households in the Nagata region going so far as to hold competitions on who can deliver the best rendition of the dish.
SPECIAL PLACE TO VISIT
Known as the "Castle in the Sky", because of the way it appears to be floating on a sea of clouds on foggy autumn morning, making it seem as if the castle is floating by itself. A short 30 minutes hike is all it takes to reach the romantic castle ruins, where the view from above is spectacular. if you are lucky and the weather is right, you will be able to view a sea of clouds from the top called "unkai".
Opening Hours : 9:00 - 16:00
How to Get There ??
Take the JR Bantan Line to Takeda Station. From there, take the Tenku bus which bring you halfway up and walk 20 minutes from there to the castle.
