Delicacies

Saga boasts a variety of delicacies. From seafood caught at the Ariake and the Genkai Seas to meat and vegetables grown at the Sefuri Mountain Range and the Saga Plains, there are plentiful delicacies and dainties that only Saga can offer.

[A] Saga Beef (throughout Saga Prefecture)

Saga Beef is recognized as one of the best brands in Japan ranking with Matsuzaka Beef and Kobe Beef. It features fine marbled meat where fat meat minutely blends with tender lean meat. The flavorful rich sweet taste of the highest graded Japanese beef is only realized with Saga�fs mild climate, pure water and clean air. Please taste Saga beef, which is grown with utmost care in the blessed natural environment.

[B] Squid of Yobuko (Yobuko Town, Karatsu City)

The most famous specialty of Yobuko Town, Karatsu City, is fresh sashimi of squid. Squid sliced fresh and decorated on dishes are beautiful in appearance and taste superb.
After enjoying the sashimi the remaining parts are eaten as Tempura.

[C] Tofu (throughout Saga Prefecture)

Saga is a famous source of soybeans. There are many kinds of tofus made from local soybeans.
Firstly, �gHot Spring Tofu (C1)�h is a specialty of Ureshino. It is cooked in hot spring water and its mild and healthy tastes are popular amongst people of all ages.
�gGodofu (C2)�h is a specialty of Arita Town that is elaborately made with kudzu vines and starch instead of bittern. It has a glossy surface like pudding and a firmness like rice cake.

Then, �gZarudofu (C3)�h of Karatsu City. This tofu is made without being soaked in water, the natural sweetness of the soybeans melt in your mouth.
�gIshiwaridofu (C4)�h, a specialty of Kashiwa Island, Karatsu City, is said to have hit a stone and cracked it. This hard type of tofu tastes slightly salty. It is rich in nutritional value as soybeans for eight regular tofus are used for one ishiwaridofu.

[D] Takesaki Crab (Tara Town)

Takesaki crab is a nickname for a blue crab. Big Takesaki crabs measure more than 30cm across. Male crabs are best in summer and females in winter. There are many ways to enjoy the crab, such as, eating them with your fingers after dipping the crabmeat into soy sauce oil, or with a special sauce unique to each restaurant, or cooking crab in fermented bean soup, in rice porridge or in croquettes. To enjoy its natural flavor, boiling crabs in salt water is recommended. The slight sweetness of the crabmeat is difficult to describe. Kora Sake (sake heated in a crab shell after eating meat) is also recommended. In Tara Town, enjoy crab dishes after taking a hot spring bath.

[E] Kanzaki Somen Noodles (Kanzaki City Kanzaki Town)

Noodle manufacturing is thriving in Kanzaki by taking advantage of the clean spring water drawn from the Sefuri Mountain Range, the high quality flour harvested in the Saga Plains and the favorable climate. Kanzaki noodles are famous nationwide for their chewiness (al dente style noodles) and smoothness. They are boiled and served cold in summer or hot in winter.

[F] Carp Dish (Ogi City)

The water of Kiyomizu Falls is so pure that it was selected as one of the best waters in Japan. Dishes cooked with carp caught in this pure water are known as Ogi specialties, for example, carp sashimi and carp miso soup. The meat of carp grown in pure streams of the Tenzan Mountain Range is firm and its taste is refreshing without the smell typical to river fish.

[G] Grilled Turban Shell (Chinzei Town, Karatsu City)

The most famous delicacy of Cape Hado is �ggrilled turban shells�h. Local women grill fresh turban shells skillfully on the spot. Its salty taste and burned soy sauce flavor make the best harmony!

[Public Inn Cape Hado]
Public Inn Cape Hado offers delicious grilled turban shells at reasonable prices as well as various other seafood dishes.

[H] Ariake Sea Cuisine (throughout Saga City)

With a maximum tidal range of approximately 6 m, the Ariake Sea, where a huge flat land covering 6 km offshore appears, is one of the best sources of delicacies in Japan. There are many kinds of unique fish, unique in appearances and shape. Once you try them, you instantly take to them. A secret of their deliciousness lies in the fact that the mud lands take in so much nutrition from the rivers flowing into the sea. Therefore, in the rich soil of the Ariake Sea, seafood grows abundantly. Ariake Sea cuisine can be tasted mainly in Saga City.