Protected local food
Kurosaki Chamame Edamame
くろさき茶豆
A fragrant edamame from the Kurosaki area of Niigata city. Chamame means 'tea bean', for the brownish skin of the bean inside the pod.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 21 April 2017
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- くろさき茶豆
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 新潟県新潟市西区黒埼地区、新潟市西区小新的場地区、新潟市西区亀貝寅明地区
A century of selection
In the late Meiji era (early 1900s), a family in the Kurosaki area of Niigata city got chamame seed from relatives in Tsuruoka, Yamagata. Over many years, farmers in the hamlet of Kodaikata kept the best plants, and Kurosaki chamame comes from that line.
Colour, aroma and taste
Chamame means tea bean: the bean inside has a thin brownish skin. It has a strong aroma when boiled and a sweet, nutty taste that edamame fans in Japan rate highly. Plants carry more pods than ordinary edamame, and the pods are a little larger and flatter.
Hard to grow, eaten fresh
The variety is tricky to grow, so the whole area in Niigata works together on growing methods and on getting the beans to market fresh. Edamame loses flavour quickly after picking, so it is best eaten close to where it grows.
Good to know
- Edamame is a summer snack in Japan. In Niigata, order a bowl with a cold beer or local sake.
- Boil the pods in well-salted water for a few minutes and eat them warm, squeezing the beans straight from the pod.
Questions travellers ask
What is chamame?
A type of edamame (young soybeans) with a brownish skin on the bean, known for a strong aroma and sweet taste.
Where is Kurosaki Chamame grown?
In the Kurosaki area of Nishi-ku, Niigata city, Niigata Prefecture.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.