Protected local food
Matsudate Shibori Daikon
松館しぼり大根
A hot local radish from Matsudate in Kazuno, Akita. It is grated and squeezed, and the fiery but sweet juice seasons noodles, hot pots and dips.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 9 April 2018
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 松館しぼり大根
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 秋田県鹿角市八幡平字松館地区
A radish for squeezing
Shibori means squeezing. This local hot radish is grated and pressed, and its juice is used as a condiment or mixed into dipping sauces. It is wedge-shaped and slightly round, large for a hot radish, with hard flesh that stores well.
Hot and sweet
The juice is fiercely hot, but the radish is also high in sugar, so you taste sweetness behind the heat. Markets pay well above ordinary daikon prices for its unique flavour.
From the cool hills
Matsudate lies in the hills of Hachimantai, Kazuno, in Akita, cool with big swings between day and night. The radish has been grown here as a winter cash crop for more than 100 years, selected over time to survive cold and frost and not split as it grows.
Good to know
- Use the juice instead of grated daikon with soba, tempura or grilled fish. Mix it with soy sauce for a sharp dipping sauce.
- In Kazuno, also try Kazuno beef. The area is the gateway to Hachimantai and Lake Towada.
Questions travellers ask
What does shibori mean?
Squeezing. The radish is grated and squeezed for its juice.
Where is Matsudate?
In the Hachimantai area of Kazuno city, northern Akita 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.