Protected local food
Oku-Hida Yamanomura Winter-Dried Daikon
奥飛騨山之村寒干し大根
Thick rounds of daikon radish dried in the freezing winter air of Yamanomura, a snowy village 1,000 m up in Hida, Gifu. Amber, sweet and crunchy when simmered.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 10 November 2017
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 奥飛騨山之村寒干し大根
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 岐阜県飛騨市神岡町山之村地区(岐阜県飛騨市神岡町伊西・森茂・岩井谷・下之本・瀬戸・和佐府・打保地区の総称)
Dried at minus 20
Yamanomura, in Hida city in the mountains of Gifu, sits about 1,000 m above sea level in deep snow country. In midwinter it can drop below minus 20°C. Villagers slice daikon into thick rounds and hang them in the cold wind for more than a month. Snow up to 2 m deep covers the ground, so no dust blows onto the drying radish.
Amber and crunchy
Freezing and drying turns the slices amber and concentrates their sweetness. Simmered, they have a special sweetness and a crunchy bite that fresh daikon never has. Most of the work is still done by hand.
How to eat it
Soak the slices, then simmer them in dashi with soy sauce, often with fried tofu or pork. It was a winter staple in these mountains.
Good to know
- Hida is the region of Takayama and Hida-Furukawa. Look for kanboshi daikon in local markets in winter and early spring.
- In Gifu, also try Hida beef and Dojo Hachiya Kaki.
Questions travellers ask
What is kanboshi daikon?
Daikon radish dried in the freezing winter air, a traditional preserved food.
Where is Yamanomura?
A high mountain area of Kamioka in Hida city, northern Gifu 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.