Protected local food
Shimizumori Nanba
清水森ナンバ
A big, mild heirloom chili from Hirosaki in Aomori, grown since the Edo period. It nearly disappeared, and once only a single farm grew it.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 23 December 2020
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 清水森ナンバ
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 青森県弘前市、平川市、中津軽郡西目屋村、南津軽郡田舎館村及び大鰐町
A mild, sweet chili
Nanba is the old Tsugaru word for chili. Shimizumori nanba is long and large with broad shoulders. It has less of the compounds that make chilies hot, so the heat is mellow and slightly sweet, with a distinctive flavour that goes with many foods. It is eaten as a vegetable and used dried as a spice.
Saved by one farm
It has grown around Hirosaki, Aomori, since the Edo period, because summer highs at harvest time match what chilies like. Farmers grew it widely until the late 1960s, then cheap imports took over. By the 2000s only one household in the Shimizumori district still grew it. A group of growers, local government and researchers then took charge of the seed, trained growers and sold the crop together, and production has slowly grown.
Where it grows
Today it grows in Hirosaki, Hirakawa, Nishimeya, Inakadate and Owani.
Good to know
- Look for nanba miso, chili sauces and dried chili in Hirosaki shops.
- Hirosaki Castle is one of Japan's top cherry blossom spots in late April.
Questions travellers ask
Is it very hot?
No. It is known for a mellow heat with a touch of sweetness.
Why is it called nanba?
Nanba is an old word for chili in the Tsugaru area of Aomori.
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.