Protected local food
Tamura Egoma Oil
たむらのエゴマ油
Oil pressed from egoma, or perilla seeds, grown in the cool hills of Tamura, Fukushima. It has a strong natural aroma and a clean taste.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 31 January 2023
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- たむらのエゴマ油
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 福島県田村市
Perilla seed oil
Egoma is perilla, a mint-family plant whose small seeds are pressed for oil. Tamura egoma oil has a strong, natural egoma aroma and very little of the stale taste that oxidised oil can have. It is good both cold-pressed and made from roasted seeds.
A cool-climate crop
Egoma likes cool, damp weather, and it has long grown as a native crop in Tamura city, Fukushima, in the Abukuma highlands. Growers harvest carefully so the seeds are not damaged, which keeps the oil clean.
Good to know
- Drizzle egoma oil over salad, tofu or natto rather than cooking with it at high heat.
- Tamura is home to Abukuma Cave, one of Japan's biggest limestone caves.
Questions travellers ask
What is egoma?
Perilla (Perilla frutescens), a relative of shiso grown for its oil-rich seeds.
Can I cook with it?
It is best raw or added at the end. High heat spoils its aroma.
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.