Niigata cuisine

Niigata Cuisine [jp. 新潟料理] is a Regional Japanese cuisine that started with Traditions consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques that are used or developed in Niigata since the Jomon Period. The name would include an assortment of cuisines found in Niigata including but not limited to: Traditional Niigata Cuisine, Niigata-Yoshoku, Niigata-Konamon, Niigata-Italian, Niigata-Chinese. It would also be made privately in homes amongst the many residence who left for Metropolitan Cities with some foods originating from other cultures. Niigata cuisine also can include specific Town-cuisines, Time period cuisines like Echigo Cuisine, and thematic cuisines like Niigata Yukiguni Cuisine. The cuisine continues to change as the tastes of the people have been exposed to other cuisines that have been seen growing in popularity being: German, French, and Korean.

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Etymology: The term "Niigata Cuisine" would refer mostly to food that came from Niigata with highly trained chefs who made Local Cuisine gourmet in restaurants and sometimes featured in media. It would describe sourcing of ingredients, regional recipes, and seen to describe both casual and formal cooking. Niigata Cuisine is an overarching term for all the areas of Niigata and revolves around the influences of "Niigata-ken Local Cuisine" from the populations that inhabit the region and its subregions that have their own sort of eating habits and tastes. 

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Traditional Cuisine: strict food ideas from Japanese Cuisine  are usually found in "Niigata Kaiseki" and are considered to be the most traditional sort of food style. For example the rule of one soup, three sides "Ichiju Issai", rice in a bowl "chawan" and main course plate "sara" or main course bowl "hachi". As many regions had different things available to them from the mountains, land, and sea, and changed seasonally the traditional niigata cuisine would adapt accordingly. The ideas are still broad and allow for creativity with the first course of Niigata Kaiseki being: (1) steamed niigata rice, (2) niigata side dishes, (3) niigata main dish, (4) niigata soup, (5) and niigata pickles. Places that have further developed on the traditional food style and presentation has been at Tatami-mat furnished Restaurants, Traditional-style Ryokan Inns, Kaiseki Specialty Restaurants, Shokudo Dining Halls, and casual Teishoku Restaurants.  

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Climate: Niigata Cuisine has developed for a very long time with stone tools of the Paleolithic, Jomon, Yayoi, and Kofun periods, however this would change as Echigo and Sado would mark as part of land-divisions in 690. The people of Echigo relied on those nearby who followed the natural timetable and the organic ways of the wet-lands resources that came from rivers, which then gotten the water from the melting-snow fall of the Yama (mountain). Cooking would be based on harmony, determination, and awareness. Only through the good and the bad can a strategy be utilized to preserve and use the environment to harvest its best resources and conserve its strengths. The endless blue skies with a cold climate makes for fertile hibernating soil of Niigata, snowmelt rich resources, and expert nurturing techniques of the farmers take advantage of the long hours of sunlight, wide temperature differences in day and night, for a great harvest. If the quality of the water is at stake the structure falls apart and the food system depletes - impending disaster.

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History: Edo Period (1603 edo to 1912 meiji), Kitamaebune (northern bound ships) the people of Hokuriku Ports had traditional trade routes that went as far as Hokkaido to Osaka and everywhere in between to improve their way of life of seaside communities that held their own resources for trade. Historically influenced by various prefectures on the route the dishes would be adapted to peoples local tastes and use various ingredients. ​The cuisine would continue to develop with the recognition of the birth of Yoshoku with Pietro Migliore "Miore" in (1881. Italiaken) in Japan that introduced many western dishes that would grow in popularity. It would end up having influences of: Yoshoku (Western Food), Japanese-Italian (Itameshi), Italian, French, Chinese, and general influences of National Japan, Konamon, along with the Snow Country (Yukiguni). 

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Modern: Niigata flows as the river with its rushing progress of understanding the bond of people and nature in the balance of holding all things tied to life together. Those of the present are blessed with the imports and exports that bring variety to an otherwise difficult to reach place with many foods being left untouched. Still the silence of the communities that hold those recipes share them willingly to those brave enough to come to the rural parts of snow country.

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The surviving eateries and festival pop-up street food scene are where some cultural finds of food lay for those who wish to gather them all will be without a doubt full will not get up, or those looking for the luxury fine dining shall be face to face with such foods at the ryokan inns where multi-course meals are to be enjoyed. Through Tradition and Modern, food innovation by survival and glory has made Niigata the cuisine that represents the Sea of Japan with the records of those who came before, region, ingredients, cultures, and cuisines from being a port.

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Today: Niigata is a snow country of well-preserved things, high-quality wetland crops, with locally grown fruits and vegetables with agriculture being vital to the lifestyle, fresh seafood and whole animal fish, rice-straw fed cattle, as well as koshi-rice-fed pork. Making full use of being aware of the land itself leads to less waste and a more unique outcome that is weaved of Niigatas history by ways of tradition. Those who lead the way are those spreading their recipes in the community and collaborating to with one another to bring Niigata cuisine to the forefront of the cooking world. A notable group that does this is the Niigata Chefs Association 新潟県中央調理師協会 where the Niigata Branch of the JAPCA (Japan Chefs Association) and is located: 2-598, Gakkomachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8126. They have active locations in: Nagaoka Niigata, Tokamachi Niigata, Naoetsu Niigata, Itoigawa Niigata, and Niigata City. 

 

[reference: JAPCA https://www.japca.or.jp/sp/member/?id=1347368257-931225, NPCA https://niigata-chorishikai.jimdofree.com/], Niigata Gastronomy Awards 2023 https://gastronomy.or.jp/1494/

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