You’ll definitely want to try them! 7 Recommended Specialty Dishes of Hiroshima

Hiroshima, sandwiched by the Chugoku Mountains on the north and the Seto Inland Sea on the south, is a goldmine of ingredients harvested from the bounty of the mountains and seas. The ee-jan nabe is a hot pot dish that was developed based on the concept of enjoying various local ingredients from Hiroshima all together. This dish features Hiroshima’s very own oysters, as well as beef, pork and vegetables, all stewed in a special soup. It has been gaining popularity since it debuted in 2005, and right now, you can order this in izakaya (Japanese-style tavern) and other establishments in the region. Try it on a cold day in winter.

While the term “wani” actually means crocodile, but ancient sharks were also called “wani.” Today, “wani” still means "shark" in Hiroshima. Now when it comes to sharks, shark fin may be a high-class ingredient in Chinese cuisine, but its flesh can also be eaten. It is not the kind of fish that is generally served, so you cannot necessarily eat it everywhere in Japan. In Hiroshima, though, the flesh of minor sharks is famous as sashimi, with sushi shops in the Bihoku region serving this delicacy. This is a dish that is recommended to those who want to try fish that is a little different.

Oysters are available anywhere in the world, but in Japan, there are two places that are famous for their oysters: Miyagi and Hiroshima. The oyster output of Hiroshima is the largest in Japan, with the total volume of oysters from that region accounting for more than half of the total oyster production in the country. Japanese people eat oysters raw with just a lemon and momiji oroshi (grated daikon radish and chili), deep-fried, or in oyster rice wherein the oysters are cooked together with rice. If you happen to go to Hiroshima, then you must drop by one of the many oyster huts in the region. The oyster booths that are open near the fishing harbors only in winter are places where you can have freshly caught oysters grilled right in front of you. So, how about enjoying fresh oysters while enjoying the smell of the ocean?

Anago (conger eel) is a black, slender and snakelike fish that resembles unagi (freshwater eel). While unagi packs a lot of fat, anago has a simpler and milder taste. In Hiroshima, Miyajima is known as the home of anago. Here, people serve the famous anago-meshi, a bowl of rice topped with anago stewed or grilled in soy sauce-based sweet sauce. There are shops that sell ekiben (boxed lunch bought at train stations) with anago-meshi, so having it while traveling is also a great idea.