What to eat in Miyazaki: chicken nanban, jidori and mangoes

Miyazaki is one of Japan’s great farming regions, and its warm climate produces excellent chicken, beef, fruit and vegetables. Many visitors come for the food alone. Here are the dishes to look for, from the famous to the very local.

Chicken nanban

Miyazaki’s signature dish is chicken nanban: pieces of chicken coated in egg batter, fried, dipped in a sweet and sour vinegar sauce, then topped with a rich tartar sauce. It was created in the city of Nobeoka, in the north of the prefecture, in the mid-20th century, and is now eaten all over Japan. Try it as a set meal with rice and miso soup, or on a rice bowl.

Jidori chicken

Miyazaki jidori is chicken from local free-range breeds, firmer and more flavourful than ordinary chicken. The classic way to eat it is sumibiyaki: grilled over a fierce charcoal fire until it is blackened and smoky, then served sizzling on an iron plate with a little salt and yuzu pepper. It is chewy, smoky and goes perfectly with beer or shochu. Izakaya in Nishi-Tachibana in Miyazaki city serve it everywhere.

Miyazaki beef

Miyazaki’s wagyu has won the top prize at Japan’s national wagyu competition several times. It is beautifully marbled and tender. Try it as steak, grilled at a yakiniku restaurant, or in a more affordable lunch set.

Hiyajiru

A summer favourite from farming households: a cold soup of grilled miso, flaked fish and ground sesame, thinned with cold water and mixed with tofu, sliced cucumber and herbs such as shiso and myoga, then poured over warm rice. It is refreshing on a hot day.

Mangoes and citrus

Miyazaki is famous for its greenhouse-grown mangoes, which are left to ripen on the tree until they fall into nets. The very best, sold under the name Taiyo no Tamago (Egg of the Sun), are given as luxury gifts. Mangoes are in season from about April to July, but you can try mango desserts and ice cream all year. Look out too for hyuganatsu, a fragrant local citrus eaten with its soft white pith.

Local snacks and sweets

• Obi-ten: slightly sweet fried fish cakes made with tofu and brown sugar, from the castle town of Obi.
• Cheese manju: a small baked bun filled with cream cheese, sold in bakeries and souvenir shops all over the prefecture.
• Kama-age udon: thick udon noodles served straight from the pot in their cooking water, with a dipping sauce. Miyazaki has many popular udon shops.
• Lettuce maki: a sushi roll filled with lettuce, shrimp and mayonnaise, said to have been invented in Miyazaki.

Shochu

Miyazaki is one of the biggest shochu-making regions in Japan. This distilled spirit is made from sweet potatoes, barley, buckwheat or rice, and locals drink it on the rocks, mixed with water, or with hot water in winter. Ask for a local brand at any izakaya. In Takachiho, try kappo-zake, sake warmed in a fresh stem of green bamboo.

Tips

• Many small restaurants take cash only.
• Popular chicken nanban and jidori restaurants have queues at peak times. Go early, or book for dinner.
• Roadside stations, such as Michi-no-Eki Phoenix on the Nichinan coast, sell local fruit, snacks and lunch boxes.