Our Japanese Kitchen series reaches its sixth instalment where we visit Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of western Honshu. Ishikawa Prefecture is well known for its variety of well-preserved traditional arts and crafts, from gold-leafing and the pottery of Kanazawa/Kaga (a combination of which can be seen in our current exhibition at the embassy GOLD: ALL THAT GLISTERS), to the famous lacquerware of Wajima in the Noto peninsular.

My colleagues have so far introduced various famous local dishes in our Embassy's Japan Kitchen series, but there are many well-loved dishes which arguably have no 'real' local roots. One such dish is called "Omurice" (a simple dish of fried rice wrapped with an omelette). It is considered to be an all-Japan speciality, described as "yoshoku" (Western-influenced Japanese cuisine) rather than "washoku" (traditional style). However, I was intrigued when a small town in Ishikawa Prefecture, with which I have a long-standing connection, launched its Omurice no sato (home of omurice) project in 2011.

Ishikawa Prefecture is a peninsula located on the western coast of Japan's main island of Honshu. Although slightly off the beaten track for most foreign tourists to Japan, it is well known for its rich history and beautiful scenery. In the capital city of Kanazawa especially, you can witness many well preserved samurai and tea districts, and the region is noted for its traditional crafts including kimono silk dying, gold leafing and lacquerware.

The promotion of Kanazawa and its many tourist attractions has been in full force of late as a new shinkansen service is due to start running between Tokyo and Kanazawa in 2015, reducing the journey time to the region by almost half. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the first shinkansen, this new high-speed train is being eagerly anticipated.

Nagamachi samurai district in Kanazawa (photograph courtesy of JNTO)

Photograph courtesy of Hodatsushimizu Town.

In addition to Kanazawa City, the Noto Peninsular of Ishikawa Prefecture is also well worth a visit, in particular for its spectacular views and untainted countryside. My own connection with Ishikawa came about when, as a successful applicant on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, I was placed as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in a town at the start of the Noto Peninsular called Hodatsushimizu.

The town, situated on one side along a stretch of the coast known as the "Nagisa Driveway" (famous for being the longest drivable beach in Japan), also boasts the highest mountain of the Noto area - Mount Hodatsu. Many different and delicious kinds of fruit and vegetables are grown around this area, but the town is known in the region for its large harvest of figs each year.

However, it is the town's recent Omurice no sato project (Japanese only) that has been drawing in more and more visitors over the last few years. One famous story about the origin of omurice is that a young chef from Hodatsushimizu Town called Shigeo Kitahashi created the dish while working in a restaurant which later became "Hokkyokusei" (The North Star) in Osaka, sometime in 1925.

It is said that one regular customer, who had a weak constitution, would always order the same dish of omelette and plain rice. Feeling sorry for him, and being a bit of an "ideas man", one day Kitahashi decided to serve him something a bit different. Mixing mushrooms and onions with tomato ketchup and rice, he wrapped the mixture in an omelette and served it to the customer, who is said to have been delighted with the dish. On being asked what the dish was called, it is said that Kitahashi replied, "Well, it's omelette and rice together, so it's called omurice!"

To this day, a bronze statue of Kitahashi stands in Yawaragi no Sato park in Hodatsushimizu, where he stands in a pose pointing to the North Star. Kitahashi's eldest son now runs the restaurant in Osaka, and with the launch of the Omurice no sato project in Hodatsushimizu, he developed a recipe for Yawaragi Omurice, which makes use of local produce.

Along with promoting this recipe, the Omurice no sato project works with local cafes and restaurants, who have developed their own unique omurice for their menu. You can try a range of different types from carbonara omurice to omu-maki sushi!

Shigeo Kitahashi (1900 - 1966). Photograph courtesy of Hodatsushimizu Town.

Below I have shared the official recipe for Yawaragi Omurice translated into English. Although it uses some local products, these can be substituted for ingredients that you can find locally. Why not have a go at this recipe - or even try making your own take on omurice?!

Photograph courtesy of Hodatsushimizu Town

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