Food stories that make travel more interesting.

Hello! This is Koreeda from The SUZUTIMES editorial department.

Summer vacation is almost here.

With the Nagaoka Fireworks season approaching, we have been hearing the words "travel" and "returning home" more often.

When you go on a trip, you want to eat things unique to that area, don't you?

Seafood is famous, so let's have sushi. Because it's Niigata, let's eat rice.

That is, of course, also a pleasure of traveling.

What we find interesting is the background behind "what to eat" (or rather, the origin?), specifically "why that dish was born in that land."

Every land has its own reasons. Things that were necessary precisely because of those conditions.

In Niigata, for example, there is a fermentation culture that grew precisely because of the heavy snowfall. It was wisdom for surviving long, harsh winters, and also an ingenuity that utilized the clear, crisp winter cold and the summer heat.

The rice is delicious because of the abundant water and the difference in temperature.

The fact that fresh, colorful summer vegetables line the table in the summer is also a result of living in harmony with the seasons.

In this way, every region has its own unique climate and topography, which creates its "food culture."

Therefore, a dish eaten while traveling is packed not only with the appeal of being a "local specialty" or "delicious," but also with the history and lifestyle of that land.

Going one step beyond (or before?) eating "local specialties"

Of course, I often choose dishes simply because they are "local specialties," and that is the real thrill of travel.

But when you know the background of how that dish was born, the way you taste it changes a little.

Why this ingredient? Why this seasoning? Why is it still loved today?

I think there are moments when just knowing such things turns "delicious" into "interesting."

Many local specialties were not born because someone thought, "Let's create this," but rather grew naturally from within the lives of the people in that land.

That is why I believe that knowing the background makes travel much, much more interesting.

Recommendations for supermarkets when traveling

I always visit a supermarket when I travel.
While souvenir shops at tourist spots and roadside stations are certainly fun, they are the best places to see what the local people actually eat on a daily basis.

Seasonings and side dishes I've never seen locally.
The types of sashimi and miso available.

Even just seeing those things leads to discoveries like, 'So this is what is loved in this region.'

By the way, things I noticed at supermarkets in Niigata were:
・The sashimi is cut into thick slices
・'Koshi no Murasaki' is sold everywhere
・It was the first time I was told 'Please' when being handed a plastic shopping bag
(laughs)

Also, speaking of supermarkets in Niigata, there is 'Harashin'.
Many of their stores are open 24 hours, and they have saved me many times.

It is definitely a spot I would like you to visit while you are in a tourist area.

If you are coming to Nagaoka this summer...

In terms of upcoming events, there is the Nagaoka Festival on August 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
The two days of the Nagaoka Fireworks, in particular, are, as everyone knows, the days when Nagaoka is at its most lively.

If you are coming all the way to Nagaoka during that time, a recommended place I would love for you to visit as well is 'Settaya'.

The charm of Settaya is not just that it is lined with historical buildings.

Even now, there are artisans making miso, soy sauce, and sake, and that aroma drifts through the town, with local people living all around it.

It is not just preserved as a 'cultural asset,' but is still alive as an active culture.
I think that is what makes this town interesting.

Walking through a town where fermentation culture that has continued since the Edo period is still alive, I feel something like the 'amazing power of being able to enjoy things born in this land even today.'

Yoshinogawa, the oldest sake brewery in Niigata, and the aforementioned 'Koshi no Murasaki' are also in this area.

It might not be a typical 'tourist spot' or a 'major destination.'

However, that is precisely why I think it is a special space where you can touch the daily life of the land and the things rooted there.

As for SUZU stores,6SUBI and WILLOW HOUSE are also in the same area!

It is one stop from JR Nagaoka Station. You can also walk around from Miyauchi Station, so I would be happy if you could extend your trip there before or after the fireworks.

I have come to think more and more each year that travel is not just about visiting famous places.

Getting a little touch of local life.
Learning the background of the dining table.

I believe that such moments lead to the feeling of 'I want to come back again' by the time you head home.

Whether you are visiting Niigata this summer or traveling somewhere else.

I hope you will try not only tasting the local specialties but also paying a little attention to their background.
It will surely make your encounter with that land even more interesting.

We also want to continue sharing the charm of the region in a way that can be a catalyst for such journeys.

See you next week!

Koreeda