I had 3 Weeks in Japan and I spent 4 days in Niigata which is a relatively unpopular tourist destination compared to popular cities like Hiroshima, Kobe, & Osaka (which I didn’t visit). I had the incredible experience of staying with a friend of a friend (who quickly became my friend) who was the most amazing personal tour guide!
On Day 4 in Niigata, Japan, she took me to Matsuhama Market. I always find markets to be a great peek into the heart of local culture and love discovering new foods & customs, so I loved spending the morning exploring the Matsuhama Market with it’s various fish, vegetable, meat, and fruit vendors.
Misc Vendors at the Matsuhama Market
Fu (Wheat Gluten)
I was particularly interested in the fish vendors selling cylinders of what looked like hard, dried bread which I learned is wheat gluten (fu, aka seitan) which is baked (yaki fu) into a flat wheel shape (Kuruma fu) which is often added to soups as it then absorbs the broth and softens it.
Hishi Nuts (Water Caltrop)
Next, we discovered something that even my friend and her mother had never encountered in a lifetime of coming to this market: Hishi nuts (water caltrop). We stopped and asked the seller about it and she explained that they float in the river and she goes in a boat and collects them. She then offered to take us out in her boat in the afternoon to show us! I couldn’t believe what a neat offer this would be and I would’ve loved to take her up on it, but my friend already had grand plans for the rest of the afternoon, so we had to pass on this experience. The flesh of the nut is very soft, like a chestnut, but also very salty since they are soaked in salt water to soften them. After you eat the flesh you can brew the husk into a tea which is supposed to be good for digestion.
Tofu
I was also very excited by the fresh tofu which was being made. In fact, they gave us a piece to try straight from the frier! It was so soft and custardy, a real treat.
Popoyaki
On our way out of the market we stopped by a little cart which was selling “popoyaki” which is a spongy, brown sugar hand cake that is a popular street snack for markets, fairs, etc.
Interested in more? You can read about my Day 1 in Niigata, Japan