Finding Organic and Certified Produces

Tazawako Ichi （田沢湖市） is a market that offers you a variety of local souvenirs and snacks. It is also a convenient place across the station to find locally produced fresh vegetables. Are you a health-conscious traveler? Tazawako Ichi could be an interesting place for you!

Magobei’s Jabanero Peppers!

Pension Magobei is a farmer’s inn that was the first to be involved in World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farms. They have been highly conscious in the organic farming, which has been inspiring many foreign WWOOFers (volunteers who seek for an opportunities to gain knowledge in the field) from Japan and overseas.

Magobei is known for the less common produces like wild rice, which they are known for— jabanero peppers are obviously rare in Japan. But here! These deliciously pungent gems warm you up in the cold winter!

 

Noka-Kobo Odashima’s  Akita Komachi Rice !

Mr. Odashima's Certified Akita Komachi! NEW CROP!!(新米）

A proper quality labeling is required to be certified

as a Specially Cultivated Agricultural Products (特別栽培農産物）.

Noka-kobo Odashima (農家工房小田島）, is another farmer in Tazawako Area, who is highly motivated in certified farming. Mr. Eiki Odashima represents the farm, who is dubbed as “the old man who loves sake” (酒好きおやじ). Akita Prefecture is surely known for its quality of rice. He is one of those proud rice producers of Akita, whose rice is classified as the #1 quality (一等米) and certified according to the guideline of specially cultivated agricultural products. New crop (新米) is available in a 200g package for only 300yen.

Custom Declarations for Rice?

No-- Now rice is among the NDR (No Declaration Required) items for the personal and household effect. Read the details in Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Website (Japanese).

A Quick Bite: Crispy Noodles To-Go

Menkoi-Komachi （麺恋こまち）is another rice product from Semboku City!

Menkoi-Komachi (麺恋こまち)

 

Semboku City community is making a great effort to invent new rice dishes such as Jindai Curry （あいがけ神代カレー） and Tazawako B-men （田沢湖Ｂ麺）!　Here is another one!

Stir-fried veggies and meat in thick ankake sauce is served over deep-fried thin rice vermicelli! It is sold in a to-go package— the crispy noodles and saucy veggies are individually wrapped. Available as both to-go and here order.

Pour the "an" over the crispy noodle!

Ingredients:

komatsuna (Japanese turnip), eringi (Japanese Oyster Mushroom), 

carrot, ginger, dried shrimp, and chicken.

Garnished with a slice of lemon.

Having been introduced by the City earlier this year, Menkoi-Komachi has been popular for its catchy naming and the price—only 250 yen ! Menkoi means "adorable" in Akita dialect, written with double meanings of noodles (麺）and love (恋）. The name, along with the calligraphy on the package, was created by the students of Kakundoate Minami High School. The recipe was developed by local chef.

Menkoi-Komachi (麺恋こまち）can be purchased at:

Tazawako Ichi  （田沢湖市）

Tazawako Heart Herb　（田沢湖ハートハーブ）

Arupa Komakusa （アルパこまくさ）

Murakko Bussankan （むらっこ物産館）

Kayokan　（花葉館）

Soba Goro at Tazawako Ichi

Soba Goro, is a buckwheat noodle shop managed by the same group as Tsurunoyu Onsen and Komagatake Onsen. The original Soba Goro shop is located inside of Komagatake Onsen. You can enjoy the same Soba noodle at this Tazawako Ichi location right in front of JR Tazawako Station.

Welcome to Soba Goro! Come on in!

The friendly staffs welcome you!

The interior of Soba Goro are quite appealing. The wooden furniture and wall seems to have aged well. The materials are actually taken from the old country house used by an actual household, the Urayama Family. That is why it has a nostalgic feeling like Tsurunoyu and Komagatake Onsen.

Cold and hot soba noodles! 200 yen for extra noodles and 400 yen for steamed noodle.

Besides some noodles, they serve Soba-cha Pudding (200 yen), Hideyoshi (sake: 400yen) and some Tempura (500 yen) as well.

Soba Goro’s menu appears quite simple: You can enjoy either hot or cold soba with a choice of several toppings. The simplicity is nothing but a proof of their confidence in the quality of soba. Their noodle is all made of 100% buckwheat flour and additive-free! Have you examined the list of ingredients on the packaged soba noodles? Usually, soba noodles are  made of buckwheat combined with little wheat flour. Or, the worse could be vice versa--- made of wheat with a small amount of buckwheat and still called soba.

Help yourself with Soba-cha (soba tea)!

Needless to say, Soba Goro's soba is prepared freshly in the kitchen--- You will notice the fresh scent of soba once you step in the shop. While you wait for your order, you can enjoy their flavorful soba tea! Don’t say you know the taste if you never tried real soba tea! You can indulge yourself with their flavorful soba tea which would boost your appetite! They say, if the soba chef is confident and proud of the quality, sobacha (soba tea) and sobayu (simply the hot water in which the noodle was boiled) should be served without even asking for them. Soba Goro is one of those soba shops!

From the top: Gatturi Goro, their 1.5 times extra thick noodle (750 yen)

Goro Set, a popular set menu with side dishes (1,000 yen)

Ramen Goro (700 yen)

Every one of their items is delightful! You are mostly likely wanting to return here on your next visit to Tazawako! If you are a novice with soba, you should order a Goro Set, which is a combination plate with soba and other items like tempura. There are a limited number of orders per day and it usually sells out quickly. If you are lucky to see it available, try it--- You won’t regret!

On certain days, you might be able to find Ramen Goro on the menu! Wondering why Ramen at a very good soba shop? Well, why not? Because it is a by-product of the chefs at Soba Goro who are endlessly exploring the possibility of quality noodle!

This time Ramen Goro is available until April 24th.

Ramen Goro (700 yen) is very satisfying! Will you be able to finish it?

This extra thick noodle resembling Udon is not soba --- it is Ramen, indeed --- made of wheat flour. It is very chewy and fills you up very much. The hearty soup is soy-sauce based. Many people say garlic is the kick! You have to try it!

Or, if you want to try something lighter, try this one! Kakiage Seiro (900 yen). This is very simple but satisfying plate with some steamed soba noodle and a piece of kakiage tempura (mixed and shredded ingredients deep-fried with tempura batter). You dip the hot noodle and tempura in the dipping soy sauce. It is quite simple but you will enjoy the full flavor of buckwheat. Highly recommended!

Kakiage Seiro (900 yen)

The 22nd of Each Month at Tazawako Ichi

On the 22nd of each month, a special sales event is held at Tazawako Ichi, a souvenir shop cooperatedly managed by popular local businesses. They are located right in front of JR Tazawako Station. It is a souvenir shop hard to miss and hard not to spend a long time!

Tazawako Ichi

Inside you can find liquors, honeys, local fresh vegetables, pastries, rice cakes, grains, crafts, key chains and so many other things. There is a small soba restaurant as well.

Today is April 22nd and it is the special day at Tazawako Ichi. A lot of products sold here are 20 % off. First thing you notice when you step inside is the smell of freshly baked Taiyaki, a Japanese fish-shaped cake filled with anko (sweet bean paste) and other things like egg custards. On this special day, there is a demonstration sale of Taiyaki made of rice flour (traditionally it’s made of wheat flour).

Taiyaki Demonstration!

Filled with anko (sweet bean paste) and egg custard.

In the center of the store is stand of different foods, such as fresh vegetables and other things like these!

Vegetables and rice cakes!

Some wild vegetables prepared by the local farmers are found.

Packages of Jindai Curry and Tazawako B-men.

Zengoro-dofu. Tazawako's #1 tofu brand!

Hanjuro's Rice cakes in various flavors!

Some unfamiliar kinds of edible wild plants were found this day.

There is usually a note with how you could cook them.

In the liquor corner, managed by Darumaya Shoten, you can have sake tasting! A small cup is only 100 yen, which is a reasonable price, considering this many selection of premium quality sake here! Say, you want to taste 10 different locals sake here: the total price is still only 1,000 yen! For this price, you may afford to buy a bottle of sake, but you wouldn’t be able to compare the tastes with other kinds. Here, you could do that for that price. Akita is known as the kingdom of Sake! You better take this opportunity to experience the variety of Sake tastes, while you are here! (Make sure you keep an eye on your time; otherwise, you would miss the train…)

Located on your left side near the main entrance.

Find your own favorite sake here!

And buy a bottle for a souvenir.

In the back of store is Soba Goro, a buckwheat noodle shop. Although Akita is known for the premium quality of sake, Semboku City has a few but good soba shops around. Soba Goro is, needless to say, one of the best here. It is not a very big restaurant with a space enough for up to 20 people, but there is a nostalgic and comforting feeling of old country house. The walls and furniture are actually remodeled from old country house used by an actual family. Their buckwheat noodle is 100% made of buckwheat flour. They serve hot and cold noodles. There is so much to talk about this place. More details will be explained in the next post.

Soba Goro

There is a small corner of Bee Skep, the most popular honey shop in Akita! They sell all kinds of honeys and products here. You can also have honey tasting!

Bee Skep

Rosemary, Lemon, Cofee, Orange, Blueberry, Sesame--- all kinds of honeys are available!

The transportation is not the most convenient in Akita, we admit; however, you will be able to kill some time while you enjoy some shopping and tasting of sake and sweets near the station. Just go explore the area--- you might be able to even find some hidden spot near the station. Have fun!