Kyoto Food: Five Interesting Dishes to Try!

Kyoto food is as diverse and vibrant as the city itself. From hearty noodle soups to freshly baked pastries, you could spend a year visiting each café and restaurant and still not eat everything. Today, we’re looking at five interesting dishes that might not be as popular outside Japan.

Some foods might make you squeamish, while others will immediately win fans. However, all have a special place in Kyoto culture. We’ll also share recommendations on where to go to try these dishes. Join us as we explore the exciting world of Kyoto food!

Nishin Soba

Our first dish is an acquired taste. Nishin soba is buckwheat noodles topped with nishin (dried herring) simmered in soy sauce. It’s eaten in Kyoto City, where the soup has a lighter flavor, and in Hokkaido, where it’s stronger and sweeter. It has many health benefits, including increased vitamin and heart health and decreased blood sugar and cholesterol.

You can find Kyoto-style Nishin Soba at Michelin-starred restaurant Sohonke Nishin-Soba Matsuba. Besides the usual warm dish, it offers a cold summer version and a donburi (rice bowl) option. Nishin soba can be enjoyed throughout the year, and it’s also easy to make at home if you can’t travel out to Kyoto.

Tako Tamago

Nishiki Market is famous for its street foods, including Wagyu steak, sake, and kushiage (deep-fried meat and veggies). But its most infamous snack is tako tamago (octopus egg). Don’t worry; it’s not a real octopus egg! However, tako tamago is a quail’s egg boiled inside a small octopus marinated in a sweet sauce, creating a bizarre combination of textures.

Outside of Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, it can also be found in Osaka’s Kuromon Ichiba Market. The origins of this strange dish are unknown, but there are recipes online for you to recreate it at home (if you’re near a freshwater market, that is). While tako tamago isn’t for everyone, we recommend trying it for the experience alone.

Soy Milk Donuts

Let’s switch to something sweet. How about some soy milk donuts? Made with homemade soy milk, raw sugar from Tanegashima, and wheat from Hokkaido, these are the best donuts in Kyoto. They’re available plain or in various flavors, dusted with kinako (soybean flour), and coated in chocolate icing.

These sweet treats are available at Yamashita Tofu Donut Shop and Nishiki Market’s Konnamonja. They’re best eaten hot and fresh or reheated at home. If you’re looking for a small but tasty snack while walking Kyoto’s streets, then buy yourself a dozen (or more!) delicious soy milk donuts.

Gyukatsu

If you’re celebrating a night out with friends, we suggest you try gyukatsu. In the beef version of tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), the beef is breaded and deep fried while still cooked, and it is rare to stay tender. It’s usually served with miso soup, mugicha (barley tea), and small dishes like potato salad and shredded cabbage.

Although the dish originated in Tokyo, you can eat it at various Kyoto restaurants, including Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu. You can purchase jūbako (tiered) dinner boxes or cook it yourself on a Zen grill. And if you’d like something simple, they also make gyukatsu sando (sandwiches) using Japanese milk bread. Why not give it a try?

Green Tea Desserts

We can’t discuss Kyoto without mentioning green tea. This beverage appears in various Japanese cuisines, such as shojin ryori (Zen Buddhist cooking). It’s also an essential part of cultural holidays and religious practices. We highly recommend participating in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony if you’re ever in Kyoto.

Some of Japan’s best green tea comes from Ocha no Kyoto (Kyoto Tea Country) and is used in various dishes, including desserts. You’ll find matcha parfaits at Maiko Tea Boutique and matcha lava cake at d:matcha Kyoto CAFE & KITCHEN [sic]. And for the best soft-serve matcha ice cream, visit any of the stores in Uji City! 

Why should I try food from Kyoto?

Japanese cuisines balance textures, smells, and tastes, and Kyoto’s local food is no exception. The city showcases seasonal ingredients, home-grown grains, and fresh meat products. This is apparent with tako tamago’s flavors and the Kyoto prefectural version of nishin soba.

Buying snacks from a soy milk donut bakery or a green tea store enables tourists to learn more about Kyoto culture. They also help local businesses and vendors stay running. Even sharing a gyukatsu eatery’s social media ensures future customers know about it and become interested in visiting someday.

No matter your preferences, whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a rookie explorer, there’s something for you to try in this beautiful city. Have you eaten any Kyoto foods? Tell us in the comments.