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With a clear view and a clear day in Tokyo, towering over the nearby Kanto Plain can be seen the majestic twin peaks of Mount Tsukuba. Its praises sung by poets since ancient times, this mountain to the northeast of the capital is located in the heart of the prefecture that goes by the name of Ibaraki. Not too far from the famed mountain extends another natural feature for which Ibaraki is renowned. The lake of Kasumigaura is the country's second largest, and the distinctive billowing sails of the traditional fishing boats on its waters gracefully recall the Japan of long ago.
As well as mountains and its prominent lake, Ibaraki also has a long coastline, and this naturally has a strong influence on its cuisine. Locally caught salmon figures in the stew known as kasu jiru, which also contains such vegetables as carrots, Welsh onions, daikon radish and is flavored with sake lees.
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Oysters and persimmons dressed with sweetened vinegar and grated daikon are used in mizore-ae. Ibaraki is known too for the succulence of its Hitachi beef, which takes its name from the former name for the region.
The flavoring that goes into kasu jiru is related to another fine local product. In the Ibaraki town of Tomobe, north of Kasumigaura, is found Sudo Honke, which has the distinction of being the oldest sake brewery in Japan, records indicating that the beverage was made here as early as 1141. At Sudo Honke, the prime products are super-premium junmai ginjo-shu and junmai daiginjo types of sake. Within the Sudo Honke range, three names to watch for are the junmai dainginjo Kakunko, junmai ginjo-shu Sato no Homare and the unrefined sparkling sake called Yukinomai. And sampling these superior sakes shows just how over eight centuries of brewing experience translates into excellence of flavor. |
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