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Located just to the west of Tokyo, Yamanashi Prefecture presents a very different character to the nation's capital. Yamanashi has as its dominant physical feature the rugged mountains that cover most of this prefecture. Among the Yamanashi mountains is one that goes by the name of Fuji, the highest and most famous peak in the land. On the northern slopes of picturesque Fuji are found the Fuji Five Lakes, which many would regard as among Japan's loveliest.
The mountains that do much to determine the physical character of Yamanashi also shape the local cuisine. One delicacy enjoyed by many living in Japan's highland areas are mountain vegetables (sansai). These include various plants gathered in the wild and served in a variety of ways, though a simple miso dressing perhaps best preserves their subtle flavor. Mountain regions have long been the haunt of mushroom collectors, and shiitake mushrooms are a local favorite.
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The main activity in Yamanashi is agriculture, and much of the rice produced here goes to make sake. In sake production, the vital element of koji (mold-infected rice) also appears in Yamanashi cuisine in such forms as a marinade flavoring for grilling salmon.
Though Yamanashi is famed as the wine-producing center of Japan, the local sake is most definitely the preferred beverage when enjoying the local cuisine. And for the mountain fare of this prefecture, Yamanashi Meijo is the recommended brewery. First-class sake requires first-class water, and Yamanashi Meijo, founded in 1750, is fortunate in that it can utilize its superb groundwater to craft its fine Shichiken range of sake. For many an aficionado, the pinnacle in sake making is the refined variety known as junmai daiginjo. And here, Yamanashi Meijo's majestic Inaka Sakaya no Sake is a junmai daiginjo that will delight both connoisseur and layman alike. |
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