Nagoya cuisine

Nagoya cuisine (名古屋めし, Nagoya meshi) is a Japanese regional cuisine of the city of Nagoya and surrounding region in Central Japan. Due to differences in culture, historical contact with other regions, climate, and availability of ingredients, Nagoya cuisine has a distinctive style and unique aspects. Although many dishes derive from local tradition, Nagoya cuisine has also been inspired by foreign cuisines such as Taiwanese cuisine and Italian cuisine. Seasonings such as hatchō miso, mame miso, or tamari (a type of soy sauce produced mainly in the region) characterize the representative foods of Nagoya cuisine.

Nagoya cuisine can be classified into five main categories:

• Miso-based (misokatsu, etc.)
• Chicken-based (tebasaki, etc.)
• Italian-style (ankake spaghetti, etc.)
• Asian-style (Taiwan ramen, etc.)
• Cafe foods (ogura toast, etc.)

Nagoya kōchin chicken has been a traditional ingredient of Nagoya cuisine since prewar times. Shrimp – especially fried shrimp, "ebi fry" (エビフライ, ebi furai), pronounced ebi furyā (エビフリャー) in Nagoya dialect – is another specialty, and is the "official marine life symbol" of the prefecture. Dishes inspired by foreign food, including various local spaghetti dishes and "Taiwanese" noodles, have become an increasingly significant part of Nagoya cuisine.