Let get to know about Chiba prefecture

Special Highlights of Chiba

Chiba is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kanto region. Situated on the east coast of Honshu, the city is highly fertile as it is surrounded by the sea and river. Chiba also consists of the Boso Peninsula and the Shimoda Plateau, with a large watershed expanding along the Tonegawa River and the Kujukuri coast. In addition, Chiba’s geography unveils the aspect of the peninsula jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, which is encircled by the sea on three sides. With several scenic views, the coastal area is geographically influenced by the north-flowing Kuroshio current. As a consequence, the city is serenely warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.

The mascot of Chiba is Chiba-kun (チーバくん). The puppy-like mascot is derived from the geographical shape of the prefecture.

Chiba is spectacular with its renowned entertainment landmarks including Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Kamogawa Sea World, making the city frequented by local and foreign tourists all year round. Besides, there is an internationally famous orchard known as the Dragon Farm, where strawberries and several other mouthwatering fruits can be eaten fresh. Admittedly, this wonderful orchard has become a must-visit place among Thai people.

With a striking scenery of mountains, river, and sea, Chiba is also considered a highly fertile city with a massive number of high-quality agricultural products. The most popular fruits are pears, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, melons, Biwa (loquat), dragon fruit, and passion fruit.

Backed by abundant natural resources and unique cultivation techniques handed down from one generation to another, Chiba is renowned for being the city of the best pear cultivation in Japan. Pears grown in Chiba are distinctively sweet, succulent, and aromatic with a fleshy pulp.

Chiba’s pears are cultivated in different varieties such as Kosui, Hosui, Niigata, and Akizuki. However, the most popular variety is Hosui, which is normally harvested from August to September. Compared to the Kosui variety, the Hosui pear is extraordinarily larger in size. Additionally, as the sweet-and-sour taste makes the Honsui pear really outstanding, it can also be kept comfortably at room temperature for nearly ten days.

Aside from world-renowned agricultural products, Chiba also gains huge popularity from its high-quality seafood. With the superiority of being a coastal city where the fishing pier Joshi is located, locally obtained seafood of Chiba is widely recognized for its exceptional taste and exquisite freshness. The most famous sorts of seafood are Awabi (abalone), Ise-Ebi (Japanese lobster), Kinmedai (red snapper), and Hamaguri (soft-fleshed clam).

Awabi or abalone is considered one of the best fresh-from-the-sea seafood sources enriched with healthy protein. As Awabi is a long-lived herbivorous sea creature, it is usually served as an auspicious menu for several special occasions. Awabi can be cooked by various methods. People generally prefer to slice it in thin pieces to make a mouthwatering steak menu and enjoy it fresh with ginger and wasabi. The high-quality abalone can also be grilled, boiled into soup, or stir-fried Chinese style.

With the exquisite tenderness of the meat, nicely cooked Awabi offers a sweet-smelling taste and can be digested easily. Moreover, to really enjoy Awabi, diners are recommended to try its edible liver that can be prepared in various ways. It is great to grill the liver or mix it with Shoyu sauce and eat with the fleshy meat of Awabi. Nowadays, Awabi has become an expensive seafood menu that gains a very high market demand.

Similarly, Ise-Ebi is another must-try Japanese lobster menu. With a large and strong shell that looks like the Japanese samurai armor, the lobster can be eaten fresh or grilled. The meat is soft and easy to chew, guaranteeing that every bite will be delicious. The lobster’s meaty concentration can be pervasive in the mouth and its fragrance is second-to-none. Considered a seafood source of high commercial value due to fishery limitations, Ise-Ebi is another auspicious menu dish often reserved for various festive occasions, especially New Year’s Day, as it is a symbol of good health and longevity appreciated by Japanese people.

Kinmedai or red snapper is distinctive with its reddish body and large golden eyes. With healthy saturated fat infiltrated in the fleshy meat, Kinmendai offers a sweet-and-succulent taste and its skin can also guarantee each bite is pleasantly delicious. To get the great taste of Kinmedai, it is suggested to boil it in light soup until the extract of the fish comes out. Many people prefer to mix the fish with Miso soup, grill it to make sushi, or prepare it in a sashimi style. To eat it as a sushi or sashimi menu, it is recommended to eat with grilled fish skin to induce a perfect blend of exquisite softness and enjoyable crispiness obtained from the tasty fish.

Hamaguri is a soft-fleshed clam considered another special highlight of Chiba. Obviously, Hamaguri is extremely delicious when it is grilled on a super hot grill stove. As the shell is opened by the heat, a naturally extracted light soup can be obtained from its soft flesh. Aside from grilling, Hamaguri can also be perfect when boiled with ginger or in a light soup, steamed with Japanese wine, cooked with steamed rice, or prepared as sushi, and more.

Reference
Reference
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