Omi beef is Shiga's pride, Japan's first brand of beef and counted among the three great wagyu. Butchers in town hang signs and noren reading "Omi beef." I seasoned it simply with salt and pepper and served it on a bed of mizuna.
Ingredients
- Omi beef (thick cut)
- Salt
- Pepper
How I made it
- Sear the thick cut in a frying pan
- Slice it with a knife
- Season simply with salt and pepper
Sources: pref.shiga.lg.jp
This moment in the journey
An evening meal of Omihachiman specialties
Dinner was an evening of Omihachiman specialties. I sliced cucumber thinly on the board, seared a thick cut of marbled Omi beef, and carved it with a knife. Omi beef is counted among Japan's three great wagyu, and is said to be the country's oldest brand of beef. I kept it simple, with just salt and pepper.
Small dishes went out on the low table, and I poured a glass of alcohol-free beer. Red konnyaku, fine-grained and smooth, gets its color from iron; one story says Oda Nobunaga, who loved flashy things, had it dyed red. It looks festive and is nourishing too.
The pink hinona pickles had a pleasant bite, and chojifu no karashi-ae, cubes of the local chojifu wheat gluten dressed with mustard, is another dish of this region. The chewy texture of the fu kept my chopsticks coming back.
Watch this scene on YouTube4:04
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