Hohba zushi (sushi)

This is a seasonal dish of early summer using the leaves of Japanese magnolia to wrap sushi rice and ingredients. It was originally developed as a portable food for those working in farming fields or mountains since magnolia leaves have a bactericidal effect and the food could be eaten without the hand touching it. The food comes in various types; topping items are simply arranged on the sushi rice or they are mixed with the rice, etc. The ingredients may differ from region to region.

Read the recipe

Shops where you can eat treats, shops you can buy

Café Shirakawa Chaya
Higashi-Shirakawa Village, Kamo County

Address：3323-1 Goka, Higashi-Shirakawa Village, Kamo County［Map］

Phone Number：0574-78-3358

Opening Hour：9:00〜16:00

Holiday：Tuesdays, Closed during wintertime (in January, February)

Parking Capacity：10 cars

Access

Approx. 50 minutes by car from Chuo Expressway "Nakatsugawa IC"
A short walk from Nohi Bus "Shirakawa Chaya" bus stop

Taste of mom's hearty cooking using products from Higashi-Shirakawa Village

"Eat and taste good!" Smack your lips with the homemade taste. The mothers of Mimizuku (general incorporated association) have been making delicious sushi for 30 years. Koshihikari rice from Higashi-Shirakawa Village, which grew in the unique weather conditions of the mountainous area, with acorns of shiso perilla added.

Service period：From late May to mid-August
Please call us to confirm.

＜Messages from the Staff＞ We infuse our whole heart into our cooking using carefully chosen local ingredients.

We wrap ingredients one by one with great care.

The rice is koshihikari produced in Higashi-Shirakawa, the highest class with special umami taste.

Popular also is our "Tsuchinoko yaki" pancake. Meet the mythical creature!

We also offer Goheimochi, Kuri sekihan, etc. prepared heartily.

JA Green, Ajisai
Ogawa, Gero City

Address：332 Ogawa, Gero City［Map］

Phone Number：0576-25-4405

Opening Hour：8:00～17:00

Holiday：No holidays

Parking Capacity：20 cars

Access

Approx. 8 minutes by car from JR Takayama Main Line "Gero Station

The taste of the early summer rich with a popular flavor, available also in delivery service

We began serving the dish to preserve this local food as less and less households cook it in their home. Mild seasoning is characteristic of Gero region, so we use only local rice grown in Gifu prefecture and Myouga (Japanese wild ginger) to prepare the dish. It is available only from late May to early July.

Service period：From late May to early July
Please call us to confirm.

＜Messages from the Staff＞ Available only in early summer. Don't miss it.

Doing our best to deliver safe and healthy food.

Hida beef sasazushi and box lunch are among popular items.

We also deliver our products to your home.

Our products are available at local supermarkets "A-COOP" in the Gero area.

Restaurant Hizan
Kanayama-cho, Gero City

Address：1885-3 Kanayamacho-Kanayama, Gero City［Map］

Phone Number：0576－32－4040

Opening Hour：9：00～17:00

Holiday：January 1

Parking Capacity：20 cars

Access

Approx. 5 minutes by car from JR Takayama Main Line "Hida-Kanayama Station"

A simple yet elegant taste with the fresh green of mountains

Hizan, which was opened at the same time as National Route 41, has been loved by many tourists as the South gate of Hida Region. Its sushi has been highly popular for the carefully selected fresh ingredients. "Kinkotsu Lunch" using "Keichan (chicken dish)" that is eaten on a daily basis in Gero City is also a popular menu item.

Service period：From early May to early July
Please call us to confirm.

＜Messages from the Staff＞ Enjoy our simple yet tasty gourmet of countryside in pleasant early summer.

We entertain our visitors with Hohba zushi lunch sets with soba, side dishes and fruits.

It is a nostalgic and calm restaurant.

We put our hearts into cooking only strictly selected ingredients.

Hospitality provided to visitors at the gate of the Hida region.

Hohba zushi (sushi) recipe

Cooking time : about 40 minutes

Ingredients :

(serves 4)

・3 cups rice

・60ml vinegar

・80g sugar

・1 teaspoon salt

・Magnolia leaves

・Fixings：As you like

Plain egg omelet, butterbur, trout, vinegared mackerel, clam meat shimmered down in sweetened soy sauce, mushroom, red pickled ginger, shiitake, Japanese basil, green beans, mackerel, Japanese pepper leaves, etc.

Method

①Cook the rice until al-dente and mix in the vinegar mixed with sugar.

②Prepare your fixings. (Cook various items of seasonal produce and cool them separately)

③Clean any dirt off the magnolia leaves.

④Wrap some filling with a leaf, folding it over two or three times.

⑤Done！

Cooking tips

※Be gentle when you clean the magnolia leaves, so as not to break them.

※Once you prepared the fixings, place about one small bowlful of vinegared rice on a magnolia leaf and spread it about 1cm-thick.

※Put your fixings on top of it and wrap the leaf around. Leave the wraps for about half a day so that the flavor of the magnolia leaves infuses into the vinegared rice.

※If you wrap the vinegared rice in the leaves while it is still warm, the flavor of the leaves will infuse better but the leaves may discolor.

※Magnolia leaves are available at supermarkets in Gifu Prefecture. But as they are a seasonal item, there are times when they are not available.

※You can purchase them online all year around.

Hohba zushi (sushi)

Café Shirakawa Chaya Higashi-Shirakawa Village, Kamo County

JA Green, Ajisai Ogawa, Gero City

Restaurant Hizan Kanayama-cho, Gero City

■ Traditional Vegetables of Hida / Mino - Search by name

Café Shirakawa Chaya
Higashi-Shirakawa Village, Kamo County

JA Green, Ajisai
Ogawa, Gero City

Restaurant Hizan
Kanayama-cho, Gero City