Healthy eating in Niigata

I was inspired by ToneToEdo's recent post about Okinawan cuisine and how it promotes longevity, and it got me thinking about some regional-specific foods here in Niigata and how many of them are very healthful themselves. If you are living in Niigata or plan to visit the prefecture in the future, these are some local favorites to look out for that have numerous health benefits to them.

Hegi Soba

One of the most representative foods of Niigata is hegi soba, which is a type of soba noodle that uses nori as a binder. Nori is packed full of vitamins, and is regarded by many people as a superfood – and the same goes for buckwheat, the primary component of the noodles. They're delicious to boot, and presented in a very aesthetically pleasing way.

Hegi soba at a restaurant in Tsunan, Niigata Prefecture.

Sasadango

If you're in the mood for something more sweet, I recommend trying sasadango. This Niigata sweet is made of chewy yomogi mochi filled with red bean paste, and it's all wrapped up in a bamboo leaf to keep it fresh and intact. Apart from just looking cool, the health benefits of sasadango are numerous. Yomogi (also known as mugwort) has been used in a medicinal form for multiple millennia now, with benefits such as improving blood flow and working as an antioxidant. From a nutritional standpoint, the plant is packed with B vitamins and dietary fiber, so there really are some hidden health benefits to this sweet!

As for the red beans, they also have benefits – they're a good source of iron, phosphorus, and potassium, plus they are protein-filled and another way to reach your daily fiber intake.

Sasadango is Niigata's representative sweet, and it has a host of great nutritional benefits in addition to just being delicious! Pic Credit: Yuichi Sakuraba/CC By NC 2.0

Noppe

If you're looking for a way to meet your veggie consumption goals, noppe is a great place to start. This stew-like dish incorporates a variety of ingredients including carrots, radishes, mushrooms, and konjac, the latter of which has several unique benefits including keeping you fuller for longer, helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and even assisting with allergies and helping wounds heal faster. 

Noppe's ingredients differ depending on who's making it, but it typically includes a combo of veggies like carrots, radish, mushrooms, and konjac. Pic Credit: Nubobo/CC By 2.0