Healthy cooking ingredients, both popular and traditional -get them at Akihabara's popular new location, "Chabara"!
At “Chabara,” which opened in Akihabara, there is a wide array of food products from locations around Japan. We will have picked up some healthy food products, both popular and traditional, and will introduce them to you!
These warrant a look from people who are interested in health-friendly Japanese foods, people who want to know about Japanese trends, and people looking for delicious gifts!
There is a wide array of popular, healthy food products at this “food theme park”!
This is “Chabara,” which just opened on July 5, 2013. The theme of this facility, which was built underneath the train tracks just a one-minute walk from JR Akihabara Station’s Electric Town Exit, is “the food of Japan.” In “Nippon Hyakkaten Shokuhinkan,” the main area of the facility, food from various regions of Japan are lined up one after another. Seeing these items, carefully chosen by buyers with an emphasis on deliciousness and healthiness, you can get a full-on view of the current trends in Japanese food and health!
In addition, at the four restaurants here, you can freely experience Japanese food culture. Certainly, this facility can be called a "Japanese food theme park&!
First, we’ll talk about healthy food products, which have been a hot topic of attention in recent years. The products we’ll introduce mainly range from 150 to 1,000 yen in price, so by all means, feel free to give them a try!
Popular Food Product #1 - Koji, a Fermented Food Product
Koji, which was featured in “Japan Hot Now!” last year, continues to be extremely popular. Koji is a fermented food product made by cultivating koji mold on grains such as rice. In addition to including B vitamins, which assist with recovery from fatigue, increase metabolism, and contribute to beautiful skin, it also contains such ingredients as enzymes, which help break down proteins and assist with gastrointestinal function. In addition, it also contributes greatly to improving the intestinal environment. It approaches health on a number of fronts.
If you search for it, check for food products with “麹” or “糀,” which mean koji, written on them.
(Left) Dried rice koji, which is used in a variety of cooking, such as amazake [a sweet drink made from fermented rice]. (Center) Shio koji [salted koji], which is used as a seasoning. Coat meat with this and cook it, and the enzymes will work to increase the dish's softness, while also decreasing the burden on your stomach and intestines. (Right) Lemon jam with koji, which allows you to consume koji without having to cook.
Amazake is a representative example of a product made using koji. It is rich with glucose, a source of energy, and is also great for nutritional fortification and preventing heat fatigue during hot seasons.
At “Kuramoto Stand,” a restaurant inside the facility, you can eat menu items that include “sakasuke,” an original fermented food product. Sakasuke is a fermented food product in which three types of lactic acid bacteria have been added to sake lees from “Kikusui,” a refined sake from Niigata Prefecture.
“Sakasuke Pancake Double Berry” (1,200 yen). Aside from this, there are also smoothies and pastas that include sakasuke. Maybe the next big thing after koji will be sakasuke?!
Popular Food Product #2 - Enoki Mushrooms
Of all the low-calorie mushrooms, the one gaining the most attention is the enoki. It’s said that enoki mushrooms contain lots of mushroom chitosan, which is effective in controlling fat absorption and burning fat. In recent years, the “enoki ice diet” has seen booming popularity! “Enoki ice” is an item in which enoki mushrooms are made into a paste, boiled to extract the flavor, and then frozen. With a bit of work, you can efficiently take in healthy ingredients, and we’re told that if you make small pieces of ice, you can easily add them to dishes such as miso soup.
If you look for products that use enoki mushrooms, use the characters “えのき” and “エノキ” as a guide.
(Two items on upper left) Soy sauce-flavored enoki mushrooms, which you can eat with white rice, and enoki jam. (Bottom left) Rice crackers using “enoki ice,” where you can enjoy the subtle flavor of enoki mushrooms. (Right) A sun-dried enoki mushroom snack, which you can make great use of while you’re on a diet.
Curry pouch containing enoki mushrooms. On the right is a product that uses “enoki ice.” Another selling point is that it’s low in calories--just 152 calories for a one-person portion. All of these items use enoki mushrooms from Nagano Prefecture, which is an area famous for mushroom production.
Popular food product #3 - Burdock Tea
This tea is made by a pharmaceutical company in Tokushima Prefecture and uses 100% domestically produced burdock. Since it’s lightweight, it’s perfect as a gift!
Of all the healthy teas, this one is getting the most notice by far! In addition to polyphenols, burdock also contains saponins, which have an anti-aging effect, as well as inulins, which are effective as a measure against cold sensitivity and swelling. For those concerned with anti-aging, this tea is creating quite a stir! The fragrant burdock is distinctive for its aroma.
Popular Food Product #4 - Ginger
On the right is powdered ginger, which you can quickly add to recipes or beverages. On the left are okoshi [sweet roasted rice cakes], candies, and other snacks. All of these items use ginger made in Kochi prefecture, the largest ginger producer in Japan.
Ginger is gaining popularity as a cooking ingredient that promotes blood circulation and has a fat burning effect. In the past few years, the ginger boom has picked up steam, with restaurants specializing in ginger recipes opening and food products containing ginger appearing one after another.
There is a variety of food products with ginger here as well, so try searching for packages with “しょうが” or “生姜” written on them.
Popular Item #5 - Nonalcoholic Beer-Flavored Beverages
“Kumamon,” the Kumamoto Prefecture mascot drawn on the can, is popular throughout Japan! On the right are soy sauce-flavored bean jam buns, also with Kumamon drawn on the package.
These days, beer-style beverages with zero alcohol, sugar, or purines are soaring in popularity. Here, there is a drink with just zero alcohol, with 18 calories for every 100 ml--low-calorie compared to beer. We hear that it's distinctive for its fruity flavor, which comes from using juice from green mandarins made in Kumamoto Prefecture.
You can’t miss these traditional, healthy food products, either!
At “Nippon Hyakkaten Shokuhinkan,” there is also a rich variety of time-honored Japanese cooking ingredients. In particular, items that take in tradition while also evolving in a unique way are fantastic for gifts! If you visit, by all means, take a look!
Meat-Style Soy Food Products
These are meat-style cooking ingredients, made from soy. From the left are items to be cooked in the style of deep-fried chicken, beef rice bowls, and ginger-fried pork. We hear that the makers are especially proud of the texture--you won’t believe they’re made from soy!
At “Komaki Shokudo: Kamakura Fushikian,” a restaurant specializing in vegetarian cuisine, there is a 950 yen set lunch of the day. Sometimes meat-style dishes using soy or wheat are offered. On the lower-right of the large plate is kuruma-bu [a wheel-shaped gluten cake] prepared in the style of a deep-fried pork cutlet. Besides these items, you can enjoy other typical Japanese dishes, such as takikomigohan [rice mixed and boiled with various ingredients].
Konjac [Devil’s Tongue] Chips
This is a snack using non-calorie konjac. From the left, there are black pepper, ume shiso [Japanese apricot and perilla], and soy sauce flavors. They have a fascinating, soft texture, and can help out when you are on a diet and feel hungry.
Rice Syrup Jam
This is a sugar-free jam that uses syrup made from rice. From the left, there are sweet potato, blueberry, and strawberry flavors. They come in cute packages, so they’re sure to please as a gift as well!
Check out these Chabara shops as well!
Inside the facility, besides “Nippon Hyakkaten Shokuhinkan” and the two restaurants we introduced, there are two additional restaurants, which are described below. How about taking a break from shopping and stopping by?
Café de Kampoh
This restaurant serves up healthy, delicious drinks and light meals, mainly featuring natural ingredients centering on Japanese medicinal herbs. They also sell original teas and cordial syrups.
Yanaka Coffeeten
This is an authentic coffee shop that roasts tens of types of coffee beans and provides them to you. The Japanese atmosphere of the interior is appealing as well.
Chabara Aki-Oka Marche
8-2 Kanda-Neribeicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Store Hours: 11 AM - 8 PM
Phone: 03-3258-0051 (Direct to Nippon Hyakkaten Shokuhinkan)
http://www.jrtk.jp/chabara
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