I brought back all sorts of local specialties from my trip to Hamamatsu.
Gyoza from Maruwa Shoten
These are the gyoza that locals line up for, and they are quite cheap too. Even in Hamamatsu, Japan’s number one gyoza city, this shop is counted among the very best.
Fried in a pan
They came out beautifully. A bit of crispy lace formed on them too. As you would expect from a famous shop, the gyoza tasted great. The kind of flavor that makes you reach for a beer.
Gyoza cooked properly this time
Moyashi, bean sprouts, are what make it a true Hamamatsu gyoza. You are actually supposed to arrange the gyoza in a circle, but that was a bit too much effort. Anyway, I fried up a huge batch in place of a meal, and it was excellent.
Shirasu
I thawed the frozen shirasu and ate it over hot rice, and the taste was out of this world. Shirasu are usually so tiny that there is hardly any bite to them, but the shirasu I brought back from Hamamatsu were different. So this is what the real thing tastes like.
Mehikari
These are very small fish marinated in mirin and dried. Grilled as they are, the fat just oozes out. I was surprised at how delicious they were. Items that only the locals know about really are something else. I enjoyed them so much this time that I think I will be buying them regularly from now on.