Tasting a Japanese Horse Meat Barbecue

@Abroad in Japan

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Explore the unique flavors of Aomori Prefecture, from the sweet garlic of Takko to the rare grilled horse meat of Gonohe and the Emperor's favorite chicken in Hachinohe.

1 plan · 3 places

Plan · 3 places · Aomori, Japan

Aomori's Culinary Journey: Garlic, Horse Meat, and Royal Chicken

“We visited two neighboring towns with distinct culinary identities in Aomori, starting with Takko's garlic, then Gonohe's horse meat, and finally Hachinohe's royal chicken.”

1
Garlic Center, Takko
Gift shop · Takko
4.0 (1,037)Open · until 5 PM
Creator's voice
Takko town is Japan's biggest exporter of garlic, known for its high sugar content which makes it mild enough to eat whole cloves without a burning sensation. This center is where you can experience their unique garlic products.
Garlic Center Takko, Tatsuko-11 Takko, 田子町 Takko, Sannohe District, Aomori 039-0201, Japan
- Garlic Cola — A unique variation of cola with garlic in it. It has a kind of spiciness to the flavor that actually makes it quite nice, surprisingly. The taste of garlic is quite mild.
- Grilled Whole Garlic — A whole grilled garlic clove, served with a fork. It's the best garlic I've ever had – creamy, mild, and silky smooth, like a jacket potato mildly flavored with garlic. It completely changes your preconceptions about garlic.
2
Ogata Horse Meat Restaurant
Restaurant · Gonohe
4.4Closed · opens tomorrow 8:30 AM
Creator's voice
Located in Gonohe town, famous for its horses for over a thousand years, this restaurant specializes in grilled horse meat, a local specialty that's rare even in Japan. They've been eating horse meat here for 1,200 years.
Ogata Butcher, Bakuromachi-１８-1, Gonohe, Sannohe District, Aomori 039-1558, Japan
- Grilled Horse Meat (Sakura Niku) — Called 'Sakura Niku' (cherry blossom meat) in Japanese, this grilled horse meat is incredibly juicy and tastes a lot like beef, but it's much leaner. It's slightly chewier than beef but has a satisfying, sugary taste. It's also lower in fat, cholesterol, and calories. They even use horse oil to grill the meat.
3
Hokoruya Yakitori Restaurant
Yakitori restaurant · Hachinohe
4.5 (66)
Japan, 〒031-0072 Aomori, Hachinohe, Shiroshita, 4 Chome−7−3 鳥耕
- Shamrock Chicken Yakitori — A free-range chicken called 'shamrock chicken,' which holds the Royal Seal of Approval. Out of 60 brands of free-range chicken in Japan, this is the only one the Japanese royal family eats. If it's good enough for the Emperor, it's good enough for me!