Within the Termachi and the Shin Kyogoku Shopping Arcade are packed with trendy young shops, restaurants and selling nik-nacks, is the Nishiki Market. It's actually a normal market any locals would really go and shop for their day to day foods but for us tourists, it's a colorful but narrow market street filled with delicious delights. That's why it's known as "Kyoto's Kitchen".
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| Tsukemono |
One of the stable diet items which is found in the Japanese diet is "Tsukemono" preserved vegetables; once upon a time, there was a period when each household did have their own home picklings and preserved foods at home. It's also one of those 'must have' items during a meal along with rice and miso soup. Just looking at the variety of colourful vegetables can be refreshing, just wait till you have it. If you're not a fan of vinegar, I wouldn't suggest having it though... Most tsukemono you get in Kyoto or in Japan in general will depend on the season. Since we were there over the spring time, you'd see alot more sakura (cherry blossoms) as an ingredient and mizuna which is a thin leaf vegetable.
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| TASTING TIME!! |
One of the longest markets I've ever been to! It seems endless...
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| Aritsugu |
I couldn't resist going into this knife shop, Aritsugu, packed with chefs, cooking enthusiasts and locals. They carry an incredible selection of blades and cooking utensils which is normally found in a Japanese household. After having being a chef once myself, I felt like a kid in a candy store again. Let alone being in Nishiki Market itself.
When I captured this old man sharpening the newly bought knife by a customer who was also waiting for her new set of knives with her name carved onto, I thought he looked like he was having the best time of his life. This is what I love about people in Japan in general. Whatever they do as a career or hobby, they will pour their hearts out into it. It's very much of an inspiration for me at all times!
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| ICE CREAM TIME!!! |
Chestnuts! Get your piping hot chestnuts here!
Mouth watering food all over the place just makes you even more hungry !
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| Mainly Dried Goods |
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| Spicy Dried Shrimp |
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| I just had to have a cheeky snack before dinner |
We didn't really know where we should go to have dinner, so we headed up at Daimaru Department store for a quick and one of the cheapest dinners we had during the entire trip. I think I ate my way through the Nishiki Market a little too much, even this dinner made me feel that my eyes were bigger than my stomach.
If you do decide on buying the preserved vegetables, I would suggest buying them the day before you leave the country, as most of them are packaged and need to be refrigerated. If you're taking a short haul flight, take a cooler bag or even buy one in Japan! Plenty of choices to choose from and comes in handy when you don't want your ice cream to melt in the hot summer's heat!
Shop:
Aritsugu
Aritsugu
(Knife Shop)
219 Kajiya-cho
Nishikikoji-dori
Gokomachi nishi iru
Nakagyo-ku
Opening hours: 9.00am - 5.30pm
NOTE: They don't have their own website, but if you walk through the Nishiki Market, you'll definitely stumble upon this little shop.
Usually I hate crowds so I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish that the market I visited had been as busy as yours! So much life! Great photos :D I hope you had fun in Japan! It sure looks like you did :D -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm not too much of a fan of crowded areas too but when you're travelling, you just want to experience the local life sometimes and see what they buy especially at the markets!! I did thank you! Can't wait to go back again for more food and sightseeing ! xxx
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