This month (July), we’re turning our attention to Kyoto, known as the cultural heart of Japan.
Once the country’s imperial capital, Kyoto has certainly got its fair share of historic and iconic monuments and buildings. From the gold leaf adorned Kinkaku-ji – a Zen Buddhist temple, to the historic wooded Nijō Castle, and the impressive Fushimi Inari Taisha, a mountainside Shinto shrine that leads up to Mount Inari through thousands of red ‘torii’ gates.
It’s also got its own unique and interesting regional cuisine, born from both the grandeur of its historical past, and its geographically landlocked location. Being so far from the sea has had a huge influence on some of the most popular dishes in Kyoto, where you’ll find mackerel (saba) and freshwater eel (unagi) on many a menu.
To keep the inhabitants of Kyoto fuelled on their favourite mackerel 13 centuries ago, the famous “saba kaido” or mackerel road was created. Fished in the Sea of Japan, fresh mackerel was first salted and then transported from the bustling port of Obama to Japan’s then-capital city. Whilst only 45 miles away, the route took in many mountains and valleys, and back then would have taken days to complete. By the time the cargo arrived in Kyoto, the mackerel was perfectly cured and ready for use in a variety of dishes, the most famous being, saba zushi, or pickled mackerel sushi.
Eel (unagi), on the other hand, has long thrived in Kyoto’s rivers and ponds, and has been a prized dish for many generations. Unagi’s popularity can be seen throughout Japan, with an estimated 56k tonnes of freshwater eel consumed each year.
On top of these delicacies, Kyoto is also hugely famous for its matcha and green tea. Cultivated in Uji just south of Kyoto, matcha tea and traditional matcha tea ceremonies can be enjoyed throughout the city, along with a range of other matcha-inspired sweets, pastries, ice creams, and even savoury dishes.
Kyoto also boasts a really vibrant drinking culture, with a huge choice of izakayas (traditional Japanese pubs) to visit, perfect for unwinding after a long day.
So, for this months special cocktail, we’re paying homage to the cultural roots of Kyoto and the city’s modern bar scene, with a cocktail named the DIPLOMAT’S SON. Why you ask? Well, in 1860 a guy called Jerry Thomas in New York City created a cocktail for the first Japanese diplomats when they visited the US from Kyoto (when it was still Japan’s capital city). We’ve made our own version of this cocktail using Roku gin combined with a mist of American whisky.
Kanpai!
