Miyagi Sendai Cuisine Regional Specialties
Miyagi Prefecture, Tohoku region — shaped by Sanriku marine geography
Miyagi Prefecture, centered on Sendai, is known as the 'seafood prefecture' of Tohoku — Sanriku Coast produces Japan's finest oysters (kaki), sea urchin (uni), abalone (awabi), and wakame seaweed. The cold Oyashio and warm Tsushima currents meeting creates extraordinarily rich marine environment. Land specialties: Sendai miso (dark hatcho-style with complex fermentation), gyutan (beef tongue grilling culture unique to Sendai), zunda (edamame sweet paste used in mochi and desserts), and harakomeshi (salmon and roe on rice). Sendai's gyutan culture emerged post-WWII from American beef importation — tongue was not consumed by Americans so became locally available and affordable.