"People in Nagoya have a strong sense of local pride."
I often hear this at the counter.
This seems to be especially true for people who come to Nagoya from other cities.
It is true that in Aichi, including Nagoya, there aren't many people who go out to continue their studies or find work.
Being the home of the Owari domain, known for its frugality, there are many conservative people there, and there are many stable manufacturing companies such as Company T, so I think the value of local, reliable companies being the best is still deeply rooted.
Come to think of it, all of my high school club members who get together every year except for one live in Aichi Prefecture.
As a matter of fact, I was born in Aichi Prefecture and work in Aichi, so I am a frog from Aichi.
However, this is not the case when it comes to Bokumo's counter, as it is a place where I, the frog, can learn about the open sea.
Yes, the people who come come from a wide variety of places, and for me, as a frog, I find it very interesting to hear about their hometowns.
Whenever I hear people from Tohoku or Hokuriku talk about seafood, I always exclaim "That's great!", and it's also fun to hear the classic line from someone from Kyoto: "There's no way there's two sides to that (grins)."
Just today, someone came to the counter for the first time and was from Tokyo. When I asked them, "What kind of restaurants have you been to?", a bunch of the incredible colorfulness of Tokyo's unique restaurants came to mind, and it was so much fun.
I'm glad I have a restaurant with a counter. I'm grateful every day that people jump into this well from all over the place.
Recently, a powerful item was added to Bokumo's counter, where conversations about hometowns tend to sprout up.
it is···
"A Guide to Local Foods in Japan's 47 Prefectures" by Yoshimi Sugawara
This is the book.
Mr. Sugawara, a supermarket researcher , is an expert on local gourmet food and has appeared in many media outlets. This new book is a picture book that introduces "local foods that have been loved for a long time" from a unique perspective that cannot be found in other regions.
When I show this book to people at the counter, I get some really fun reactions like, "Oh! That brings back memories! I used to eat this a lot when I was a kid!" or, "Wow, I didn't know that, but I might try it next time I go back to my parents' house."
In Aichi, the classics like "Sugakiya Ramen" and "Tsukemiso kakemiso" that are like air and water to us are introduced, but next to them there is "Bis-kun". Bis-kun!! lol Why are they taking that up? I think the sense of balance in the selection here is wonderful.
By the way, Mr. Sugawara is from Tokyo, but he used to live in Nagoya until recently, and he appeared at several Bokumo talk events during that time. He also participated in an excursion to visit wineries organized by Bokumo. He is a man of action.
The other day, he was in Nagoya for a television appearance, and he came to Bokumo with fellow author Toshiyuki Otake, and they introduced this new work.
Even now, when I flip through the pages, interesting local delicacies jump out at me, like Fukushima's "Aizu Snow" and Kagoshima's "Sincom No. 3." Hmm, I want to try them.
For each local food, there is a detailed description of the background of the food unique to that region, such as the story behind its creation and how it has been loved, so it feels like you are learning about folklore. I feel like having this book with me on my travels would make the trip even more exciting.
Personally, I'm salivating at the thought of how delicious it would be to combine Nagano's "Toyama Jingisu" (lamb marinated in a special sauce) with New Zealand red wine.
Next time, I think I'll ask a former Bokumo staff member in Nagano to order it for me.
This week in New Zealand
Although it is not sold by Bokumo or Bokumo Wine, there is a winery called Sileni which has a large share of the New Zealand wine market in Japan.
This Sileni is imported and sold by Enoteca, so you can purchase it at Enoteca stores and online shops nationwide.
I also like Sileni and used to buy it frequently, but the Lachic Enoteca in Nagoya where I used to buy it frequently closed down the other day.
I thought it was a great shop with its convenient location and the ability to sample drinks at the table seats, so I was sad to see it close, but then while I was walking around the other day, I discovered this!
Oh! It's not closing, it's relocating!
I'm grateful. It will open in the B1 corridor connecting Mitsukoshi and Lachic.
I asked someone knowledgeable about the situation who was at the counter at Bokumo the other day, and they told me that it had become difficult to operate while also setting up a tasting space on the first floor of Lacic, so they decided to move when their contract expired.
I see, even if it's just a tasting, it's still a food and beverage business. There must be some difficult aspects to the department store rules.
Anyway, I'm grateful that an enoteca will be opening within walking distance again.
Let's go buy some more Silene.
Oh, if you want to try New Zealand wines other than Sileni, try Bokumo Wines~♪
