Nishiki Market – 1,000 Foods To Eat Project

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1,000 Foods to Eat Project

I am working my way through the foods that are listed in the book 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die by Mimi Sheraton. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. A visit to Nishiki Market in Kyoto, Japan was food #37 in my project. 🙂

Ok, so Nishiki Market is not a food. The book actually lists some of what I would classify as “food experiences,” of which a visit to this amazing market in Kyoto is one.

Nishiki Market

Please forgive this terrible blurry photo! This is all I have to show the entrance to the market.

This market is a 5 block long street in central Kyoto. It is comprised of more than 100 shops, stalls, and restaurants, and is also known as Kyoto’s Kitchen. Many of the shops specialize in one particular food or item, and most everything is locally produced!

The history of the market goes back several centuries. It started as a fish market in the 1300’s!! Now it consists of a variety of retail, restaurants, and shops catering to both tourists and locals alike.

Vendors freely offer samples galore, and there are many ready to eat snacks available, some of which are not for the faint of heart!

Below you will find a picture of Tako Tamago. Tako Tamago is a candied baby octopus, stuffed with a boiled quail egg inside the head. I tried this and it was really good! It’s chewy with a combination of salty and sweet flavors, and a MUST try food when in Nishiki Market!

Snoopy Cha-Ya

One super cute cafe in Nishiki Market is Snoopy Cha-Ya. We did not eat here, but did browse their gift shop and I took a couple of pictures to indicate what kind of food they offer. Just look at how adorable these are!

I would have loved to try the Snoopy omelet or Woodstock curry as seen below!

Scenes from Nishiki Market

For a food obsessed person like myself, I was in absolute foodie heaven at Nishiki Market. I could have browsed these shops hour after hour, and day after day. Here are some scenes I captured whilst browsing this market.

The Chopstick and Dried Beans Challenge

Nishiki Market has some exquisite chopsticks for sale. In fact, chopsticks were one of our must buy souvenirs from Japan, and this is where we bought our chopsticks.

The vendor challenged my husband to The Chopstick and Dried Beans Challenge. Don’t laugh too hard. 🙂

You must take this challenge when visiting Nishiki Market!

Eating at Nishiki Market

There is one extremely important item to note about eating at this market. It is frowned upon and considered bad manners to walk and eat! So although snacks are sold everywhere, you are supposed to stand by the area where you purchased your snack, and consume it there. You can glimpse the sign in the video, along with some more delicacies at the market. 🙂

Dining at Nishiki Market

After walking and browsing for awhile, we decided to stop for a bite to eat at Tango Table Restaurant. Although there are so many places to eat in Nishiki, this is one of the few sit down and dine inside places in the market. Tango is also a brewery. 🙂

My husband is a craft beer aficionado, so he was happy.

I enjoyed a pork bun, so I was happy. 🙂

An Experience of a Lifetime!

Visiting Nishiki Market in Kyoto was an experience of a lifetime! It was absolutely incredible to discover new foods at the market. It was clean, the vendors were so friendly, and everywhere were unforgettable sights, sounds, smells, and tastes!

If you visit Japan, you MUST visit this amazing market in Kyoto!

Join Me In This 1,000 Foods Journey!

Please follow along with me on this quest to try the 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, from the book by Mimi Sheraton! Join me in this journey and discover new foods, experiences, and cuisines which I hope will add inspiration, fun, and joy to your life! For a list of the foods tried so far visit the 1,000 Foods to Eat Project page.

Please join me by signing up here. 🙂

Cheers!

Grace