I think that one of Japan’s charms is represented by the seasonal changes that occur every year.
In the changes that take place every year, we can also talk about seasonal food.
Everyone knows that spring is characterized by sakura, cherry blossoms, and everything pink.
In autumn, we have chestnuts, browns, while winter has nabe, white chocolate, and hot cocoa.
How about summer, then?
For me, the first thing that comes to mind is ice-cream and shaved ice(kaki goori).
Ice cream and shaved ice are indeed very popular during this season and a lot of seasonal fruits, such as watermelons, melons, blueberries are often included in the ingredients of seasonal dishes on the restaurants’ menus.
However, besides ice-cream and shaved ice, we also have corn and cold noodles during summertime in Japan.
Many people love eating cold noodles such as soba, Soumen, tsukemen during summer and some parents even put it in their children’s’ lunch boxes/bento as it is so easy to make and it also tastes delicious.
Needless to say, many restaurants start their summer limited edition menu around June and offer many discounts during this time of the year. Stores, too, have quite a few seasonal ingredients we should pay attention to.
Here I will introduce you some of these for reference if you plan on coming to Japan during summer:
An innovative concept for this summer is the Souramen dry noodles you can buy for only 265 yen (excluding tax).
These noodles offer the richness of ramen, but with the freshness of soumen.
You will understand what I am saying after trying it.
The product is indeed unique and tastes like nothing I tried before.
One thing I know for sure, it is delicious, quick, and perfect for the hot summers in Japan.
The seven-colored soumen not only comes in seven beautiful colors but also has seven different flavors: plain, yuzu, pumpkin, pickled plum(ume), spinach, murasaki sweet potato (purple sweet potato) and gobo(burdock).
Hokkaido is well-known for its delicious and sweet melons and fortunately, it can also be delivered online.
You can buy one for just 2,980 yen.
Eating out:
Takakura Machi Coffee Summer Menu
Takakura Machi Coffee offers a summer limited menu and sweets such as ricotta pancakes with fresh blueberries and framboise cream, sweet and sour, starting from June 11th.
They also have new dishes perfect for this season such as Salmon Pasta Tsukemen Style, Cold Pasta with plenty of veggies, Grilled Iberico Pork plate with Mexican Pilaf, Doria with scallops, and many others.
I love the fresh salads, the shaved ice, and the fact that they also sell Dalgona coffee!
Starting from July 1st, Hakone Soba has two new items on their menu.
The new menu consists of fresh ginger tempura and soba/ udon or if you are hungry, you can go for the stamina bowl set (with garlic sprouts on top, soba/udon included).
I think that one of Japan’s charms is represented by the seasonal changes that occur every year.
In the changes that take place every year, we can also talk about seasonal food.
Everyone knows that spring is characterized by sakura, cherry blossoms, and everything pink.
In autumn, we have chestnuts, browns, while winter has nabe, white chocolate, and hot cocoa.
How about summer, then?
For me, the first thing that comes to mind is ice-cream and shaved ice(kaki goori).
Ice cream and shaved ice are indeed very popular during this season and a lot of seasonal fruits, such as watermelons, melons, blueberries are often included in the ingredients of seasonal dishes on the restaurants’ menus.
However, besides ice-cream and shaved ice, we also have corn and cold noodles during summertime in Japan.
Many people love eating cold noodles such as soba, Soumen, tsukemen during summer and some parents even put it in their children’s’ lunch boxes/bento as it is so easy to make and it also tastes delicious.
Needless to say, many restaurants start their summer limited edition menu around June and offer many discounts during this time of the year. Stores, too, have quite a few seasonal ingredients we should pay attention to.
Here I will introduce you some of these for reference if you plan on coming to Japan during summer:
Nodogoshi wa Soumen: SouRamen
Soumen and Ramen in one product?!
An innovative concept for this summer is the Souramen dry noodles you can buy for only 265 yen (excluding tax).
These noodles offer the richness of ramen, but with the freshness of soumen. You will understand what I am saying after trying it. The product is indeed unique and tastes like nothing I tried before. One thing I know for sure, it is delicious, quick, and perfect for the hot summers in Japan.
Official Website
Watermelon Baumkuchen/Suika Baumkuchen
Looking exactly like a watermelon, this Baumkuchen is super adorable, tasty and I love the idea!
It looks cute and also contains watermelon and melon juice as ingredients; it is very filling and goes perfect with an ice-coffee in the morning.
You can also find it on Rakuten.
Seven Colors Soumen/Nana Iro Soumen
The seven-colored soumen not only comes in seven beautiful colors but also has seven different flavors: plain, yuzu, pumpkin, pickled plum(ume), spinach, murasaki sweet potato (purple sweet potato) and gobo(burdock).
Available on Rakuten.
Furano Melon
Hokkaido is well-known for its delicious and sweet melons and fortunately, it can also be delivered online. You can buy one for just 2,980 yen.
Eating out:
Takakura Machi Coffee Summer Menu
Takakura Machi Coffee offers a summer limited menu and sweets such as ricotta pancakes with fresh blueberries and framboise cream, sweet and sour, starting from June 11th.
They also have new dishes perfect for this season such as Salmon Pasta Tsukemen Style, Cold Pasta with plenty of veggies, Grilled Iberico Pork plate with Mexican Pilaf, Doria with scallops, and many others.
I love the fresh salads, the shaved ice, and the fact that they also sell Dalgona coffee!
Official Website
Kappa Sushi Take-out Summer Limited Menu: Mega Unagi Ikura Chirashi!
Kappa Sushi has now a limited take-out menu for summer where you can order a mega menu consisting of 3.5 kg of tasty eel for 8,000 yen.
Official Website
Hakone’s Soba Summer Limited Menu
Starting from July 1st, Hakone Soba has two new items on their menu. The new menu consists of fresh ginger tempura and soba/ udon or if you are hungry, you can go for the stamina bowl set (with garlic sprouts on top, soba/udon included).
Official Website