Kyoto Eats, Nishiki Market

Over 400 years ago, a fish market developed around a natural spring in old Kyoto. The cool pure water preserved the fish long before refrigeration. Nishiki Market served as the Kyoto fish market for hundreds of years until the 1920s when a new wholesale fish market pulled away many of the fish sellers. Shops selling fruits, vegetables, and local Kyoto delicacies took their place.

Today Nishiki Market, known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen,” is a great place for souvenirs and tabearuki.  Tabearuki literally translates as “eating while walking,” but the phrase shouldn’t be taken literally. In Japan it is generally considered rude to eat while actually walking. Instead, you are expected to eat in the immediate proximity of where you buy the food. Consider it a stall crawl if you will.

The market is a great place to pick up some Kyoto pantry items to take home.

Sake is a great for souvenirs too.

You will still see plenty of fresh seafood.

Dried fish too, it’s great on rice.

Try the grilled fish on a stick.

The grilled eel is really popular with tourists.

You can also get grilled squid on a stick.

Scallops too.

And octopus.

That’s tako tamago – octopus on a stick stuffed with a quail egg in a sweet/salty glaze.

I recommend trying it, but have yet to convince my husband to do so. (he prefers the scallops).

This is real wasabi in case you ever wondered what it looks like. Freshly grated, it’s so much better than the stuff in the tube!

Kyoto is famous for tsukemono, pickles that you eat with rice. There are several different variations, including salt pickles.

And pickles fermented in miso, sake lees, or rice bran.

Several of the shops have samples.

Tsukudani is another way of preserving food, by cooking in soy sauce and sake. Kombu (seaweed) tsukudani is great with rice.

Good quality rice shines through in onigiri, rice balls with fillings such as salmon, pickled plum, and kombu.

Tamago yaki is a Japanese fluffy omelet that is savory with a hint of sweetness. You will find a variety of versions on offer, including this non-traditional sandwich.

This friendly shop has great roasted chestnuts.

There are plenty of tea shops as well.

Speaking of tea, there is a Snoopy Cha-ya (tea house).  Complete with snoopy decor in an otherwise traditional Japanese setting, the cha-ya is a rare opportunity to rest from the crowded market.

Poor Snoopy drowned in my matcha latte.

The market has several wagashi (Japanese sweets) shops, but I am usually inspired to try more unusual offerings. After getting over the shock of the first bite, I actually enjoyed the Mentaiko (spicy pollack roe) soft serve. The spicy seafood ice cream was well balanced by the sweet nuttiness of the waffle cone.  My poor husband is still traumatized.

Korokke (Japanese Croquette) is common in Japan, but the chocolate version was unusual.

The fresh squeezed juice is excellent.

One of my favorite things is the kyuri (Japanese cucumber). Quickly cured in salt, the crisp cucumber texture is preserved. There is just something about Japanese cucumbers.

With over 100 shops, there are endless foods to try at the market. It’s best to wander and try what looks good to you.

I usually walk through the market from west to east. There is a Shinto shrine that stands over a natural spring at the eastern end of the market.

This is the natural spring that provided the fresh water that started Nishiki Market over 400 years ago.

Today the shrine is famous as place for students to pray before exams. The shiny spots show how frequently the cow is rubbed for good luck. Stop by on your way out of the market.

Details

Nishiki Market runs for five blocks parallel to Shijo Avenue.  It is a short walk from Shijo Station on the Kasuma subway line, or Karasuma station on the Hankyu rail line.

Hours vary by store, but most are open between 9-5pm. Some stores close on Wednesdays.

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