8 Tasty Nagoya Souvenirs To Take Home For Your Loved Ones!

1. Uiro

Uiro is a Japanese confectionery unique to Nagoya with its tradition passed down through generations. Made from non-glutinous rice and sugar, this steamed dessert has a mildly sweet taste and chewy texture. It is closely similar to mochi except it is chewier. Uiro comes in different flavours including black sugar, powdered green tea, sweet beans, salted cherry leaves, and chestnuts. Feast on Uiro with your family and friends in a bright assortment of white, black, brown, green, pink and purple!

2. Ogura Toast (Red bean paste on toast) snacks

Nagoya is home to a unique variety of Japanese and Western fusion food. At cafes and coffee shops in Nagoya, you would typically find Ogura Toast on the menu – a thick, toasted bread layered with butter, its center filled with sweet red bean paste oozing from within. The light crunch of the toast together with the sweet-smelling red bean filling and a cup of piping hot coffee – Your mornings just cannot get better than this.

Ogura Toast first originated from a café in Sakae, a downtown shopping district in Nagoya. The unique combination of Japanese red bean and Western French toast became an instant hit and the popularity of this sweet bread snack swept across Japan. An invention uniquely distinct to Nagoya, you can now bring home this snack for your loved ones too! Be sure to bring back one of those Ogura Toast cookies, cakes and Kit Kat snacks when you return!

3. Kaeru Manju (Japanese sweet red bean bun)

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

We can’t get enough of Japanese confectionery, can we? This time it comes in the form of cuteness-overload petite frogs! You are sure to fall in love at first sight with these smiling frog face manjus made of koshian (bean jam) as the filing and wrapped with soft dough on the outside.

Aoyagi Souhonke, a traditional Japanese-style sweets shop established in 1879, exclusively manufactures Kaeru Manju. There are six Kaeru Manju nicely packaged in a bright green box (with a frog face printed on it as well). This fun treat is ideal as a gift for children and colleagues (with some thinking twice before eating these cute little frog-faced bun)!

4. Piyorin (Japanese pudding)

If you thought those little Kaeru Manjus are too cute to be eaten, you will not take your eyes off these adorable Piyorins! Piyorin – combining the words of “piyo piyo” (the sound of a chick chirping, in Japanese) and “pudding” (transformed into the word “purin”, in Japanese) – is a chick-shaped custard pudding made with the special Nagoya-cohin (locally breed chicken) egg and topped up with smooth, fluffy, soft Bavarian cream. Ornaments of chocolate are also added to give Piyorin its wings and crown. Every chick-shaped Piyorin is handcrafted, making each of them have slightly different facial features.

Limited edition flavoured Piyorins are available depending on the season, so make sure to watch out for those new ones on the shelf! Priced from 300 JPY (3 USD) per piece, Piyorins are available exclusively at Café Gentiane inside the JR Nagoya Station. They even won an award from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ food preparation division! Which Piyorin would you choose to bring home? Surprise your loved ones with one of them now!

5. Ebi Senbei (Shrimp Rice Cracker)

You’ve definitely heard of senbei from Japan – a popular snack made from glutinous rice, charcoal grilled or baked with a spread of soy sauce over the surface. Nagoya’s shrimp rice crackers stand out from the usual senbeis wrapped with seaweed or those with sesame toppings. Nagoya’s ebi senbei typically comes in two types – first, the dried, mashed shrimp cracker that comes in all forms of shapes and sizes. Second, some ebi senbeis use whole shrimps covered with light batter and pressed into a cracker. You can enjoy the cracker in one whole bite without worrying too much about the head of the shrimp (its edible!).

A perfect snack enjoyed together with beer, at gatherings and parties or just munching away while laying lazily on the couch. Most ebi senbeis are packaged in small single-serving bags and if you want a larger quantity, there are boxes with small packets available too. This souvenir is light and compact and can be easily packed into your luggage, perfect present for family and friends!

6. Tebasaki Senbei (Deep fried chicken wing flavoured cracker)

One of Nagoya’s specialties is Tebasaki – deep-fried, seasoned chicken wings from the region’s locally bred Nagoya kochin chicken. The crispy, deliciously salty and spicy chicken wings are best eaten when dipped in a sauce mixed with soy sauce, mirin (sweet saké) and garlic. The irresistible fragrant chicken wings are an excellent combination with ice-cold beer at an Izakaya. But wait a minute – You might be thinking, how do I bring fried chicken wings back? Fret not because Tebasaki-flavoured senbei is now available as take-home gifts! Bring the same Nagoya flavour back home for a savoury treat!

7. Kishimen (Flat noodle)

Are you a fan of Japanese ramen, soba or udon? You definitely need to try Nagoya’s Kishimen if you’re a noodle-lover! Kishimen is made from water, flour and salt just like any other regular noodle but what stands out is its flat, thick texture. Kishimen is typically enjoyed by people in Nagoya who want a quick, hot meal, whether is it at the train station or in the neighborhood areas. This noodle can be served hot or cool, in white (salt) or red (soy sauce) or miso broths (soybean paste) and it is usually finished with a handful of dried bonito shavings on the top. Mixed together with other ingredients like deep-fried bean curd, spinach and steamed fish paste, you’ll surely enjoy slurping up those bouncy and chewy Kishimen in a bite! Already hungry? Ready to indulge in Nagoya’s rich and scrumptious cuisine? A definite must-bring-home souvenir from Nagoya!

Bonus: Nagoya has certainly brought the famous Kishimen to a whole new level. Aoyagi Souhonke, the traditional Japanese-style sweets shop that produces a selection of Japanese confectionery, specially created Kishimen Pie as well. No worries, it won’t be made of the actual noodle itself! Kishimen Pie is a sweet dessert that is weaved and twisted to look like the famous noodle, then baked to give it a light, flaky finish. A box of Kishimen pie has individual packets in it, making it easy to share among family and friends. Furthermore, it is reasonably priced and you can easily find Kishimen Pie in Nagoya at any department stores or airport confectionery store.

8. Moriguchizuke (Japanese pickled vegetable)

Moriguchizuke is a kind of radish pickle. It is preserved with the leaves of mirin or sweet sake to give it its rich, traditional flavour. You may be stunned by its appearance – Moriguchi-daikon is the longest radish in the world with an average length of 1 to 1.5m. In some cases, it can grow up to 1.8 to 2m! Moriguchizuke thrives in the soft and good soil along the Kiso and Nagara river in Nagoya, and these special conditions allows the vegetable to grow to an optimal length. In Nagoya, you cannot miss a visit to Yamatoya Moriguchizuke Honke, the original store that specializes in pickled vegetables. Moriguchizuke is usually served with specific tea-ceremony dishes but it’s worth giving it a try for a unique gift!

Bring home amazing flavours for family and friends!

Have these 8 Nagoya souvenirs got you enticed and salivating? You can have these amazing souvenirs for your loved ones on your trip to Nagoya too! Just don’t forget to bring a couple of foldable travel bags just in case you need extra space to stuff these souvenirs!