Nishiki Market (錦市場), Kyoto, Japan
Markets are among my favourite places to visit in any city. They are wonderful place to try new and interesting food, mingle with the locals, and immerse yourself in the culture. With only three days in the Kyoto, we budgeted out an entire day in our itinerary solely devoted to exploring Nishiki Ichiba (錦市場 Nishiki Market).
Known as “Kitchen of Kyoto,” Nishiki Ichiba is over 400 years old. The market runs 400 metres from Teramachi to Takakura, down a narrow road parallel to Shijō-dōri. The street is tightly packed with vendors hawking all sorts of products from fresh fish to flowers, sake to 京土産 (Kyoto souvenirs), swords to sweets, and everything in between.
It is the perfect place for the food lover to explore, filled with plenty of things to try, from the familiar…
ゆばソフトクリーム (soy bean milk ice cream)
…to the unfamiliar.
たこたまご: a tiny, whole octopus stuffed with a quail egg. It has a somewhat sweet taste and is served cold on a skewer. Very tasty!
Kyoto is also famous for their tsukemono (traditional Japanese pickles).
And of course, no trip to the market is complete with a bottle (… or four) of local spirits.
