"Join a 2-day farm stay in Yamaura, meeting local producers and village grandmas and learning firsthand how to make frozen tofu cuisine, kanten jelly, and traditional local dishes."
Tucked in the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains, the picturesque Yamaura Village, with its traditional centuries-old architecture and seasonal culinary practices, is an inviting destination for an authentic farm stay in Japan.
The harsh winters of Nagano, where temperatures reach well below freezing, have been embraced by the locals and are reflected in their food culture. Here, visitors can see firsthand how the area’s distinctive icy products such as frozen tofu, daikon, and kanten are made, learning from the area’s producers and villagers themselves.
On day one, guests will jump into the tofu experience at a family-run business that still does things the old-school way, including continuing to produce the area’s innovative frozen tofu specialties. After learning how frozen tofu is made, you’ll taste a variety of soy-based dishes such as frozen tofu nabe, okara salad, and soymilk agar cake. Then, at the traditional farmhouse, you’ll join the local village grannies and whip up a meal using the area’s specialty winter ingredients.
The next day, visit a local kanten farm where you’ll see how the jelly-like, calorie-free ingredient is made from seaweed. You’ll get an inside peek into every stage of the production, from boiling the seaweed to cutting the gelatinous “namaten” and laying out the kanten under the sky.
Despite the cold of winter in Nagano, the welcoming local producers and village grannies make this a heartwarming experience.
The harsh winters of Nagano, where temperatures reach well below freezing, have been embraced by the locals and are reflected in their food culture. Here, visitors can see firsthand how the area’s distinctive icy products such as frozen tofu, daikon, and kanten are made, learning from the area’s producers and villagers themselves.
On day one, guests will jump into the tofu experience at a family-run business that still does things the old-school way, including continuing to produce the area’s innovative frozen tofu specialties. After learning how frozen tofu is made, you’ll taste a variety of soy-based dishes such as frozen tofu nabe, okara salad, and soymilk agar cake. Then, at the traditional farmhouse, you’ll join the local village grannies and whip up a meal using the area’s specialty winter ingredients.
The next day, visit a local kanten farm where you’ll see how the jelly-like, calorie-free ingredient is made from seaweed. You’ll get an inside peek into every stage of the production, from boiling the seaweed to cutting the gelatinous “namaten” and laying out the kanten under the sky.
Despite the cold of winter in Nagano, the welcoming local producers and village grannies make this a heartwarming experience.
Highlights
- Stay overnight in a 100-year-old Japanese farmhouse
- Learn traditional recipes from local grandmas in the village
- Watch a tofu master at work, make your own frozen tofu, and try soy-based dishes
- Breakfast (either get it delivered or make it yourself from fresh, local ingredients)
- Visit a local kanten farm and see it through all the stages of production
Inclusions
- Overnight accommodation
- Frozen tofu workshop
- Kanten farm tour and workshop
- Cooking class with local village grannies
- Breakfast
