Uchikura & Co., LLC

Kantō-daki and Oden — A Story of Japan’s Regional Taste

Last night, I went to dinner with a potential new business partner in Shinbashi, Tokyo, and we enjoyed Kantō-daki (関東炊き). What I ate last night was the original Kantō-style Kantō-daki—very dark in color, as you can see in the images. The dark appearance comes from a broth that uses a stronger soy sauce base.

 

Kantō-daki originated in the eastern part of Japan, the Kantō region around Tokyo. When this dish was introduced to the Kansai region, people adapted it to their own taste. Instead of a heavy soy sauce flavor, Kansai cooks created a lighter broth based on dashi, a traditional Japanese stock made from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes.

 

That lighter Kansai style is what many people today recognize as oden. It is the style commonly found at convenience stores throughout Japan—light in color but full of deep umami flavor.

 

I grew up in the Kansai region, so when I was a child, we called this dish Kantō-daki, even though the Kansai version had already evolved into a lighter, different style. It is fascinating how a dish that literally means “Kantō-style simmered food” became part of Kansai culture and changed into something uniquely Kansai.