People often forget that Shizuoka Prefecture is not only celebrated nationally for cultivating the largest number of vegetables varieties as well as catching the largest number of seafood varieties, but that it also boasts no less than 12 recognized varieties of wagyu beef!

Numazu JR Station is comparatively a smaller railway station in Shizuoka Prefecture as the Shinkansen bullet train does not stop there but it has too many products to be proud of not to have a substantial ekiben booth at its entrance!

It sells no less than 7 regular ekiben on top of seasonal offerings!

As I had to attend a function there the other day I just couldn’t let pass the opportunity to sample their local wagyu beef ekiben!

Ashitaka/愛鷹 beef is raised on the slopes of Ashitaka Mountains north of Izu Peninsula and doesn’t come too often on the local tables as most of it is gobbled in Tokyo!

This particular ekiben has received national recognition!

Tounakaken Co in Numazu City advertises precisely all the contents.

The contents are well protected by a rigid transparent lid. Naturally chopsticks, separate spices and toothpick are provided together with the package!

Now, what do we have?

Boiled egg marinated in beef juices and boiled string beans.

Boiled kabocha and shirataki/Konyaku-konjac noodles.

Ashitaka beef cooked in two manners:
-Gyuu Sukini: beef slices simmered with onion and leeks.
-Gyuu Soboroni: minced beef simmered as above.

It actually proved more satisfying and well-balanced than expected. The beef taste would please anybody, be they Asian or Westerners!
A rare treat! And a collector’s item!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery