Dewa Sanzan Shojin Ryori Cuisine

Shojin ryori at Dewa Sanzan grew from the austere meals of Shugendo mountain ascetics into a distinct regional cuisine. Meals are built around wild plants gathered on the mountains and locally grown vegetables, with extensive use of preservation techniques developed to manage Yamagata's long winters: salting, pickling, and drying. Goma-dofu, made from ground sesame and Japanese arrowroot starch, is a staple of the local style. Several pilgrim lodgings and ryokan around the mountains serve shojin ryori to guests, each with its own inherited recipes. The nearby town of Toge on the outskirts of Tsuruoka, Japan's first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, is a good base for trying these dishes.