Local Foods of Totsukawa

Totsukawa's isolation in the mountains of Nara shaped a food culture built on ingenuity and self-sufficiency. The region produces 100-Flower Honey, made by Japanese honeybees that draw from a wide range of native plants rather than a single flower source. The other notable product is yubeshi, a preserved savory food made by hollowing a yuzu fruit, filling it with miso, sesame, mushroom, and other ingredients, then curing it for one to two months. Each family keeps its own recipe. Ikola, a small community market, is the best place to sample and buy local products.