Takizawa Bakin, a popular writer in the Edo period, left a lot of scathing criticism on various cultures in Kyoto, especially on fish dishes. However, he also wrote that he liked food such as Fu (麩 - wheat gluten cake), Yuba (湯葉 - soy curd), potatos, Mizuna (水菜 - one breed of Japanese greens), and Udon (うどん - Japanese wheat noodle) in Kyoto.
As for my favorite food in Kyoto, I would like to recommend my readers to try Miso-Dengaku (味噌田楽) of Namafu (生麩), gluten cakes with sweet Miso sauce. Since there are many temples in Kyoto, Shojin-ryori (精進料理 - vegetable cuisine for monks) such as Namafu dishes, was particularly developed. It's an ideal source of protein made of quality water of Kyoto. Sweet Miso sauce tastes so good to me!
Akane Kibune
