Mentaiko, satsuma-age, castella, ikinari dango, grilled jidori, hitokuchi-ko, kabosu drinks. A Kyushu products fair gathering foods from across the region opened this week in the free space beside the main entrance on the first floor of the Palaceside Building and is busy with people seeking "the taste of Kyushu."
Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki and Kagoshima each have their own history, so local color is rich and food has evolved independently in each prefecture. The fair offers about 80 kinds, centered on sweets such as Fukuoka favorite Menbei, mentaiko-flavor Jagarico and Kappa Ebisen, and Saga-gyu potato chips, plus assorted ramen, motsu-nabe and shiokara. There are Kyushu-only items as well.
Please drop by. The fair runs through Friday the 18th.