Taimeshi (sea bream rice)
Throughout the prefecture
The history of "taimeshi" is said to go back as far as Empress Jingu's expedition to Korea...
EHIME
Ehime Prefecture
The surveyed city is Matsuyama. Of all 394 items in the household survey, Ehime Prefecture stands out most for Other citrus — 3.1× the national average (Matsuyama 11,544 g / national 3,694 g). It is Japan’s top producer of Kiwifruit, Red sea bream (farmed) (Ministry of Agriculture data). Across the 52 surveyed cities, Matsuyama ranks No.1 for Other citrus — 1 item in all.
3.1×Biggest standout
Other citrus
per household / year
Other citrus
per household / year
1Items ranked #1 nationally
25Regional dishes
RANK
Furthest above the national average
All figures are annual spending/quantity per household (not per person). 2023–2025 average, showing Matsuyama’s value as a multiple of the national average.
| Item | vs. average | Matsuyama | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other citrus#1Fruit | 3.13× | 11,544g | 3,694g | #1 |
| Sea breamSeafood | 2.08× | 865g | 416g | #3 |
| Horse mackerelSeafood | 1.63× | 1,033g | 633g | #7 |
| Fish cake tube (chikuwa)Seafood | 1.47× | 2,972JPY | 2,028JPY | #3 |
| Fried fish cakeSeafood | 1.38× | 3,342JPY | 2,426JPY | #5 |
| Other tea leavesBeverages | 1.37× | 1,591g | 1,161g | #3 |
| SauceOils & Seasonings | 1.36× | 1,846mL | 1,357mL | #5 |
| BeefMeat | 1.34× | 7,487g | 5,594g | #8 |
| Ground beef & pork mixMeat | 1.32× | 4,338JPY | 3,280JPY | #13 |
| BonitoSeafood | 1.28× | 2,146JPY | 1,682JPY | #11 |
| SardinesSeafood | 1.23× | 495JPY | 404JPY | #20 |
| Burdock rootFresh Vegetables | 1.20× | 1,189JPY | 987JPY | #6 |
MADE
What Ehime produces most in Japan
From Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024): items where Ehime ranks No.1 nationally by harvest or catch. This is about what the prefecture produces; the #1 list below is about what households buy.
Also No.2–3: Yellowtail (farmed) (#2), Whitebait (shirasu) (#2), Mikan (mandarins) (#3), Chestnuts (#3)
Source: MAFF Crop Statistics Survey and Marine Fishery Production Statistics (e-Stat, 2024 final figures).
#1
Where this prefecture ranks #1
Items where Matsuyama ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.
Q&A
Ehime food: common questions
What is Ehime famous for producing?
By Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024), Ehime is Japan’s top producer of Kiwifruit, Red sea bream (farmed).
What food is Ehime No.1 in Japan for?
In Japan’s household spending survey (2023–2025 average), Matsuyama ranked No.1 of 52 cities for Other citrus. This ranks what households buy, not what the prefecture produces.
What to eat in Ehime?
Households here buy far more than the national average of Other citrus, Sea bream, Horse mackerel, Fish cake tube, Fried fish cake.
What are the local dishes of Ehime?
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture records 25 regional dishes from Ehime, including Taimeshi (sea bream rice), Satsuma (fish and miso over barley rice), Imotaki (simmered taro), Igisu-dofu (seaweed jelly tofu).
LINK
Where regional dishes meet the statistics
Ingredients used in regional dishes here that also show up as standout spending in the household survey — cross-referencing MAFF's regional-dish database with Japan's Statistics Bureau data.
Tako meshi (octopus rice)
Main ingredients: Octopus, rice, kelp, carrots, burdock root, dried fried tofu, mandarin orange peel, crumbled nori seaweed
→ Mandarin oranges is 1.2× the national average in Matsuyama (8,990 g, #10 nationally)
Tai somen (whole sea bream with somen noodles)
Main ingredients: Sea bream, somen noodles, dried shiitake mushrooms, eggs, green onions
→ Dried shiitake mushrooms is 1.2× the national average in Matsuyama (46 g, #17 nationally)
Matsuyama-zushi (Matsuyama-style scattered sushi)
Main ingredients: Rice, conger eel, vinegar-cured mackerel, shrimp, burdock root, carrots
→ Burdock root is 1.2× the national average in Matsuyama (1,435 g, #13 nationally)
Imotaki (simmered taro)
Main ingredients: Chicken, taro, deep-fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms
→ Taro is 1.1× the national average in Matsuyama (1,300 g, #19 nationally)
DISHES
25 regional dishes from Ehime Prefecture
From Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) “Regional Dishes to Pass on to the Next Generation.” Each dish name links to the MAFF page.
Satsuma (fish and miso over barley rice)Su
Nanyo region
"Satsuma" is known as a local dish throughout the Nanyo region, including Yawatahama City...
Imotaki (simmered taro)Au
Throughout the prefecture
"Imotaki" is said to have originated in Ozu City, simmered with chicken, taro, konjac, shiitake mushrooms, and more...
Igisu-dofu (seaweed jelly tofu)Su
Imabari region
Igisu is a seaweed that grows on rocks in shallow seas, a thin, branching red algae...
Senzanki (fried chicken)
Toyo region
Senzanki comes from the chicken-loving Toyo region (mainly around Imabari City)...
Horaku-yaki (seafood grilled on a clay dish)
Imabari City
"Horaku-yaki" is a specialty of Imabari City, cooked in a flat earthenware pan called horoku, used for roasting salt, sesame, beans, and more...
Hi no kabuzuke (pickled red turnip)
Matsuyama region
A pickle made from a red-skinned heirloom turnip, mentioned in Ehime's folk song "Iyo-bushi," dressed with bitter orange vinegar...
Izumiya (okara sushi with sea bream)
Throughout the prefecture
A local dish of the Niihama region, a version of unohana-zushi that uses seasoned okara (tofu lees) in place of vinegared rice...
Tai somen (whole sea bream with somen noodles)
Throughout the prefecture
"Tai somen" is a whole sea bream simmered and served together with boiled somen noodles in a large bowl...
Tako meshi (octopus rice)SpSu
Chuyo region, Imabari City, and the island areas
Said to have begun when fishermen chopped up freshly caught octopus aboard their boats and cooked it into rice...
Fuka no yuzarashi (blanched shark)
Nanyo region
"Fuka" refers to shark. In Nanyo, sharks around 1 meter long are commonly caught, with species including...
Fukumen (mixed vegetables over fish and konjac noodles)Wi
Around Uwajima City
"Fukumen" is said to have been passed down as a ceremonial dish of the Uwajima domain, with the main ingredient being...
Matsuyama-zushi (Matsuyama-style scattered sushi)
Matsuyama region
In Meiji 25 (1892), when Natsume Soseki first visited Matsuyama and stopped by Masaoka Shiki's home...
Sekka-jiru (shellfish and vegetable soup)Wi
Imabari City
A local dish passed down on Oshima Island in Imabari City, once known for its stoneworking industry. Miyakubo...
Imabari yakitori (grilled chicken, Imabari style)
Throughout the prefecture, centered on Imabari City
"Imabari yakitori" is made by grilling unskewered chicken skin on an iron griddle, pressed down with small iron plates...
Miso soup with barley miso
Throughout the prefecture
Ehime's miso soup is made with barley miso long passed down locally, and the ingredients vary by household...
Ebi-ten (shrimp fish cake)Wi
Toyo region
From Niihama to Kawanoe along the seafood-rich Hiuchi Sea, small fish such as jako...
Kankoro (dried sweet potato sweet)
Ikata Town
In Ikata Town on the Sada Misaki Peninsula, said to be Japan's longest, narrowest peninsula, the distinctive geography means...
Pheasant and dried daikon mixed riceAuWi
Kihoku Town
Pheasant, appearing even in the Japanese folktale "Momotaro," has long been familiar in Japan...
Jako-ten (fried fish cake)
Nanyo region
In Yawatahama City and Uwajima City, where abundant fish is caught from the Uwa Sea, processing fish into products has long flourished...
Shoyu meshi (soy sauce rice)
Matsuyama region
Since the Muromachi period, seasoned rice has been called "shoyu meshi," eaten on celebratory occasions...
Tachiuo-maki (rolled hairtail fish)
Nanyo region (Uwajima City)
Tachiuo (hairtail) is a saltwater fish of the family Trichiuridae, with large specimens exceeding 2m in length...
Matsuyama tart (rolled sponge cake with red bean paste)
Matsuyama City
A confection representative of Matsuyama City, taking the form of a roll cake made by wrapping castella sponge cake around sweet red bean paste...
Bote-cha (whisked tea with beans and rice)
Matsuyama region
"Bote-cha," suited to the climate of the Matsuyama region, is said to have originated from an order of frugality issued by the Matsuyama domain lord in the feudal era...
Mikan-zushi (mandarin orange sushi rice)
Nanyo region
Ehime mandarin oranges, grown under abundant sunlight and sea breezes, are among the top producers nationwide...
NEARBY