A trip to Miyagi Prefecture is an opportunity to enjoy fresh, locally-produced food at establishments ranging from fine restaurants to seafood markets to farmhouse cafes. Miyagi is especially known for its seafood, with Shiogama, nicknamed the “Sushi Capital” for its abundance of sushi restaurants, located only 30 minutes away from Sendai; Kesennuma on the rugged coast to the northeast boasts of one of the biggest fishing ports in Japan, unrivaled in quality and abundance of catch. Take a peek behind the scenes and tour a fish market or sake brewery for a deeper appreciation of these essential elements of Japanese cuisine. Some unique foods Miyagi is renowned for are zunda and sansai. Miyagi is known as the birthplace of zunda, a sweet edamame paste that accents desserts at cafes and sweets shops throughout the prefecture. Restaurants and inns in rural Miyagi serve patrons dishes such as soba noodles prepared with sansai, wild mountain vegetables foraged from the surrounding countryside.