Blessings of nature enrich Kumamoto cuisine

Located on the rich soil between the East China Sea and Mt. Aso, one of the largest active volcanos in the world, Kumamoto boasts cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meat and vegetables."Basashi," or horse-meat sashimi served with soy sauce and grated garlic or ginger, is among the famous local food specialties in the southwestern prefecture, which has the largest production of the meat in Japan.The custom of eating horse meat in Kumamoto dates back about 400 years. It is believed that Kato Kiyomasa, then feudal lord in the area, learned to eat the meat amid a food shortage when dispatched to …READ FULL ARTICLE