Nagano's old name is Shinshu, and Shinshu food is mountain food: buckwheat, mountain vegetables, apples, miso, pickles, freshwater fish and rice grown with cold, clean water. Eating well here is not about luxury but about understanding a handful of local staples and where to find them.
Soba
Shinshu soba is the most famous noodle in Japan, and Nagano is where many people eat their best bowl. Buckwheat grows well in the cool, high land, and the noodles are served cold on a bamboo tray with a dipping sauce, wasabi and spring onion, or hot in a soup. Togakushi is the best-known soba district, where noodles are rolled into small bundles and eaten with a mountain view. Many shops offer soba-making classes where you roll and cut your own, which is a fun activity for families. In Matsumoto, soba restaurants line the old streets, and in Nagano city the approach to Zenko-ji has several famous shops.
Oyaki
The oyaki is a Nagano snack: a dumpling of wheat or buckwheat dough filled with vegetables such as nozawana pickled greens, aubergine, pumpkin or red bean paste, and steamed, baked or grilled. You can eat one from a street stall for a few coins, and on a cooking tour you can make your own. They are the perfect snack on a cold day, and a great pairing with sake.
Wasabi and vegetables
Azumino, near Matsumoto, is Japan's famous wasabi region, with clear spring water flowing through farms where wasabi grows in shallow terraces. Fresh grated wasabi is far milder and sweeter than the paste you find abroad. Look for it on soba, in tempura and as an ice cream flavour. Nagano also produces apples, grapes, peaches, mushrooms and mountain vegetables, and the roadside markets are a delight in autumn.
Regional specialities
Freshwater fish, such as trout and carp, appear in grilled and simmered dishes. Horse sashimi, called basashi, is a regional delicacy in parts of Nagano, served thinly sliced with ginger and soy. It is not for everyone, but it is part of the local food culture. Hot pots and miso soups warm the cold months, and the Shinshu miso is a mild, savoury staple. In Obuse, chestnuts appear in almost every sweet.
Sake
Nagano is one of Japan's leading sake prefectures, with dozens of breweries drawing on cold winters, clean water and good rice. The style tends to be crisp and aromatic, and a tasting walk in Nagano city, with oyaki and pickles, is the easiest introduction. Suwa and Matsumoto also have breweries open to visitors, and Obuse combines sake with art. Always pace yourself, drink water between tastings and check the policy on tattoos or children in breweries. Breweries release new sake in winter, which is the best time to taste.
Wine and beer
Shiojiri and the Kikyogahara plateau near Matsumoto are famous for Japanese Merlot, and a walk between wineries gives views and tastings. Craft beer is popular around Hakuba and the onsen towns, and cafes in Matsumoto are known for coffee. If you do not drink alcohol, amazake and tea are always available.
How to eat well
Start with an izakaya tour to learn what to order. Carry cash for small shops, and arrive early at popular soba restaurants, which may close when they sell out. Ask your hotel for recommendations, and mention dietary needs early, because stock based on fish is common. A city base such as Hotel Kokusai 21 or Nagano Tokyu REI Hotel puts you close to the food streets, and a night at Ryokan Sakaya gives a ryokan dinner of local ingredients.
A simple one-day eating plan
Start with a breakfast of rice, miso soup and pickles at your hotel, then walk the approach to Zenko-ji and try an oyaki at a street stall. For lunch, order cold soba with wasabi at a noodle shop. In the afternoon, join a sake walk and taste several styles with snacks. For dinner, visit a small izakaya and share a few dishes, including river fish or tempura, with a local beer or a glass of regional wine. Finish with a chestnut sweet or apple dessert, and you will have eaten the best of Shinshu in one day. Repeat the pattern with different dishes the next day and you will quickly build a personal list of favourites.