Kyoto: Nikishi food market (錦市場商店街)

This is one of the Kyoto must visit place but we didn’t do it until much later part of our trip. We finally came by to look for some local delicacies to bring home and as the New Year (Oshogatsu お正月)is approaching, the market alleys (narrow streets) gets very busy as both locals and visitors came by. The locals came to source for their New Year meal's ingredients while visitors came by either to check off the ‘must do’ list or like us, to sample local delicacies and in search for something to take home.

Nikishi market starts from Teramachi-dori and run east-west parallel to shijo-dori, frankly speaking, I came here in 2 occasions but never walked from end-to-end, as it was too crowded to squeeze in between the crowds on such a narrow alley. It was fun for a start by I give up after a few blocks.

This is a stall that selling snappers, a must delicacies for Japanese Oshogatsu (お正月). Mind you that it actually cost a bomb, rather expensive one.

Kyoto Pickles or Kyo-tsukemono (京漬物) these are pickles again but marinated in Kyoto way. You get this usually in a small ceremic dish and eat it as condiments with your meal, taste wise, sour, salty or hot or combination of all.

Matsubagai (crab) – some delicacies in the autumn winter period

Nukazuke tsukemono – another type of pickles in nuka (rice bran) where vegetables are fermented. They have a lighter color compare to the other type of tsukemono.

This dried cod another oshogatsu staple. No idea how they should be eaten...

This shop sells all sort of beans, on the second row left is the black bean (Kuromame) that Japanese people eat on New Year, and the one next to kuromame in yellow are newly in kuri (chestnuts).

Here are some seasoned, grilled or smoked little fish (sardine?). I remembered this from the movie 'Memoir of the Geisha' at one scene the mother of Sayuri is eating this for lunch/dinner.

Another shop that selling the local delicacies such as the new bean, black bean, mushrooms etc.

Nikishi market is very vibrant, very lively, most of all very crowded and smelly and noisy, but my knowledge about Kyoto delicacies, staple and wagashi increased each time I strolled through this market and extend my taste bug to the fullest.