The “Hitachi Beef and Mountain Delicacies Bento” is a train bento featuring grilled “Hitachi Beef”—a brand of beef that Ibaraki Prefecture is proud of—served on a bed of rice grown in Ibaraki Prefecture. The star of the meal is said to be the highest-grade beef, carefully selected from Japanese Black cattle—a breed raised exclusively by designated producers within the prefecture. The grilled beef, prepared with a slightly sweet sauce that highlights its rich, meaty umami—especially the delicious marbling—features a robust flavor that pairs perfectly with the rice.
At first glance, the vibrant red, thread-like strands on top of the grilled meat look like saffron, but they’re actually shredded chili peppers. I expected them to add a bit of a kick, but to my taste, they didn’t really affect the flavor that much. They look great and have a nice texture, adding a nice touch to the dish.
The side dishes consist of three items: burdock root simmered in soy sauce, candied chestnuts, and pickled bracken. The burdock root simmered in soy sauce is thick and very satisfying to eat. I think its texture ranks among the best I’ve ever encountered in an ekiben. The pickled bracken has a rich flavor that pairs well with white rice.
On the other hand, the candied chestnuts are very sweet and function more as a dessert than a side dish. Each dish has its own unique flavor and texture, and none of them is overshadowed by the others. Although the meal followed a relatively traditional format—meat as the main course with vegetables on the side—I was impressed by how satisfying it was to eat, as each dish made its presence known.
Incidentally, the back of the package features an illustration titled “Ibaraki Prefecture: The Kingdom of Agriculture and Food,” which showcases agricultural products grown in the prefecture and highlights the unique culinary abundance that Ibaraki offers, thanks to its vast, flat land and mild climate. However, it’s a bit disappointing that neither burdock root—which ranks among the top three in the country in terms of production—nor bracken—which ranks in the top ten—is listed. I really hope they update this so that after a meal, when I read it, I can fully immerse myself in the feeling of “I’ve really enjoyed Ibaraki!”
The chopstick wrapper says “Ibaraki-ben” in hiragana. I feel like, until recently, both I and the people around me used to call it “Ibaragi,” but just as I’ve been hearing people on TV and elsewhere insist that the correct pronunciation is “Ibaraki”—not “Ibaragi”—it has officially been “Ibaraki” ever since the prefecture was established. The name of the former province that covers most of Ibaraki Prefecture—and which is also used in the name of this ekiben—is “Hitachi Province” (Hitachi no Kuni).
Aside from that, the “Hitachi Beef and Mountain Delights Bento” may not be flashy, but with its historic brand of beef taking center stage, it was a delicious station bento that let you fully enjoy the authentic flavors of Ibaraki.
© Source travel watch