I alighted at Kii Tanabe Station to hike the Kumano Kodo, a wooded trail through Japan's spiritual heartland in Wakayama Prefecture that leads to the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano: Hongu Taisha, Hayatama Taisha and Nachi Taisha.
My goal was grander than the hike, however. I was on a mission to carve out a culinary map and eat my way from the beginning of this World Heritage-designated pilgrimage to the end — 70 kilometers over four days on the Naka Hechi Trail — to Kii Katsuura. My experience with Japanese cuisine has taught me that the local pabulum can impart a great deal about the terrain and the culture.
The Tanabe City Gourmet Map lists an array of eateries to satisfy the palate of every epicure, from carnivores (Kumano beef so tender it melts in your mouth), pescitarians (whitebait sardines downed with a bit of local ume plum spirits) vegetarians (umeboshi pickled Japanese plum specialties) to flexitarians (yakitori grilled chicken restaurants where the meat is grilled over binchotan coals, the fuel of choice for grilling and a Wakayama specialty). Many of these recommended restaurants have English menus and allow you to tuck into authentic cuisine only available in these parts of Japan.
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