Gyutan is a Japanese dish originating from Sendai. It consists of pieces of thinly sliced beef tongue that's cooked on a charcoal grill. It's typically seasoned with salt or soy sauce-based tare sauce before grilling. The dish is usually accompanied by pickled vegetables, a combination of steamed rice and barley known as mugi gohan, or oxtail soup.

Gyutan can also be served as a donburi over steamed rice, or as a curry, which is also accompanied by rice. It's believed that the dish was invented in 1948, when a local yakitori restaurant started to specialize in beef tongue dishes.

Hiyashi chūka is a Japanese dish consisting of cold, pale yellow ramen noodles combined with chilled tare sauce and a variety of toppings such as fried eggs, pickled cucumbers, and finely sliced ham. The name of the dish can literally be translated to chilled Chinese food.

What is now a summertime staple in Japan began as a humble dish in Sendai about 80 years ago. It was originally a mixture of Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine, but neither Japan nor China claim the dish as their own. Hiyashi chūka is characterized by its careful arrangement and presentation, although it can also be bought pre-packaged in convenience stores. 

Kurumi is a traditional combination of mochi—sticky rice cakes—and a creamy walnut sauce that hails from Iwate Prefecture. Nowadays, mochi cakes are usually bought pre-packed, and before they are coated in the walnut paste, they can be toasted and dipped or soaked in water.

The walnut paste is usually made with roasted walnuts that are ground in a mortar together with sugar and soy sauce.

Imoni is a hearty Japanese meat stew with many regional varieties. It is most commonly consumed in the Tohoku region, where most prefectures have their favorite imoni style and a preferred choice of ingredients. In the Yamagata prefecture, imoni is usually prepared with beef and various vegetables, all doused in a slightly sweet broth made with soy sauce, sake, and sugar.

In the neighboring Miyagi prefecture, a crucial element is miso paste, which is added to the soy sauce broth. An entirely different style is employed in the city of Shonai, where the favorite choice of meat is pork, which is paired with miso-based soups. 

Kiritanpo is a traditional dish with origins in the Akita prefecture. It is made from cooked, half-smashed rice that is placed on a skewer, shaped into cylinders, then toasted over an open fire. The dish is traditionally consumed from autumn to spring, especially in November, when newly harvested rice is brought to the markets.

It is quite common to serve kiritanpo to guests and visitors in Japan. Locals usually place kiritanpo in a hotpot with chicken, green onions, Japanese parsley, and mushrooms, but kiritanpo can also be grilled over the fire together with miso. There are two theories about its origin: one says that the woodcutters used to wrap leftover rice around a stick and consume it with miso, while they were working in the woods, and the other theory says that bear hunters from Akita prefecture served it as an accompaniment to game meat dishes. 

Wanko soba is a Japanese noodle dish where noodles are served in a bowl many times in small quantities, as soon as the consumer finishes the bowl. This goes on until the consumer is full or gives up. The noodles are served with numerous condiments such as mushrooms, radish, or tuna sashimi, and there is usually a dipping sauce on the side.

The name of the dish, wanko, means bowl, referring to the small bowls in which the noodles are served.

Kaiyaki-misu is a traditional dish originating from the Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture. The dish is made by simmering scallops, eggs, leeks, and scallions in miso-based broth. The ingredients are traditionally cooked in a large scallop shell, and it's said that the longer the shell is used for the preparation of kaiyaki-misu, the more flavor it will add to the dish.

In the past, mothers used to prepare this dish for their sick children. Nowadays, depending on the area, pieces of fish might be used instead of scallops.

Kenoshiru is a traditional soup originating from the Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture. This nutritious country-style soup is made with a variety of ingredients: dried or deep-fried tofu, mountain vegetables such as warabi (bracken shoots), zenmai (fiddlehead fern), and fuki (Japanese butterbur), and vegetables such as carrots and daikon.

The ingredients are finely chopped and cooked with soy sauce or miso. The name of the soup is derived from kayu-no-shiru, meaning rice soup, because in the past rice was a luxury item so people used to cook chopped veggies that look similar to rice.