Azumino Fair at Iroha Mart, Plaza Singapura - Exclusive Food Fair featuring 12 products from 3 leading food and sake manufacturers in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

For the first time in Singapore, Azumino Fair is set to debut at Iroha Mart, Plaza Singapura from 18 November to 3 December 2023. Look forward to a fruitful shopping spree complete with selected food and wine tasting.

On 26 October 2023, we attended an opening reception event of Azumino Fair at Reiwa Kappo. Skilfully prepared by Chef Abe, we were treated to an exceptional tasting session featuring a variety of canapès made using Azumino’s fresh wasabi, apples, rice, buckwheat and more.

Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture

Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture is a picturesque valley in the heart of the countryside of Honshu. With a cool climate and a conducive environment for agricultural products to grow, Azumino City produces rice and wasabi, Shinshu salmon, apples, wasabi, and a wide variety of specialty products such as sake, wines and cheesecake.

Azumino Fair

This autumn, Azumino City brings the best of their local produce to Iroha Mart, Japanese marketplace retailing food products and a wide variety of authentic Japanese snacks.

Date: Saturday, 18 November 2023 to Sunday, 3 December 2023
Time: 10am to 10pm daily
Venue: Iroha Mart, 68 Orchard Rd, #B2-17/18 Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839

Wasabi

Did you know Azumino City is the largest producer of Japan’s wasabi? Thanks to its rich natural resources, the “hon-wasabi” cultivated in Azumino is distributed throughout Japan and the rest of the world. “Hon-wasabi” is a unique variety of wasabi which boasts an unique aroma and taste, and a fresh vibrant green appearance. Take a whiff of its strong scent and savour the sweet and spicy flavours.

Enjoy freshly grated wasabi at home! Pair with not only sashimi, but also with meat. It is also perfect as a condiment for noodles and tofu. Love wasabi with soy sauce? Check out the Pickled Wasabi in Soy Sauce ($12.90) which brings out the spiciness of fresh wasabi. Top it on noodles or pour the seasoning sauce over rice to make ochazuke.

Apples

Azumino's climate is excellent for growing a variety of fruits, including apples, peaches, berries, persimmons, and more. Sun Fuji Apple (1 for $4.90) is a popular apple variety which is rich in flavour, sweet, sour, and crunchy. Shinano Gold Apple (1 for $4.90) is a crunchy and firm yellow apple that you can enjoy with its crunchy and firm texture. Taste the refreshingly sweet and sour citrus-like flavour.

Sake & Liquors

Rice raised in the fertile natural environment of Azumino is combined with the spring waters of the Northern Alps to brew their “Suien” sake.

Suien Phantom Sake 300ml ($15.90) is brewed with Azumino-grown rice- Hitogokochi. This light and refreshing sake in a clear blue bottle resembles the blue sky of Azumino. 

Suien Junmai Daiginjo Miyama Nishiki 720ml ($44.90) is brewed entirely with Miyama Nishiki sake rice grown through contract cultivation in Azumino, Nagano Prefecture, and brewed with underground water from the Northern Alps. Savour its gentle aroma and light taste.

Suien Apple Liqueur 360ml ($17.90) is a sake-based liqueur with just the right amount of sweetness and refreshing acidity, made with plenty of fruit juice made from apples grown in Nagano Prefecture.

Strawberry Sake ($48.90) is made with “Natsuaki Strawberries'' grown in Azumino. A whopping 33% of strawberries are used in this concoction, resulting in a thick texture, almost like strawberry puree. Chill it well and enjoy it as is, or on the rocks or with soda for a refreshing drink. You can even mix it with milk for an “adult strawberry milk”.

About Azumino City

Settled below the strikingly beautiful mountains of the Japanese Alps lies Azumino, a picturesque valley in the heart of the countryside of Honshu, the central island of Japan. Azumino City is a city of beautiful landscapes created by the combination of the magnificent nature of the Northern Alps, rice fields, wasabi fields, and residential forests at the foot of the mountain.

Access by Rail
[From Tokyo Station] It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to Nagano Station via Hokuriku Shinkansen. It takes another 1 hour to reach Akashina Station/Tazawa Station (Azumino City) via JR Shinonoi Line.
[From Nagoya Station] IT takes about 2 hours to get to Matsumoto Station via Limited Express Shinano. It takes anothr 20 minutes to get to Toyoshina Station (Azumino City) via JR Oito Line.

EH Sake Brewery

Source: Visit Azumino

EH Sake Brewery is open to visitors. Discover the sake brewing process, enjoy sake tasting, purchase “Suien” Japanese sake and other liquors.

Address: 1090-1 Toyoshinatakibe, Azumino
Opening hours: Mon to Sat: 8:30am -5.00pm (Closed on Sun)
Contact: +81 263 72 3011

Taste Fresh Shinshu Salmon

Shinshu Salmon is a hybrid fish of brown trout and rainbow trout, distinct to Nagano and has a rich and deep savoury flavour. Many restaurants in Azumino City serve Shinshu Salmon rice bowls. In addition, you can also find fresh Shinshu salmon in supermarkets.

Come on down to Iroha Mart and experience Azumino City’s traditional food culture!

Azumino City Fair at Iroha Mart
Location: Iroha Mart, 68 Orchard Rd, #B2-17/18 Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Date: Saturday, 18 November 2023 to Sunday, 3 December 2023
Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm daily
Facebook Instagram

Enjoyed reading our articles? Check out others below!

Yakiniku LIKE Presents Exclusive Singles' Day Offer And 50% Off Wagyu

Wagyu X: Singapore’s First Japanese Steakhouse To Offer Hokkaido Special Wagyu

10 Recommended Sushi Restaurants In Singapore