Local Guide
6 gourmet souvenirs that contain the deliciousness of Beppu

With its warm hot springs, beautiful scenery, and fun experiences, Beppu is also home to many delicious foods. There are many items that you can take home with you, such as those that make use of Beppu's unique hot springs, those inspired by local cuisine, and traditional confections. We have picked up six souvenirs that can be used for both personal use and as gifts. Please take a look at them for reference.

A nostalgic taste where sweetness and bitterness coexist

The only ingredients are zaborgan peel, sugar, and syrup. It is made in the traditional way.
The only ingredients are zaborgan peel, sugar, and syrup. It is made in the traditional way.

This candy is characterized by its bitterness and natural aroma. Native to Southeast Asia, zabon is also known as the queen of citrus fruits. It is made by slowly boiling down its peel with sugar and secret honey.
The raw materials used for the zabon are from Tsukumi City and Hiji Town in Oita Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture. In the past, the most popular souvenirs from Kyushu were citrus pomelos and pomelos bunting. In recent years, however, the shortage of raw materials has reduced the number of products available, but through the development of new production areas, a stable supply has finally become available. Made in the traditional way, the sweets are nostalgic.
The "Pomelo Chocolate," sold only from fall to spring, is popular among foreigners and children. It is popular for its mild bitterness and ease of eating. Be sure to try this classic confectionary, which is also offered as a room snack at hotels and ryokans in Beppu.

Local Guide Comment
Soaking them in yogurt overnight gives them a moist texture. It is also recommended to use them as accents in baked goods, like dried fruits.

Product name and price: Beppu's famous zabon pickles: 170 g, 490 yen; 100 g, 240 yen; 250 g, 550 yen.
Expiration date: 6 months
Nanko Bussan kiosks, train stations, airports, souvenir shops in Oita Prefecture, online, etc.

Nanko Bussan
  • Address 1284-2 Kannawa, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 18 minutes from JR Beppu Station by car
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at Kita-Terunawa and walk 2 minutes.
  • Business hours 8:00-17:00
  • Closed None
  • TEL 0120-66-4153
  • Parking Free of charge

Oita's representative confectionery with a blend of Japanese and Western flavors

A typical Oita souvenir. The luxurious, birodo-style package is eye-catching.
A typical Oita souvenir. The luxurious, birodo-style package is eye-catching.

A famous confectionary representing Oita, created in 1916 (Taisho 5). The outside is made of buttery biscuit dough, while the inside is filled with red bean paste, creating a blend of Japanese and Western sweets. Moist and sweet, even just one is satisfying.
There are two kinds of red bean paste. The gold film is a chopped rum-soaked raisin bean paste with a fruity sourness and rum that gives it an exquisite adult flavor. The silver film is pure Japanese white bean paste. It is made of agar-en (bean paste with agar), which is also used for yokan, giving it a unique crispy texture. It can be enjoyed either Western-style with coffee or tea, or Japanese-style with green tea.
It is loved not only as a souvenir, but also by local people, and many households keep a stock of these sweets on hand.

Local Guide Comment
It is also recommended to take them out of their individual wrappers and warm them in a toaster oven for a few seconds. The outer dough will be crispy and the bean paste will be soft, giving it a freshly baked texture.

Product name and price: Zabire, 745 yen for 6 pieces, 1,242 yen for 12 pieces.
Shelf life: 30 days
Souvenir stores, train stations, Oita Airport, department stores, online, etc.

Zabibelle
  • Address 1-3-11 Oita Distribution Business Complex, Oita City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • TEL 097-524-2167

Crunchy, crunchy, and chewy sweets that don't melt even in summer

On the left is the most popular
On the left is the most popular "Strawberry Milk" and next to it is "Ramune. Colorful and cute looking!

The use of kuzu (kudzu) in this strange popsicle keeps it from melting down. The popsicles are crispy at the beginning, but the inside is soft and chewy. It is a perfect sweet after a hot bath.
There are 11 standard varieties, and seasonal flavors such as blueberry, grape, raspberry, and apricot are added from spring to summer. The overwhelming favorite is the strawberry milk. It offers a rich, rich milk flavor with plenty of sweet and sour strawberries. The refreshing light blue "Ramune" with grains is a favorite among children. Seasonal products, such as "pumpkin milk" for Halloween, are also available.
The store was founded in 1916. The shop is crowded with both locals and tourists, including madams who buy kuzu popsicles while buying Japanese sweets and children who come with coins in their pockets.

Local Guide Comment
We also recommend sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree in the park right in front of the store. It is filled with fruit and other ingredients, so it is very satisfying.

Product name and price: Kuzu popsicles (210 yen), fruit milk only (240 yen).
Shelf life: 2 weeks if kept frozen.
Aramaki Shoten

Aramaki Shoten
  • Address 1-15 Matsubara-cho, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 14 min. walk from JR Beppu Stn.
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at "Beppu Hamamachi" and walk about 4 minutes.
  • Business hours 7:00-18:00
  • Regular holiday Wednesdays, once a month on Tuesdays (please check our Instagram)
  • TEL 0977-23-2534
  • Parking None

A perfect reproduction of the very popular toriten. Popular for its crunchy texture.

A snack invented by a long-established company that makes Beppu's famous
A snack invented by a long-established company that makes Beppu's famous "toriten" (toriten is a kind of fish cake), and has a deep flavor that can also be used for cooking!

Aramaki Shoten, which opened in 1926 and is very popular as a long-established toriten store, developed this snack using chicken skin that is left over from cooking.
The chicken skin from Kyushu is covered with the same secret batter as the toriten served at the restaurant. After the chicken skin is deep-fried in the batter made from an original blend of soy sauce, garlic, flour, katakuriko flour, and eggs, it is heated in the oven. The excess oil is removed and the chicken skin is crispy and crunchy.
Not only is it a perfect snack or alcoholic beverage, but it is also recommended to be crushed into small pieces and served over rice or salad. Dipping them in kabosu soy sauce adds a refreshing flavor and makes them taste even more like toriten.

Local Guide Comment
Since it is tasty and not too heavy on oil, you may find yourself overeating. Many customers who have eaten at the restaurant purchase large quantities or repeat purchases.

Product name and price: Toyoken's chicken skin tempura, 50g, 673 yen.
Shelf life: 90 days
Available at: Restaurant Toyoken, JR Beppu Station kiosks, Tokiha, online, etc.

Restaurant Toyoken
  • Address 7-8-22 Ishigaki-Higashi, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 8 minutes from JR Beppu Station by car
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at "Funakouji" and walk about 5 minutes.
  • Hours of Operation 11:00-15:30 (L.O. 15:00), 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:00)
  • Regular holiday 2nd Tuesday of the month
  • TEL 0977-23-3333
  • Parking Free of charge

Specialty Souvenirs from the Sulfur Fragrance of Hot Springs

The cute packaging is a delightful six-pack. Can be used on their own or in salads and other dishes.
The cute packaging is a delightful six-pack. Can be used on their own or in salads and other dishes.

Eggs with the whole flavor of hot spring water. The eggs are steamed in a hot spring steam cauldron and soaked in salt water for six hours. The secret of their popularity is their firm saltiness, brownish white flesh, and smoked-like color and flavor. The eggs are finished with the blessings of hot spring water, and can only be found at this restaurant.
It is a popular tourist spot that attracts people incessantly even on weekdays, and you can eat inside the restaurant as well. Sandwiches using steamed eggs from the hot spring are also available for takeout.
The Myoban area, where the restaurant is located, is at a high altitude in Beppu and is filled with the scent of sulfur. Enjoy the hot spring atmosphere of the area with its rows of hot spring huts.

Local Guide Comment
In front of the restaurant is a steaming pot of steam. Watch the steamy steam up close and personal.

Product name and price: Jigoku-mushi salted eggs, 108 yen per egg (to-go), 110 yen (in the store), 756 yen for a 6-piece souvenir set.
Best before date of expiration: 7 days from the date of manufacture.
Okamoto-ya store

Okamoto-ya Shop
  • Address 3 sets of Myoban, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 20 minutes from JR Beppu Station by car.
  • Direction Take a bus from the West Exit of JR Beppu Station and get off at "Jizoyu-mae" bus stop.
  • Business Hours 8:30-18:30
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 0977-66-6115
  • Parking Free of charge

Popular for its impactful name and ease of use

Crunchy and light, you can eat as many pieces as you like with its snack texture.
Crunchy and light, you can eat as many pieces as you like with its snack texture.

Crispy, light and thin rice crackers that reproduce Oita's local delicacy, toriten (chicken tempura). Domestic chicken is used as an ingredient. The spice and garlic flavors make it a perfect snack. It took more than a year to develop the product, as it was difficult to bring out the flavor of toriten. Its long shelf life, reasonable price, and light weight make it easy to carry as a souvenir, which is another reason why it is often chosen as a souvenir.
A series of products are also available, such as "Gokumin no toriten senbei" (toriten rice cracker), which is richer and heavier than regular ones and has a richer flavor, and "Mysterious toriten-flavored furikake (sprinkled on rice). Every summer, limited edition products made in collaboration with Oita Prefecture ingredients such as kabosu, plum, marine lemon, and yuzu gosho flavors are also available. These products are popular among men and women of all ages as souvenir sweets that provide a hot topic of conversation.

Local Guide Comment
In Oita Prefecture, the name of this product is often seen on wrapped cars and in local commercials, so there is no shortage of people who know about this product. The product is reasonably priced, so it is useful as a souvenir to give away to a large number of people.

Product name and price: Mystery Toriten Senbei (toriten crackers): 1,170 yen for 30 crackers, 699 yen for 14 crackers.
Shelf life: 180 days
Souvenir stores, train stations, airports, department stores, etc. in Oita Prefecture

Takara Bussan Co.
  • TEL 0977-23-0311

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.