Taniguchiya

Taniguchiya is an aburaage (fried tofu) specialty shop in Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture. Since 1925 (Taisho 14), Taniguchiya has been run across three generations, and its recommended item is the "Taihaku Oage," fried exclusively in Kuki Taihaku pure sesame oil. It’s outstanding—and its size is impressive: about 12 cm × 12 cm and around 4 cm thick. At Taniguchiya, you can enjoy set meals centered on this aburaage. You can season it in various ways or simply eat it as-is. Eating freshly made aburaage as the main side dish isn’t something most people do in everyday life, but at Taniguchiya anyone can. They also offer popular sweets such as soft serve, cream puffs, and roll cake made with house-made soy milk. Some items are available via mail order, and the high number of repeat customers shows how popular it is. Despite being in a somewhat inconvenient location even for locals, people keep coming nonstop—proof of its appeal. Visitors come from all over Japan, including tourists, to get this aburaage. To get to Taniguchiya, take the Keifuku Bus, get off at Takeda, and walk about 12 minutes.