Editing Chiba Prefecture (section)

==Cuisine==
[[File:Big rolled sushi,Hutomakizushi,Katori-city,Chiba,Japan.JPG|thumb|''Futomaki'', large sushi rolls, Katori, Chiba Prefecture]]
[[File:Seaweed-dish,kaisou,katori-city,japan.JPG|thumb|''Kaisō'', a jelly-like food made from the seaweed ''Chondrus elatus''. Believed to have originated in [[Chōshi]] city]]
The traditional diet of Chiba Prefecture is not fundamentally different from that of the rest of Japan. Chiba Prefecture produces prolific quantities of rice across all areas in the prefecture, vegetables in the northern area of the prefecture, and fish, seafood, and shellfish along the coastal areas of the prefecture. Chōshi has been a major center of worldwide [[soy sauce]] production since the [[Edo period]], and the prefecture remains the top producer in Japan. [[Kikkoman]] is headquartered in Noda in northwestern Chiba Prefecture.<ref name="trends"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kikkoman.com/corporateprofile/directory/japan.shtml |title=Kikkoman Corporate Profile |access-date=2012-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326071713/http://www.kikkoman.com/corporateprofile/directory/japan.shtml |archive-date=2012-03-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These are all important components of [[Japanese cuisine]].

Certain local products, however, are grown in abundance and have resulted in several dishes unique to the areas. Peanuts, grown in great quantities in the prefecture, appear fresh in markets in the prefecture and are eaten boiled as a snack. [[Miso]] paste mixed with peanuts is also produced in Chiba.<ref name="trends"/> ''Takenoko'', whole [[bamboo shoot]], are harvested in the central part of the Boso Peninsula. The takenoko of Ōtaki lack the concentration of [[arsenic]] typically found in uncooked bamboo shoots, and as such, are uniquely eaten raw in the area as "takenoko sashimi".<ref>[http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/syokusai/contents/nextweek/0226/ 第271回『たけのこ』春の息吹 たけのこ4月18日放送予定] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607192734/https://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/syokusai/contents/nextweek/0226/ |date=2020-06-07 }}{{in lang|ja}}</ref><ref name="tour">{{Cite web |url=http://www.chiba-tour.jp/html/food-country_en.html |title=Country Dishes of Chiba Prefecture |access-date=2012-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701084437/http://www.chiba-tour.jp/html/food-country_en.html |archive-date=2013-07-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Futomaki]]'' or ''futomakizushi'', literally "fat roll", is a large version of the sushi roll. The futomaki popularly made in Chiba Prefecture is up to 10 centimeters in diameter. Futomaki in Chiba Prefecture often utilize various ingredients to form a pattern, such as a flower or a [[kanji]] character, when the roll is cut and served.<ref name="trends"/><ref name="tour"/>