06/01/2026
【食記】比良山莊：千里迢迢來滋賀，只為一嘗月熊鍋
Into The Mountains Just For A Bear Hot Pot In Hirasansou, Japan
大老遠從京都市區坐車一小時上山來到滋賀縣的比良山莊，是為了秋冬限定的月熊鍋。
我不是第一次吃熊肉。之前在富山的法餐廳L’évo偶然吃到，豐美的膠質、濃郁的肉香讓我留下了深刻的印象（當時的代價是驅車近2個小時），因此早就翹首盼望比良山莊招牌的月熊鍋。
光是視覺效果就已經頗為震撼：月熊肉薄切後華麗麗地圍繞著大圓盤擺成花狀。而叫做「月熊」，是因為獵到的亞洲黑熊的胸前有著V字白色斑紋，形似月亮。當日的部位是背中，油脂含量卻已十分驚人：紅肉部分大概只佔一成，其餘的皆是米白的凝脂，與西班牙的橡果伊比利豬火腿還有些相似。湯底逐漸冒泡沸騰，三代目伊藤先生淺淺將熊肉在高湯里涮了3秒不到，再淋上高湯，首先讓我們品嘗原味。熊肉川燙後稍微緊縮，油花在陽光下半透著光，還未品嘗，肉與脂肪的香氣就已漫開。
真是太美味了。實際上，如此清爽的脂肪我還真第一次品嘗到。真要形容的話，瘦肉似牛，肉味濃郁，脂肪的部分則更像豬肉，乾淨清甜，但是口感更脆，越嚼越香，尾韻久久縈繞。閉上雙眼，隱約還能感受到些許蜜糖的香氣和果香。從前聽聞友人形容熊肉是多麼優雅芳香，我始終半信半疑，現在想來，果真要吃過才懂，肉竟然能如此甜美。
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Traveling a full hour by car into the mountains from central Kyoto to Hirasansou in Shiga Prefecture was all for one reason: the Moon Bear Hot Pot, available only in late autumn and winter.
This wasn’t my first time eating bear meat. When I had it in Toyama, its abundant gelatin and deep, savory aroma left a powerful impression on me.
Here at Hirasansou, thinly sliced bear meat arranged around a large platter. The cut that day was from the back, yet the red meat only made up perhaps only ten percent, while the rest was opaque fat, reminiscent even of Spanish acorn-fed Iberico ham. The name “Moon Bear” comes from the V-shaped white marking on the chest of the Asiatic black bear, said to resemble a crescent moon.
As the broth was about to boil, chef-owner Ito San swished the bear meat in it for less than three seconds, then poured a little broth over it and invited us to taste it plain. The meat tightened slightly after blanching, its marbled fat becoming translucent in the sunlight.
It was extraordinary. I had never tasted fat this sweet and clean. If I had to describe it: the lean meat resembles beef, rich and robust, while the fat tastes more like pork fat — sweet, yet with a bit of crunch. And the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes, leaving a long, lingering finish. Closing my eyes, I could even sense faint notes of honey and fruit. I had heard friends describe bear meat as elegant and aromatic, but had always been skeptical. Now I could finaly relate.
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#比良山莊 #熊肉
