I stood under the looming Shinto torii gate with my guide Mish Haddad, an expert on Kyoto culture with a passion for the local food. Our goal was to both hike and eat our way along the Kyoto Trail from Fushimi Inari Shrine (Marker 1) to Kiomizudera Temple and end at Ginkakuji Temple (Marker 47).
Unknown to most tourists, the Kyoto Trail passes through three World Heritage Sites while allowing you to experience some of Kyoto's best-known edible delights. From street food to haute cuisine, eating is undoubtedly one of the sybaritic pleasures of a visit to Japan's ancient capital.
First we headed up through Fushimi Inari, gliding by street stalls set up along the walkway selling classic Japanese festival foods served on a stick (corn cobs, skewered meat, etc.), and sweets such as yaki dango (grilled mochi rice cake dumplings), baked dorayaki (red bean pancake) and my personal favorite, ichigodaifuku (mochi with strawberry).