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　table of contents

1. Kawara soba
2. Takosoba
3. ube ramen

About gourmet food in Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture is a region blessed with a rich natural environment and beautiful scenery, and has developed a unique food culture that takes advantage of fresh ingredients obtained from the Seto Inland Sea, the Sea of ​​Japan, and the Chugoku Mountains. Thanks to the warm climate and rich blessings of the sea and mountains, you can enjoy a variety of gourmet foods centered around seafood and mountain delicacies.

Kawara Soba, Tako Soba, and Ube Ramen are especially popular as gourmet foods that represent Yamaguchi Prefecture. When you visit Yamaguchi Prefecture, be sure to enjoy these dishes and experience the unique food culture of the region.

3 carefully selected gourmet foods in Yamaguchi Prefecture

1. Kawara Soba 

　● The charm of Kawara Soba 

Kawara soba is a local gourmet dish that originated in Toyoura-cho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture (formerly Kawatana-cho, Toyoura-gun).As the name suggests, it is characterized by a unique cooking method in which tea soba noodles and other ingredients are placed on “kawara” and baked. The sight of the fragrant soba noodles being grilled on hot tiles is visually pleasing, and the crispy texture of the noodles and the refreshing aroma of the green tea whet your appetite.

There is a wide variety of accents, such as sweet and spicy beef, tinsel eggs, lemon, and grated maple leaves, and it is interesting that each home or restaurant has its own arrangement. The idea of ​​using roof tiles for cooking is also connected to historical episodes, creating a dish that evokes the traditional culture of the region. 

　● Kawara sobahistory of 

The origin of Kawara Soba is said to be based on an anecdote about a Satsuma feudal warrior who went to war in the Seinan War around the time of the Meiji Restoration and cooked a meal outdoors using roof tiles. It is said that it was invented in later years based on the image of leftover ingredients being grilled on hot tiles on a battlefield, and inspired by this episode.

In fact, the dish that came to be served under the current name “Kawara Soba” dates back to the mid-Showa period, when it was invented at an inn in Kawatana Onsen, Toyoura Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

　● If you want to eat Kawara Soba, this is the place! ! 

• Store name:Original Kawara Soba Takase
  
• charm:
  Located in Kawatana Onsen in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, this restaurant is known as the birthplace of Kawara Soba. Its appeal lies in its unique cooking methods, historical atmosphere, commitment to local ingredients, and a wide variety of stores.
  In 1961, Shinichi Takase, who was running an inn at the time, was inspired by an anecdote about soldiers using roof tiles to cook meals during the Satsuma Rebellion, and devised “Kawara Soba,” a method of baking chasoba noodles on hot tiles. This unique cooking method gives the buckwheat its aromatic flavor and crispy texture, giving it a taste like no other..
  
  
• Access: 20 minutes walk from J Kawatana Onsen Station
• Address: 5437 Oaza Kawatanacho, Toyouracho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
  
• Google Map:https://maps.app.goo.gl/vbXQEXMMFx7HFNf77
  

2. Takosoba 

Source: Tabelog

　● The charm of Takosoba 

Yamaguchi Prefecture’s “Takosoba” is a unique local gourmet dish that combines fresh octopus and soba, local specialties. In particular, it was born in an area with a thriving fishing industry, centered around Shimonoseki City, and is gaining popularity as a dish that makes use of local ingredients. Paired with boiled octopus or octopus tempura with soba noodles, this is a dish where you can fully experience the flavor of the sea. In addition, the flavor that makes use of fresh, locally harvested octopus is loved by local residents and tourists alike.

Another appeal is that you can enjoy it in ways that suit the season, such as warm soba with octopus soup or cold soba, which is popular in the summer.

　● Takosobahistory of 

In Yamaguchi Prefecture, seafood and noodle dishes have been established as part of the local food culture since ancient times. Octopus, in particular, is loved by locals as a fresh ingredient caught in the Seto Inland Sea. Takosoba was created by combining octopus with locally consumed soba.

　● If you want to eat Takosoba, this is the place! ! 

• Store name:Kameya
  
• charm:
  The restaurant’s specialty, “Takosoba,” is a unique dish that combines takoyaki and yakisoba, and the sweet sauce and mustard mayonnaise are perfectly intertwined, giving it a tangy aftertaste for an adult taste. The combination of fluffy takoyaki and yakisoba covered in sauce attracts many repeat customers. 
  The inside of the restaurant has a homey atmosphere, and one of the highlights is watching the staff cook the food quickly. Yakisoba is cooked quickly on a large griddle and is a delight to visitors. It’s also conveniently located, just a 3-minute walk from Shimonoseki Station, making it an easy place to stop by in between shopping or sightseeing.
• Address: Sea Mall Shimonoseki B1F, 4-4-8 Takezakicho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
  
• Access: About 3 minutes walk from the east exit of JR Shimonoseki Station
  
• Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BFqiggae25PptsK76
  

 

 

 

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3. Ube Ramen 

Exhibitor:Kazuhisa Official website

　● Ube Ramencharm of 

Ube ramen is a local ramen served mainly in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and is characterized by its rich pork bone soup and medium-thick, soft noodles. The soup is impressive due to its deep richness and brown appearance created by simmering pork bones for a long time, and its unique aroma whets the appetite. This flavor, also known as “Kusauma”, brings out the unique aroma and flavor of pork bones to the fullest.

The medium-thick noodles that go with the soup have a chewy texture and serve to coat the soup well. These noodles have a presence that rivals the richness of the soup and will leave you feeling satisfied until the last bite. In addition, ingredients such as chashu, green onions, menma, and pickled ginger are added to add color and flavor.

　● Ube Ramenhistory of 

The origin of Ube Ramen goes back to Ikada Ichiro, who founded Osakaya in Ube City in 1949. He trained in making ramen in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and brought the taste back to Ube. As a result, Ube Ramen has evolved in its own way, while being influenced by Kurume Ramen.

It is an everyday taste for local people, and it is also special to tourists as a “taste of Ube City.” While preserving the traditional flavors that have existed since the company’s founding, local stores incorporate innovations that suit the times, and are firmly rooted in the local food culture.

　● If you want to eat Ube Ramen, this is the place! ! 

• Store name:Kazuhisa
  
• charm:
  This is a long-established ramen restaurant that has been in business for 50 years, mainly in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and is well known in the local area. 
  Its appeal lies in the rich soup made from 100% pork bones and the chewy and springy raw thin straight noodles. Pork bone soup is carefully simmered at each store, and the slightly dark colored soup with bone particles dissolved in it has an addictive taste for Ube residents. 
  The menu includes standard ramen, chashu noodles, yakimeshi, gyoza, etc. Among them, the “Bikkuri Ramen” is gaining popularity as a hearty dish that has 1.5 times the amount of ramen and is topped with chashu, shinachiku, bean sprouts, and 5 gyoza.
  
• Address: 1-9-14 Chuo-cho, Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
  
• Access: 157m from Ube Shinkawa Station
• Google Map:https://maps.app.goo.gl/W6WtXFb3rHDazR9u9