This time, we will introduce the history and characteristics of "Houtou," a local B-class gourmet dish from Yamanashi Prefecture.

Yamanashi Prefecture is a city in the Chubu region, located almost in the center of Japan. Surrounded by mountains, it is rich in nature, yet has easy access to the city center, making it a convenient place to live.

This time, we will thoroughly explain the history and characteristics of "hoto," a local B-class gourmet dish from Yamanashi Prefecture that has many attractive features.

What is Houtou?

Hoto is a typical local dish from Yamanashi Prefecture, made by simmering flat noodles made from kneaded wheat flour in a miso-based broth with plenty of vegetables, including pumpkin, potatoes, and mushrooms.

One of the most famous dishes is adding pumpkin to hoto, which has led to the saying "pumpkin hoto is delicious."

In the Kyonan region, houtou is also called "noshiire" or "noshikomi."

The history of Houtou

"Houtou" was originally called "hoto" and has been known to have been eaten by aristocrats since the Heian period. It is also said that the Sengoku warlord Takeda Shingen ate it while in battle.

Yamanashi Prefecture is a mountainous region that is not suitable for rice cultivation, so houtou has long been popular as a staple food instead of rice. In the past, making houtou noodles was even considered part of the training for brides.

Unlike other noodles, no salt is mixed into the noodles when they are made, so there is no need to remove the salt after boiling. It is relatively easy to make, goes well with vegetables and meat, and is highly nutritious, making it a popular local dish that has been enjoyed for a long time.

Characteristics of Houtou

The distinctive feature of Houtou is that it uses flat noodles.

The benefits of this type of noodle include the soup sticking well to the noodles and them being chewy and satisfying to eat.

How to make Hoto

From here, I will introduce how to make hoto.

First, prepare 200g of hoto, 100g of Chinese cabbage, 1/2 a carrot, 2 shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 a piece of fried tofu, 200g of pumpkin, 10cm of green onion, 700cc of water, 2 teaspoons of Japanese-style granulated soup stock, and 3 tablespoons of miso.

Cut the Chinese cabbage into chunks, slice the carrots thinly and then cut them cut-side down into 1cm pieces. Remove the roots of the shiitake mushrooms and slice them thinly, cut the green onions diagonally, and cut the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces.

Next, put water and Japanese-style granulated soup stock in a pot and heat over medium heat. Add the vegetables except for the onions and the fried tofu cut in half and then into 1cm widths. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 6 to 7 minutes.

Once it is thoroughly heated, dissolve the miso, add the houtou noodles, and heat until the houtou noodles are soft.

Once the hoto is no longer in the core, place it in a bowl, top with green onions, and it's done.

Tourist spots in Yamanashi Prefecture

From here, I will introduce some tourist spots in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Lake Kawaguchi

Lake Kawaguchi is a large lake that is counted as one of the Fuji Five Lakes.

It has the longest shoreline of the five lakes, and is famous for the beautiful and majestic view of Mt. Fuji from Kawaguchiko Ohashi Bridge.

This area was the first of the Fuji Five Lakes to develop into a tourist destination, and there are hot spring resorts and campsites in the surrounding area, attracting many tourists from Japan and abroad every year.

Oshino Hakkai

Oshino Hakkai is a tourist spot located in Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture, and is designated as a natural monument, one of Japan's 100 famous waters, and a World Heritage Site.

Here you can see eight ponds that were formed by the rain that fell on Mt. Fuji, and gazing at the clear spring water is sure to soothe your soul.

There are dumpling shops and other restaurants in the area, so you can enjoy eating your way around.

Fuji-Q Highland

Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park located in Fujiyoshida City.

It is home to some of the world's most thrilling attractions, making it a must-see amusement park for roller coaster fans.

Among the most popular are "FUJIYAMA," which boasts world-class height and top speed, and the thrilling "Eejanaika," where the seats and course spin around.

Of course, there are plenty of attractions that children can enjoy, so be sure to bring your family along!

Access to Yamanashi Prefecture

From here, we will introduce how to access Yamanashi Prefecture.

If you are traveling from Tokyo to Yamanashi Prefecture, we recommend taking an express bus. There are express buses from Tokyo Station to Kofu Station, which takes about two hours.

If you are traveling from Osaka to Yamanashi Prefecture, we recommend using the Shinkansen and trains. Take the JR Shinkansen Nozomi from Shin-Osaka Station to Shin-Yokohama Station. Then, take the JR Yokohama Line train to Hachioji Station, then transfer to the JR Azusa or Kaiji Limited Express to Kofu Station.

Location of Yamanashi Prefecture

summary

This time, we introduced the history and characteristics of "Houtou," a local B-class gourmet dish from Yamanashi Prefecture.

We learned that houtou is a nutritious, relatively easy to prepare dish that has been popular for a long time.

Another appealing point is that you can enjoy a variety of flavors depending on what ingredients you add to the hoto noodles.

Yamanashi Prefecture has many tourist spots where you can experience nature and theme parks where you can have fun all day, so be sure to visit Yamanashi Prefecture!

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