When it comes to B-grade gourmet food, many people probably think of "yakisoba" (fried noodles).

This time, we will focus on yakisoba, one of the most representative types of Japanese B-grade gourmet food, and introduce the types of yakisoba that can be found all over Japan.

When it comes to Yakisoba, a B-class gourmet food in Japan, these three types come to mind!

The three types of yakisoba that were selected at the famous "B-1 Grand Prix" are listed below.

Fujinomiya Yakisoba (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Fujinomiya Yakisoba is a local delicacy that originated in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
The dish uses thick, flat noodles and is stir-fried in a unique sweet and spicy sauce. As pigs are also raised in Fujinomiya, the dish is also flavored with lard (pork oil). The crunchy texture of the cabbage adds an accent to the dish, and it is very filling. You can enjoy this dish at cafeterias and restaurants in Fujinomiya, where you can enjoy the local flavor and taste.

Yokote Yakisoba (Akita Prefecture)

Yokote Yakisoba is a local dish from Akita Prefecture that is characterized by the use of boiled noodles.
The noodles are thick and minced meat is often used.
The biggest feature of this dish is that it is topped with a soft-boiled fried egg and fukujinzuke pickles, allowing you to enjoy a type of yakisoba that is rarely seen in other regions.

Joshu Ota Yakisoba (Gunma Prefecture)

Joshu Ota Yakisoba is a local dish that originated in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, and is famous for its thick noodles and very dark sauce.
The sweet sauce combined with the flavor of cabbage creates a taste that evokes nostalgia and is what strikes a chord with Japanese people.

There are some interesting varieties of yakisoba like this!

The most well-known local yakisoba are listed above, but there are many other variations as well.

Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba (Aomori Prefecture)

This is a fried noodle dish that looks almost like udon noodles; it is made by stir-frying thick, chewy noodles in Worcestershire sauce, topped with plenty of soup and fried tempura bits and spring onions.
Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba, served with warm soup, is a local specialty that can hardly be found anywhere else.

Ishinomaki Yakisoba (Iwate Prefecture)

This is a local yakisoba dish from Ishinomaki City, Iwate Prefecture, and its distinctive feature is that the noodles are very brown.
In fact, the color is not due to the sauce, but the noodles are brown even before cooking. The noodles are steamed in seafood stock, resulting in a yakisoba with a flavor that is tightly packed with the umami of the stock.

The key to enjoying Ishinomaki Yakisoba is to not pour the sauce on right away, but rather eat it halfway without adding anything, and then eat the sauce later.

Namie Yakisoba (Fukushima Prefecture)

Namie Yakisoba, which originated in Namie Town, Futaba County, Fukushima Prefecture, is a type of yakisoba that was conceived as a cheap, filling meal for workers.
This makes for a very thick and filling yakisoba, with simple ingredients consisting only of pork belly and bean sprouts.

Italian (Niigata Prefecture)

This is a local yakisoba that is a Niigata specialty, and although the name alone does not immediately suggest that it is yakisoba, it is actually yakisoba topped with a special meat sauce. The noodles are thick, so they look like udon, but they are actually made from Chinese noodles.

As for its origin, it is said that when the chef came across yakisoba in Tokyo in the 1950s and tried to come up with a new dish based on it, he felt that ordinary yakisoba would not be interesting, so he created it to compete with Neapolitan, which was popular at the time.

Utsunomiya yakisoba (Tochigi Prefecture)

This is a local yakisoba that is mainly available in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, and is made with thick noodles seasoned with sauce.
Because it was originally a popular snack for children at sweet shops, it is now on the menu at many stores in Utsunomiya. Many stores also have their own unique ingredients and sauces, so it's fun to try different ones at each store.

Fried noodles with potatoes (Tochigi Prefecture)

Yakisoba usually does not contain potatoes, but in places such as Ashikaga City in Tochigi Prefecture, it is more popular to add steamed potatoes.
You will be able to enjoy a different kind of yakisoba than usual.

Itoigawa Black Yakisoba (Niigata Prefecture)

"Itoigawa Black Yakisoba," a new local gourmet dish from Niigata Prefecture, is a type of yakisoba that is characterized by its jet black appearance, as it is made with squid ink.
This yakisoba is made with plenty of squid caught in Itoigawa, so not only is it visually striking, but you can also enjoy the flavor of squid ink that you can't get with regular yakisoba.

If you like squid ink, you should definitely give it a try.

Bokkake Yakisoba (Hyogo Prefecture)

Yakisoba is a popular home-cooked dish in the downtown area of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture.
"Bokkake" is a dish made by simmering beef tendons and konjac in a sweet and spicy sauce, and although it is often served over udon noodles, it also goes well with yakisoba.
This is a versatile dish that can be eaten as is or poured over yakisoba or udon noodles.

Sobameshi (Hyogo Prefecture)

This is a local Kobe delicacy, and as the name suggests, it is a combination of yakisoba and fried rice.
The noodles are finely chopped so they mix well with the rice, making this a must-try dish for sauce lovers.
It seems that it is sometimes eaten with the "bokkake" mentioned above on top.

Hiruzen Yakisoba (Okayama Prefecture)

This is yakisoba made with a miso-based sauce and is made in the Hiruzen region in northern Okayama Prefecture.
It also has the unique ingredients of chicken meat and cabbage.

Ikaten Yakisoba (Hiroshima Prefecture)

Ikaten is made by roasting only the body of squid, coating it in batter and frying it, resulting in a tempura that combines the flavor of the squid with the flavor of the batter.
It is often used as a topping for Hiroshima-yaki, but it is also used in yakisoba, a local dish.

Tottori Offal Yakisoba (Tottori Prefecture)

Made in eastern Tottori Prefecture, this is a miso-based yakisoba dish that contains beef offal.
It is said that the dish originated in the 1950s, when the many yakiniku and horumon restaurants in Tottori City added Chinese noodles to stir-fried vegetables and miso, and found it to be delicious.
For this reason, it is often served at yakiniku restaurants.

Hita Yakisoba (Oita Prefecture)

This local delicacy from Hita City, Oita Prefecture, is fried noodles that are crispy and served with bean sprouts, green onions, vegetables, pork, and sauce.
The noodles are cooked so hard that they burn, giving the dish a texture that is more enjoyable than regular yakisoba.

summary

What do you think?

There are many different kinds of yakisoba in Japan, many with unique noodles, sauces, and ingredients.

You can enjoy it while traveling, enjoy local cuisine when you go back home, or discover new local B-grade gourmet food when you move due to a job transfer or other reason, so why not look for a restaurant near you?

Introducing restaurants where you can eat yakisoba!

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