Tochigi Prefecture has many attractions, including beautiful nature that can be enjoyed all year round, numerous hot springs, and historical and cultural riches, and has recently been attracting many tourists from outside the prefecture.

Tochigi Prefecture is home to delicious local specialties such as strawberries, Wagyu beef, and yuba (tofu skin), and is also popular as a place where you can enjoy B-grade gourmet food.

Today, I will explain about Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food.

What is Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food?

Northern Kanto, including Tochigi Prefecture, is originally known as a wheat-producing region, and is famous for ramen, udon, and yakisoba.

Sano City is famous for its ramen, gyoza, fried chicken, and sweets, and the prefecture actually boasts a lot of B-class gourmet food.

There is a wide variety of options available, from something to eat when you're feeling a bit hungry to something hearty, or as an after-meal dessert.

The difference between A-grade gourmet and C-grade gourmet

"B-class gourmet" is a term that you often hear on television and the Internet, but similar terms include A-class gourmet and C-class gourmet.

B-class gourmet food refers to "common food that does not use luxurious ingredients but is inexpensive and delicious."

The term first came into use around 1985, and was subsequently featured on television and other media, leading to the widespread understanding of it as affordable cuisine using local ingredients.

On the other hand, A-class gourmet is recognized as "elaborate cuisine that can be eaten at high-end restaurants", while C-class gourmet is less well known than the other two, but is used to describe "interesting cuisine that you wouldn't normally eat" with a sense of self-deprecation or humility.

Sano Ramen: A local B-class gourmet dish from Tochigi Prefecture

First, let's talk about Sano Ramen, a representative local gourmet dish of Tochigi Prefecture.

Sano ramen is more of a B-class dish, or should I say a local specialty, and is the ramen of Sano City, a town famous for its water, home to Izuruhara Benten Pond, which was selected as one of Japan's 100 famous water sources.

The soup made with this water is light yet very rich, with a flavor unlike any other.

The soy sauce flavor is popular, and the chewy, high-hydration noodles, made from green bamboo, are absolutely delicious.

Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food "Mimi Udon"

"Mimi udon" is a traditional local dish of Tochigi Prefecture.

It is an ear-shaped udon noodle dish served in soy sauce-flavored soup, and in Tochigi Prefecture, there is a custom of holding a noodle in one's hand and holding it to one's ear, praying for good ears to hear.

There is also a saying that if you eat ear noodles on New Year's Day, you will not hear anything bad for the year.

Made with delicious wheat, ear udon has a great bite and is a must-try dish if you visit Tochigi Prefecture.

Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food "Sano Kuro Karaage"

"Sano Kuro Karaage" is a new local B-class gourmet food that has recently been gaining attention.

This gourmet food from Sano City is characterized by its spicy aftertaste and the crunchy texture of the crispy batter is irresistible.

It is seasoned with sauce and, as the name suggests, is slightly black in appearance.

It may feel a little strange at first, but the taste has a freshness that you won't find in regular fried chicken.

Many restaurants offer takeaway, making it a great place for a quick snack.

Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food "Toteyaki"

"Toteyaki" is a crepe modeled after the trumpet horn horned by horse-drawn stagecoaches known as tote carriages.

In reality, it's a combination of a waffle, a crepe, and a pancake, and although it looks like a crepe, it has a soft texture similar to castella cake.

There is a wide variety of treats available, including those made with strawberries, a Tochigi specialty, chocolate, sushi, meatballs, and braised pork, so they are great as a light dessert or as a side dish.

Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food "Half Pudding Soft"

The "Half Pudding Soft" which is popular among women is a truly luxurious sweet that Nikko is proud of.

The pudding is topped with soft serve ice cream that is characterized by the rich flavor of raw milk and a slight sweetness, allowing you to enjoy two delicious flavors at once.

The towering soft serve ice cream is a ``stunning'' shot that you'll want to capture in a photo, and it's become a hot topic on social media.

If you visit Nikko, be sure to try this half pudding soft serve.

Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food "Fried noodles with potatoes"

You also can't miss the "fried noodles with potatoes," which is famous in Tochigi City and Ashikaga City.

This is a type of yakisoba that contains a lot of large potatoes, and many restaurants serving the version in Ashikaga City in particular use Tsukihoshi Sauce made by Tsukihoshi Foods, a company founded in Ashikaga.

The carbohydrate combination of potatoes and yakisoba is surprisingly good and is sure to be addictive.

Enjoy Tochigi Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food!

Today we talked about local B-class gourmet food in Tochigi Prefecture.

Thanks to the availability of delicious wheat, there are a wide variety of dishes, mainly noodles, and sweets, and it can actually be said to be a hidden gem when it comes to B-grade gourmet food.

It's conveniently located near the city center, so you can enjoy the local cuisine while taking in the great outdoors.

Location of Tochigi Prefecture

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