In this article, we will focus on Niigata Prefecture's B-class gourmet food and introduce some of the delicious local dishes. When you think of Niigata Prefecture, you may think of rice and sake, but there is also a wide variety of delicious B-class gourmet food.

Come explore the charm of Niigata while enjoying the local flavors!

What is Niigata Prefecture's B-class gourmet food?

Niigata's B-class gourmet food refers to easy-to-prepare and delicious food loved by locals. Niigata is known for its unique gourmet food, such as Italian food and sauce katsudon. We will introduce you to some of the exquisite dishes that are unique to Niigata.

Italian

When you hear the word "Italian," many people may think of Italian foods like pizza and pasta, but in Niigata Prefecture, Italian food means yakisoba topped with plenty of meat sauce.

In 1960, the owner of Mikazuki, a sweet shop located in Furumachi, a downtown area of Niigata, wanted to offer not only sweets but also light meal menus.

At the time in Tokyo, sauce fried noodles were popular, so the chefs tried to incorporate this style into their dishes, but they decided to stir-fry homemade thick noodles with cabbage and bean sprouts in a special sauce, and instead serve regular fried noodles topped with meat sauce and eaten with a fork, as they felt that this would not be very interesting.

This Neapolitan was born out of a whim of the Mikazuki owner, but now with the number of Mikazuki stores increasing, it has become a familiar Niigata soul food, even found in food courts.

Sauce pork cutlet bowl

The pork is thinly coated in batter, deep fried, and then lightly dipped in soy sauce.

A typical katsudon is topped with an egg, but Niigata's sauce katsudon does not use an egg and is simply a few slices of katsu placed on top of rice, making it a bold yet very simple dish.

In the early Showa period, cutlets were thought of as a modern dish eaten at Western restaurants, but by combining it with soy sauce, it became a familiar flavor for Japanese people, and it is said that it quickly became a popular menu item among local residents.

Each restaurant has its own unique style of meat and sauce, so it's fun to try different restaurants and find your favorite.

Curry at the bus center

Those who hear it for the first time might be confused by the name, "Bus center curry?" However, to be precise, it is the curry rice that can be eaten at Bandai Soba inside the Bandai City Bus Center, and is a familiar curry that is loved by many people in Niigata.

Bandai Soba is a long-established stand-up soba restaurant that has been in business since 1973, but before long its specialty was curry rice rather than soba.

Its trademark is a generous amount of strong yellow roux, accented with bright red fukujinzuke pickles.

The roux, which is based on pork bone soup, is slightly sweet with a spicy kick, and is known for its nostalgic and addictive flavor.

Even if there is a line, the food is turned over quickly and served quickly, so feel free to stop by while you're waiting for the bus.

Niigata's Top 5 Ramen

It may be surprising, but Niigata is a ramen battleground with a thriving ramen culture.

Here we will introduce Niigata's "Five Great Ramen" all at once.

There is a wide variety of ramen on offer, from light to rich, so come and find your favorite.

Niigata Light Soy Sauce Ramen

This soy sauce ramen is full of nostalgia, like the old-fashioned "noodle."
The essence of light soy sauce ramen is simplicity.
Thin noodles and clear soup.

Topped with roast pork, bamboo shoots, naruto (fish paste), and spring onions, it has a mild flavor and is perfect as a final drink after drinking alcohol.

Tsubame Sanjo Back Fat Ramen

Tsubame-Sanjo is famous as a town with a thriving Western tableware industry.
In a town where many such craftsmen work, back fat ramen was a popular delivery option.

Based on the requests of the workers, the result is a satisfyingly filling dish, rich flavor with plenty of back fat, and extra thick noodles that don't get soggy even when delivered.

Some people may be put off by the word "back fat" as it sounds too rich, but because the soup is seafood-based, the aftertaste is surprisingly light.
Many people are becoming addicted to the perfect combination of this ramen with the chewy, extra thick noodles!

Nagaoka Ginger Soy Sauce Ramen

Nagaoka ginger soy sauce ramen is popular mainly in Nagaoka city in central Niigata prefecture.

It looks like a standard Chinese noodle dish, but one sip of the soup will release the flavor of ginger and gradually warm your body.

This ramen was born in Niigata, a region known for heavy snowfall, with the desire to warm people from the inside out, and has now spread throughout the country, and is beloved by customers in restaurants in Tokyo and other places, where there are often long lines of people waiting to get in.

Niigata Rich Miso Ramen

It is said that the origin of Niigata thick miso ramen is Komadori in Nishikan Ward, Niigata City.

The thick, chewy noodles and rich miso ramen with plenty of vegetables were initially met with criticism that, as the ramen was described as rich, the flavor was too strong for some people.
So Komadori changed to a style where customers can adjust the strength of the flavor by adding a diluted soup.

The popular diluted soup has now become the trademark of this rich miso ramen.

Sanjo Curry Ramen

Sanjo curry ramen is the lesser known of the five great ramen dishes, but it has the longest history, having been around for over 70 years since its creation.

The style of curry ramen varies depending on the restaurant, and there is a wide variety, such as those with curry-flavored soup or soy sauce ramen topped with curry roux, so choose a restaurant that suits your tastes.

Bamboo shoots

The last thing we would like to introduce is the sweet dessert "Sasadango."

The roots of sasa dango, a beloved local Niigata dish, date back 500 years; it is said that dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, which have antibacterial properties, were used as portable food by warlords during the Sengoku period.

Sweets unique to the rice-producing region of Niigata are also perfect as small souvenirs.

Location of Niigata Prefecture

summary

This time we introduced Niigata Prefecture's B-class gourmet food.
Niigata Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan, so one might associate it with seafood, but when it comes to B-grade gourmet food, that's a bit different.

There are many popular menu items, such as ramen, cutlets, and curry, so everyone is sure to find a flavor they like.
If you visit Niigata, be sure to try these delicious dishes.

Enjoy a wonderful trip exploring the charms of Niigata while savoring the local flavors!

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