HITA-YAKISOBA / Hita City

When visiting Hita City, you will notice that the kitchens in ramen shops often have large griddles and a dish called Hita Yakisoba. The yakisoba (fried noodles) looks quite ordinary at first, but when you actually taste it, you will be amazed by the difference in texture and flavour when compared to your average yakisoba dish.

This unique texture is down to the fact that the noodles are cooked on a griddle. The exterior of the noodle is crispy and flavourful, while the centre is soft and chewy. Moreover the crunchiness of the bean sprouts, which are plentiful in Hita Yakisoba, accentuate the flavour of the core ingredients of pork, bean sprouts and spring onions, offering the noodles a lightness that makes them suitably moreish.

In a style unique to ramen shops, tonkotsu (pork bone) broth is occasionally served alongside Hita Yakisoba, creating a truly indulgent pairing. Another appeal is that each shop has its own unique flavour, so no two Hita Yakisoba are the same! For locals, it is considered a true soul food, and tourists recognise it as a well–known gourmet staple of Hita.