Image: Wikimedia Commons
Hiruzen Yakisoba is a local-style yakisoba enjoyed throughout the Hiruzen Highlands area of Maniwa City (Hiruzen), Okayama Prefecture. It is characterized by stir-frying chicken (parent hen meat) and cabbage together with a special miso-based sauce made from ingredients such as garlic, onion, and apple, resulting in a popular sweet-and-savory, rich flavor. Its origins trace back to the 1960s (Showa 30s), when a local diner is said to have made use of the homemade miso sauce that was popular at the time for Genghis Khan-style grilled lamb, stir-frying chicken and cabbage together with yakisoba noodles. This dish became a local specialty. In 2011, the 'Hiruzen Yakisoba Suitonkai' association won the Gold Grand Prix (first place) at the 6th B-1 Grand Prix held in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, bringing the dish nationwide recognition. Today it is still served at many diners and restaurants throughout the Hiruzen Highlands and remains a popular local specialty among tourists.
Origin
The origin of Hiruzen Yakisoba is said to trace back to the 1960s (Showa 30s). At the time, households in Hiruzen were fond of eating Genghis Khan-style grilled lamb with a homemade miso sauce made from ingredients such as garlic, onion, and apple. A diner located in the Naka-Fukuda area of Hiruzen, Maniwa City, is said to have made use of this miso sauce by stir-frying chicken (parent hen meat) and cabbage together with yakisoba noodles, which became popular and took root as a local specialty.
History
Hiruzen Yakisoba, long loved locally, gained momentum through community revitalization efforts led by the 'Hiruzen Yakisoba Suitonkai' association, which spearheaded its promotion. After winning the Gold Grand Prix (first place) at the 6th B-1 Grand Prix held in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture in November 2011, its nationwide recognition rose sharply, and it became a representative local specialty of the Hiruzen Highlands, drawing many tourists to the area.
Features
The special miso sauce combines ingredients such as garlic, onion, and apple, with each restaurant using its own blend. A key feature is the use of chicken (parent hen meat) rather than beef or pork, stir-fried with cabbage in the rich miso sauce. With its sweet-and-savory, hearty flavor, it is enjoyed by tourists as a dish best savored in the cool air of the Hiruzen highlands.
Main Ingredients
Famous Shops
悠悠（ゆうゆう）
岡山県真庭市蒜山下福田438
Said to be the first restaurant to turn the local 'sauce yakisoba' into a menu item as 'Hiruzen no Yakisoba' when it opened in 2002. Its signature dishes are fried chicken and Hiruzen Yakisoba.
やまな食堂
岡山県真庭市蒜山上長田2050-2
A diner known for its rich miso-sauce Hiruzen Yakisoba made with chicken. Hiruzen Yakisoba costs around 880 yen, and horumon (offal) yakisoba around 1,279 yen (tax included).