Image: Wikimedia Commons
Kuroishi tsuyu yakisoba is a local dish born in Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, characterized by pouring soba broth over Kuroishi yakisoba, which uses thick, flat 'taihei' noodles. It is said to have originated in the late 1950s to early 1960s, when a diner in Kuroishi City called 'Mimasu' invented 'tsuyu soba'—yakisoba topped with broth—so that it could be eaten warm even on cold days. Mimasu later closed, but local restaurant owners who missed its flavor turned it into a menu item called 'Kuroishi tsuyu yakisoba,' which drew attention. Today it is served at multiple shops in Kuroishi City, each with its own noodle thickness and broth flavor, and it is cherished as a local dish representative of Kuroishi.
Origin
The roots of Kuroishi tsuyu yakisoba trace back to a diner called 'Mimasu' that existed in Kuroishi City in the late 1950s to early 1960s. The shop served 'tsuyu soba,' Kuroishi yakisoba made with Kuroishi's distinctive thick, flat 'taihei' noodles topped with soba broth, said to have been born as a way to eat yakisoba warm even on cold days.
History
With the closure of Mimasu, tsuyu soba also disappeared for a time, but local restaurant owners who missed its flavor recreated it and sold it under the name 'Kuroishi tsuyu yakisoba.' This drew attention, and multiple restaurants in Kuroishi City began serving their own versions of tsuyu yakisoba; today it is established alongside Kuroishi yakisoba as a local dish representative of the city.
Features
The basic style uses the thick, flat 'taihei' noodles found in Kuroishi yakisoba, topped generously with soba broth. Unlike sauce-flavored yakisoba, it combines the gentle flavor of the broth with the chewy texture of the taihei noodles, and is popular for being enjoyable warm even in cold weather. The thickness of the noodles and the flavor of the broth vary from shop to shop, and comparing different versions is part of the fun.
Famous Shops
すずのや
青森県黒石市前町1-3
A Kuroishi yakisoba specialty shop that recreates the flavor of 'Mimasu.' Kuroishi tsuyu yakisoba costs around 500 yen.
お食事処 妙光
青森県黒石市（黒石駅から徒歩約10分）
A long-established diner billing itself as the 'original tsuyu yakisoba.' Separate from the soba-broth lineage of 'Mimasu,' this celebrated shop popularized its own tsuyu yakisoba made with ramen soup. Around 750 yen.