Image: Wikimedia Commons
Morioka reimen is a local dish of Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, combining firm, springy noodles with a rich broth made from beef and chicken bones and the tang and spice of kimchi. It is said to have originated in 1954, when Aoki Teruhito, who came from Hamhung on the Korean Peninsula, began serving a version of his hometown's cold noodles adapted to suit local tastes at his yakiniku restaurant 'Shokudoen' in Morioka's Odori district. At first, the noodles' unusually firm texture was met with confusion, with some diners describing it as 'like rubber,' but it gradually won over more and more fans and grew into a signature noodle dish of Morioka. It was officially named 'Morioka reimen' at the 'Japan Noodle Summit' held in Morioka in 1986, and October 17 is now designated 'Morioka Reimen Day' in commemoration. It is mainly served at yakiniku restaurants, and diners can enjoy variations in flavor with toppings such as kimchi and watermelon.
Origin
Morioka reimen was created by Aoki Teruhito, who came from Hamhung on the Korean Peninsula, at his yakiniku restaurant 'Shokudoen,' which he opened in Morioka's Odori district in 1954. Drawing on the Hamhung-style and Pyongyang-style cold noodles he had enjoyed in his hometown, he is said to have changed the noodles — originally made mainly from buckwheat flour — to wheat flour and starch, creating a translucent white noodle and crafting a dish suited to the tastes of Morioka locals.
History
When it was first introduced, some customers were puzzled by the noodles' firm texture, saying they were 'like rubber and hard to bite through,' but it gradually earned a reputation as a dish that 'becomes addictive once you try it.' When it was entered at the 'Japan Noodle Summit' held in Morioka in 1986, a city official proposed the name 'Morioka reimen,' and October 17 was later designated 'Morioka Reimen Day' to commemorate the occasion.
Features
The noodles are made using an extrusion method, in which dough made from wheat flour and potato starch is pushed through a machine, giving them their firm texture and smooth, slippery bite. The broth has a rich flavor from beef and chicken bones simmered slowly, with animal fat carefully skimmed off during preparation. The tang and spice of house-made kimchi harmonize with the broth, and some restaurants add seasonal fruit such as watermelon as a topping.
Main Ingredients
Famous Shops
食道園
岩手県盛岡市大通1丁目8-2
Founded in 1954, the restaurant where Morioka reimen originated. Reimen costs around 950 yen.
View details →ぴょんぴょん舎 稲荷町本店
岩手県盛岡市稲荷町12-5
Founded in 1987. A popular restaurant opened by 邊龍雄, who coined the name 'Morioka reimen.'
View details →FAQ
Q. Are reimen noodles made from buckwheat flour?
A. When the dish was first created, the noodles were made from buckwheat flour and starch, but the recipe was later refined to use wheat flour and potato starch, resulting in the translucent white noodles seen today.