Image: Wikimedia Commons
Sano Ramen is a local ramen loved in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, most distinguished by its flat, curly noodles made using the 'aodake-uchi' (green bamboo pole) method, in which a bamboo pole is used to stretch the dough with the maker's body weight. It is said to have begun in the Taisho era, when a Chinese cook working at a diner in the city taught the aodake-uchi technique to a local chef, and as the person who learned the technique went on to open his own shop, it spread throughout the city. The clear soy-sauce-based soup, made primarily from chicken and pork bones, has a firm body that pairs well with the irregular, curly noodles, and its light flavor never grows tiresome. Today, more than 200 ramen shops are packed into the city, many of which still carry on the traditional aodake-uchi technique. Sano City has also put effort into community revitalization as a 'ramen town,' drawing many tourists who enjoy shop-hopping.
Origin
Sano Ramen's beginnings trace back to the Taisho era. It is said to have started when a Chinese cook working at a diner in Sano City taught his own noodle-making technique - stretching the dough using body weight applied to a green bamboo pole - to a local chef who was his colleague. The person who inherited the technique opened a stall selling Chinese-style noodles in the early Showa era, an event said to mark the origin of Sano Ramen.
History
Aodake-uchi ramen, which started as a food stall around 1930 (Showa 5), had its technique passed on to diners and noodle shops throughout the city through the postwar period, with many shops increasing in a kind of noren-wake (branch shop) fashion. Because aodake-uchi requires skilled technique and strength, long-established shops that still make their own noodles today are known as guardians of Sano Ramen's tradition, and more than 200 ramen shops in the city compete for customers.
Features
The flat, curly noodles finished with the aodake-uchi method have an irregular cross-section and a distinctively firm, chewy texture. The soup is a clear soy-sauce broth based on chicken and pork bones, delivering concentrated umami within a light aftertaste. Toppings tend to be simple - char siu, menma (bamboo shoots), green onion, and naruto (fish cake) - making it a dish enjoyed for the harmony between noodles and soup.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Sano City prospered as a town of craftsmen in the textile and cast-iron industries, and ramen, which could be eaten quickly, took root as a meal for working people. With more than 200 shops packed into the city, ramen is so deeply woven into daily life that residents each tend to have their own favorite bowl.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
It is difficult to recreate aodake-uchi noodles at home, so store-bought fresh or dried noodles are used as a substitute in most cases. At specialty shops, the aodake-uchi process itself - in which craftsmen hand-make the noodles from dough - is what determines the flavor, making it very different from home cooking in terms of technique.
Famous Shops
宝来軒
栃木県佐野市浅沼町801-2
Said to have been founded in 1930, this is regarded as the oldest-established shop for Sano Ramen. Its founder, who inherited the aodake-uchi technique from a Chinese cook, started the business as a food stall, and the shop still serves the same light soy-sauce soup today.
麺屋ようすけ 本店
栃木県佐野市田島町232
A shop well known even outside the city, popular enough that a line is almost guaranteed, carrying on the traditional aodake-uchi noodles to this day. Long lines sometimes form even before opening, and it is known for how well its light soy-sauce soup pairs with the curly noodles.
View details →おぐら屋
栃木県佐野市出流原町993-1
Founded in 1976. One of the leading Sano Ramen shops, having given rise to many noren-wake (branch) shops, located close to Izurugahara Benten Pond. Its carefully prepared, clear soup is popular among customers.
View details →| Sano Ramen fresh noodle tasting set | A popular souvenir set pairing fresh noodles and soup from well-known shops such as Menya Yosuke, available from around 1,200 yen. It can also be ordered through local specialty product shops and mail-order sites such as JTB Shopping.Where to buy →PR |
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