Shirunashi Tantanmen (Soupless Dandan Noodles)
Shirunashi Tantanmen (Hiroshima-Style Soupless Dan Dan Noodles)
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Shirunashi tantanmen is a local noodle dish that spread from Hiroshima City. A sauce combining rayu (chili oil), soy sauce and other seasonings is put in the bottom of the bowl, and boiled medium-thin noodles are placed on top. These are topped with niku-miso (seasoned ground meat) stir-fried with tianmianjiang (sweet bean sauce), chopped green onions and plenty of Sichuan pepper (huajiao), a Chinese relative of sansho pepper. Its greatest feature is the tongue-numbing heat produced by the Sichuan pepper. Based on the soupless dandan noodles of Sichuan Province, China, it was born in Hiroshima City in the early 2000s. Since then, specialty shops have opened one after another, and there are said to be around 100 of them in Hiroshima City. When the bowl arrives, the basic rule is to mix it well, about 20 to 30 times, so that no sauce is left at the bottom, before eating. Today frozen and cup-noodle versions have also been released, and it is known outside the prefecture as a new Hiroshima specialty.
Origin
The originator of Hiroshima's shirunashi tantanmen is said to be 'きさく' (Kisaku), which started in 2001 in Funairi-kawaguchi-cho, Naka Ward, Hiroshima City. The shop was originally a ramen shop, but it did not attract enough customers, and the owner is said to have even considered closing it. Through a connection with Chinese international students, the owner traveled to Sichuan Province and studied soupless dandan noodles by sampling them at shop after shop there. It is said that the owner then perfected a bowl featuring the numbing kick of Sichuan pepper and converted the shop into a shirunashi tantanmen shop.
History
'中華そば くにまつ' (Chuka Soba Kunimatsu), which opened in December 2009, is known for its house-made noodles and for making its recipe public. This shop is said to have led the second boom that began around 2010. In 2012, a founder who had been astonished by the taste of Kisaku opened 'キング軒' (King-ken). Kisaku, Kunimatsu and King-ken are also called the 'big three' (gosanke) of Hiroshima-style shirunashi tantanmen. Since then, there has been a succession of new shops outside the prefecture, including in Tokyo, as well as releases of frozen foods and cup noodles, and it has become established as a Hiroshima specialty.
Features
Ordinary tantanmen centers on the flavor of sesame and the soup. Hiroshima's shirunashi tantanmen has no soup, and its star is the numbing heat of Sichuan pepper. Many shops let you choose the level of spiciness, typically from 0 to about 4. Some shops let you choose the amount of Sichuan pepper, and others keep Sichuan pepper on the tables. The flavor of Kannon negi, a green onion that is a Hiroshima specialty, and medium-thin noodles made with relatively little kansui (alkaline water) are also common features. Topping it with an onsen tamago (soft-cooked egg) mellows the heat.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
A widely established way of eating it is to add white rice to the leftover sauce after finishing the noodles and mix it in. This is said to have started not as a shop owner's idea but with customers. Many shops have white rice available, so you can enjoy the sauce down to the last bite.
Famous Shops
きさく
広島県広島市中区舟入川口町5-13 佐々木ビル1階
The shop said to be the originator of Hiroshima's shirunashi tantanmen. Its sauce, made without sesame and with a little soup of niboshi (dried sardines), kombu and chicken bones added, is distinctive. The spiciness can be adjusted to half, 1.5 times and so on when buying your meal ticket. A 2023 interview article introduced the version with an ontama (soft-cooked egg) at 680 yen (tax included). It is closed on Wednesdays.
中華そば くにまつ 八丁堀本店
広島県広島市中区八丁堀8-10 清水ビル1階
A popular shop opened in 2009, known for its house-made medium-thin noodles. Spiciness can be chosen from level 0 to 4, and the noodles are served shortly after ordering. A travel information site in 2022 introduced shirunashi tantanmen (level 2 spiciness) at 600 yen (tax included). It is closed on Sundays.
汁なし担担麺専門 キング軒 本店
広島県広島市中区大手町3-3-14 武本ビル1階
A shirunashi tantanmen specialty shop founded in 2012. Its house-made sauce, made with an original blend of sansho pepper and aged rayu (chili oil), coats firm thin noodles. Spiciness can be chosen from level 1 to 4, and there is also a level 0 for children. It also has a shop in Tokyo.
| キング軒 Shirunashi Tantanmen (ひまわりフーズ / Himawari Foods) | A shelf-stable shirunashi tantanmen commercialized under the shop's supervision by ひまわりフーズ (Himawari Foods; Hatsukaichi City), which makes King-ken's noodles. The box features the torii gate of Miyajima. Hiroshima City's introduction of certified products lists a two-serving pack at 972 yen (tax included), and it can be bought at Hiroshima Station, at expressway service areas in the prefecture and elsewhere.Where to buy →PR |
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FAQ
Q. Is Hiroshima's shirunashi tantanmen the same dish as Katsuura Tantanmen from Chiba Prefecture?
A. Both are local noodle dishes that carry the name 'tantanmen,' but they are different dishes. Katsuura Tantanmen is a noodle dish with soup: a soy sauce-based soup spiked with rayu (chili oil), combined with onion and ground meat. Hiroshima's shirunashi tantanmen has no soup, and its star is the numbing heat of Sichuan pepper.