Image: Wikimedia Commons
Towada barayaki is a soul food of Towada City residents, made by grilling beef short plate together with a large amount of onion on a griddle with a sweet-and-savory soy-sauce-based sauce. It is said to have originated in the 1950s at food stalls that lined the area in front of a U.S. military base in neighboring Misawa City. At the time, cattle raised by U.S. military personnel for food were used for their lean meat as steak, and the fatty short plate and offal left over were sold off cheaply; people with roots in the Korean Peninsula are said to have cooked this using plenty of onion, drawing on bulgogi as a reference, and this is considered the origin of the dish. An advertisement in a local newspaper in 1958 mentions 'beef barayaki,' and it later spread to Towada City, where it exploded in popularity. Today it is served at more than 40 shops in the city, each offering its own distinctive sauce.
Origin
It is said to have originated in the 1950s at food stalls lined up in front of a U.S. military base in Misawa City. After lean meat for steak was taken from cattle raised privately by U.S. military personnel, the fatty short plate and offal that remained were sold off cheaply, and people with roots in the Korean Peninsula are said to have cooked this using large amounts of onion, drawing on bulgogi as a reference.
History
The appearance of the phrase 'beef barayaki' in a local newspaper advertisement in 1958 suggests it had already become an established dish by this time. Barayaki, born in Misawa, was later passed on to neighboring Towada City, where it spread explosively within the city. Today it is known as a local dish representative of Towada City and has also gained nationwide recognition, including winning the Gold Grand Prix at the B-1 Grand Prix.
Features
The basic cooking method is to stir-fry beef short plate together with a large amount of onion on a griddle, using a sweet-and-savory soy-sauce-based sauce. Because it arose from efforts to make an inexpensive cut delicious, each shop's individuality shows in the blend of its sauce, which brings together the sweetness of the onion and the richness of the fat, and shops compete on flavor.
Famous Shops
食道園
青森県十和田市東三番町1-43
A long-established yakiniku restaurant said to be the shop where Towada barayaki originated. Barayaki costs around 700 yen (information as of 2008).
司バラ焼き大衆食堂
青森県十和田市稲生町15-41
A popular shop near the Towada Art Center. Towada barayaki costs around 900 yen.