Image: Wikimedia Commons
Yamagata Hiyashi Ramen, said to have originated in Yamagata City, is Chinese-style noodles served in a chilled soup with cooled Chinese-style noodles. Around 1952, a regular customer at 'Sakaeya Honten,' a Chinese noodle shop in Yamagata City, reportedly asked, 'If cold soba exists, why can't there be cold Chinese noodles?' The dish is said to have originated when the shop's first-generation owner, Abe Senshiro, devised it through trial and error in response. The dish pairs a soup chilled with floating ice and other methods with springy, medium-thick noodles and toppings, and has become a beloved summer staple both within and beyond the prefecture. Today, in addition to Sakaeya Honten, many ramen shops in and around Yamagata City serve their own versions of cold ramen, and it is known as one of Yamagata's representative local dishes.
Origin
At 'Sakaeya Honten,' a Chinese noodle shop founded in 1932, a regular customer remarked around 1952, 'There's cold soba in summer, so why can't cold Chinese noodles be made?' This remark prompted the first-generation owner, Abe Senshiro, to begin development. It is said that he spent about a year researching a formula in which the noodles would not become soggy even when cold and the fat in the soup would not separate, before completing it as a new summer menu item.
History
Cold ramen, born at Sakaeya Honten, drew attention as a groundbreaking dish in an era when only hot ramen was available even in summer, and it gradually spread to shops in and around Yamagata City. Today, in addition to Sakaeya Honten, many ramen shops in and around the city serve their own versions of cold ramen, and it has become established as a signature Yamagata dish that draws visitors from outside the prefecture during summer.
Features
The dish is characterized by a soup chilled thoroughly, often with floating ice, paired with springy noodles cooled in cold water. The key to its flavor lies in a formula devised so the soup does not separate even when cold, and toppings commonly include roast pork, cucumber, and tomato. While it is especially popular during the hot summer months, many shops serve it year-round.
Food Culture
The reversed idea of 'cold Chinese noodles,' born in an era when hot ramen was the norm, drew attention and spread to many shops in and around Yamagata City. Today it is beloved by residents as a symbol of summer and has become one of the reasons tourists visit Yamagata.
Famous Shops
栄屋本店
山形県山形市本町2-3-21
Founded in 1932. Known as the birthplace of cold ramen, its Hiyashi Ramen costs around 750 yen (large portion adds 150 yen). A popular shop with lines forming in summer.
View details →| Sakaeya Honten Hiyashi Ramen (Dried Noodles) | A dried-noodle version made for souvenirs, featuring a secret soup made from bonito and kelp with La France pear juice added. The fat does not solidify or change in flavor even when ice is added. Priced around 690 yen.Where to buy →PR |
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FAQ
Q. Is this different from 'Hiyashi Chuka'?
A. Unlike 'Hiyashi Chuka,' which is served with colorfully arranged toppings, Yamagata's Hiyashi Ramen is distinguished by chilling the ramen soup itself thoroughly before serving, giving it a different flavor from Hiyashi Chuka, which is topped with a tangy sauce.