20251220 [Region x Gourmet] Iwate Specialty: The Three Great Noodles of Morioka

Hello! This is Wakana from the Local Bridge Student Bureau!
With the year-end and New Year holidays approaching, many of you might be returning to your hometowns or visiting your grandparents, right? My grandparents live in Iwate Prefecture in the Tohoku region, so I used to enjoy playing in the snow with them during winter break when I was a child! So, this time, I would like to introduce the classic gourmet food of Iwate Prefecture: the "Three Great Noodles of Morioka."

1. Wanko Soba

When you think of Iwate gourmet food, "Wanko Soba" comes to mind.

This is a local dish where a single mouthful of soba noodles is repeatedly dropped into your bowl along with the server's chants of "Hai, jan-jan!" (Yes, keep going!) and "Hai, dondon!" (Yes, keep it coming!). Wanko Soba is not just a competitive eating contest. It was originally born from Iwate's warm "spirit of hospitality," with the desire for guests to "eat as much delicious food as they can until they are full." Because there is a wide variety of condiments (tuna sashimi, minced chicken, nameko mushrooms with grated daikon, sesame, seaweed, etc.), you can surprisingly keep eating while changing the flavor.

Soba will be added to your bowl until you close the lid. Including the battle of wits with the server, it is an experience you should try at least once. Many restaurants will give you a "certificate of completion" if you exceed 100 bowls, so please give it a try!

2. Morioka Reimen (Cold Noodles)

While cold noodles are familiar as a finish to a yakiniku meal, Morioka Reimen is a little different from Korean cold noodles.

Its biggest feature is the thick, translucent, and slippery noodles. Made from wheat flour and starch, the noodles have both a rubber-like elasticity and a smooth texture when swallowed. The soup is beef bone-based. It is also the Morioka style to have seasonal fruits like watermelon, pear, or apple as toppings in the rich, flavorful soup. You can order the spiciness as "betsukara" (separate spice) and adjust it yourself by adding kimchi. You can even see customers at yakiniku restaurants who come just to eat the cold noodles without having any yakiniku. It is a dish I always order when I go for yakiniku!

3. Jajamen

This dish has a unique appearance, with freshly boiled, warm flat noodles (similar to udon) topped with special meat miso, cucumber, green onions, and ginger.

The name sounds similar to "Jajangmyeon," but the taste and appearance are completely different! The biggest difference is the type of noodles. Jajamen uses noodles similar to udon, while Jajangmyeon uses Chinese noodles. Please enjoy that difference too!
It has a visual impact, but the way you eat it is also impactful. Once it is brought to you, mix it all up without worrying about how it looks. After taking a bite and enjoying the base flavor, you can add vinegar, chili oil, and garlic from the table to customize it to your liking.
When you finish the noodles, crack a raw egg into the bowl and call out to the staff, "Chi-tan-tan, please." They will add boiled noodle water and miso to turn it into a piping hot, special egg soup. Some people have their own preferences, such as leaving a mouthful of noodles or a little bit of cucumber. I also like to leave a little cucumber to enjoy my Chi-tan-tan. Warming up with this finishing soup is part of the fun of Jajamen!

Summary

How was it?
I got hungry while writing this (lol). It would be best if you could go to the local area to eat it, but it seems you can also enjoy it at online shops or stores in the Kanto region recently. My personal recommendation is Jajamen! There is no doubt you will get hooked once you try it, so please give it a try!
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References

https://wankosoba.jp/wankosoba/

https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/ja/local/wanko-soba/

https://www.pyonpyonsya.co.jp/remen/about/