Kawara soba

About Kawara soba

Kawara soba is a unique style of local cuisine born at Kawatana Onsen in Toyoura Town, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is a gorgeous dish of flavourful tea noodles kneaded with matcha on a hot tile, and kinshi eggs, sweet-and-spicy beef, seaweed, green onions, lemon slices, and grated maple leaves are added on top. You can enjoy a different texture of soba grilled on a tile, with the lower layer being crispy and the upper layer being chewy.

As a way to eat it, the point is to first enjoy the flavor of tea soba as it is, then soak it in a warm, sweet soup before eating. You can also enjoy a refreshing flavor by adding lemon or grated maple leaves along the way.

The origin of this dish dates back to the Seinan War. The ryokan “Takase” in Kawatana Onsen was developed in 1962, inspired by the story that soldiers of the Satsuma army used roof tiles to grill meat and wild grass and eat them. Another feature is that you can enjoy it in a hot state until the end due to the insulation effect of the roof tiles. Currently, it is widely popular both inside and outside of Yamaguchi prefecture, and it is a local gourmet dish that is often made at home using hot plates and frying pans.

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