10 recommended classic gourmet foods in Hiroshima

I want to enjoy delicious gourmet foods that can only be eaten in Hiroshima until my stomach is full!
Here are 10 recommended standard gourmet foods in Hiroshima that we will deliver to you.
In addition to typical okonomiyaki and oyster dishes, you may find hidden gourmet dishes that you hear for the first time!

1. Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a staple food in Hiroshima. The characteristic of Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima is that the ingredients are steamed by covering the dough. There are differences in ingredients and toppings depending on the region and shop, so it's perfect for eating and comparing.

2. Oyster dishes

Hiroshima boast the largest production volume in Japan.

Six rivers flowing into Hiroshima Bay carry nutrients from the Chugoku Mountains to Hiroshima Bay. Fish and shellfish harvested in Hiroshima Bay are characterized by high nutritional value and rich flavor. No matter how you cook it, such as raw, grilled, steamed, fried oysters, pot (kaki-nabe), and kakimeshi, oysters are always to be find in Hiroshima's cuisine !

3. Dandan Noddles

It may be surprising, but it is said that the tantan noodles without soup was invented in Hiroshima. It seems that it was an arrangement dish from a restaurant called “Kisaku” in Naka-ku, Hiroshima in 2001. Around 2010, there was a boom again, and it spreaded nationwide. The characteristic is the “numbing spiciness”, and the balance between the spiciness of chili peppers and the numbness of sansho (Chinese pepper). To finish the meal, add some rice and enjoy Hiroshima's local gourmet food until the end.

4. Hiroshima tsukemen

Hiroshima tsukemen (Hiroshima-style tsukemen) is said to have originated from “Shinka-en” in Hiroshima. The characteristic of Hiroshima tsukemen is that it is made of Char-siu pork, boiled vegetables, and boiled eggs combined with cold and squeezed Chinese noodles. Add chili peppers and chili oil to a soy sauce base to make it dry. If you like spicy foods, try it super spicy!

5. Hiroshima ramen

Hiroshima ramen is made with a soy sauce tonkotsu flavored base and Chinese soba that is popular mainly in Hiroshima City. It is said that soy sauce tonkotsu is the mainstream in the western part of Hiroshima prefecture, and soy sauce soup in the eastern part of Hiroshima prefecture. The ramen culture developed from food stalls after the war, and it is a local ramen with many famous shops. How about Hiroshima ramen, which is a bit different from Onomichi ramen and Fukuyama ramen?

6. Small sardines (Iwashi)

Small sardines are known nationally as iwashi. It is one of the soul foods of the people of Hiroshima prefecture, which is locally said to be “the taste of sea bream if you wash it seven times.” Speaking of anchovies, we imagine dried foods such as dried sardines, but small sardines are mainly eaten raw. Only in Hiroshima can you eat fresh small sardines raw, such as sashimi, nigiri, pressed sushi, and tempura!

7. Uni-Horen (urchin & Spinach)

Uni-Horen a local dish of Hiroshima known only by those who knows. It is a simple dish made of sea urchin and spinach or watercresson fried in butter soy sauce. It seems that it originated from a teppanyaki restaurant called “Naka-chan” in Naka-ku, Hiroshima. If you eat the remaining sauce with a french baguette, you can fully enjoy the umami of sea urchin and watercress until the end.

8. Anagomeshi (Conger Eel Rice)

The conger eel spreading on top of the rice is spectacular.At first, the conger eel rice, is said to be born as an ekiben in the Meiji period, made with Miyajima’s products.

Conger eel, which has been repeatedly grilled with a secret sweet and spicy sauce, is truly exquisite. With the soft meat quality of conger eel and the fragrant aroma, it is a bowl that can be stirred up to the last bite at once.

9. Fried Momiji Manju

Fried momiji manju was developed by Momijido in Miyajima, who has been making momiji manju in Miyajima for over 100 years. You can enjoy the crispy and fluffy texture of fried momiji manju in oil at the same time. It will be fried only after visitors order it, so it's always hot and crispy. There are also a wide variety of flavors, such as red bean paste, cream, and cheese.

10. Kure Navy's curry

Friday is curry day! It seems that Friday lunch at the Maritime Self-Defense Force is curry so that the members of the ship belonging to the Kure Base do not forget the sense of the day of the week at sea. Kure Navy's curry is a faithful reproduction of curry served at the Kure Base of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. Even if you don't join the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, you can enjoy delicious curry.