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Hiroshima Local Cuisine

Around the world, Japan is a country well known for its cuisine. What most people don’t know about is the diversity of food distributed within the country itself. Each general region is famed for its fare: Hokkaido for the aptly named ‘Genghis Khan’ barbecue (lamb), Tohoku for beef tongue, Shikoku for udon noodles, and so on. Delving down even further reveals that each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, and many times individual cities themselves, are celebrated for their local dishes. Osaka, of course, has takoyaki (fried octopus balls), Okinawa has chanpuru (Okinawan stir fry), and you’ll find tonkotsu ramen (pork stock ramen) in Kagoshima. But when it comes to okonomiyaki, you’ve got to get to Hiroshima.

Okonomiyaki, to the untrained eye, resembles a pancake, though there’s a lot more to it. The word ‘okonomiyaki’ means literally ‘grilled how you like it’. There are several styles, but what you would call main ingredients basically boil down to wheat flour batter, and cabbage. The rest is up to you. Pork, octopus, shrimp, and cheese are among the most prevalent additions. Whereas in Osaka style okonomiyaki, the other main variety, the ingredients are all mixed before cooking, Hiroshima style is distinctive in that each grilled ingredient is prepared separately before combining. First, a thin crepe-like layer of batter is spread on the grill. This is liberally covered with cabbage, usually 3 to 4 times the amount used in Osaka style leading to a healthier dish, as well as the raw ingredients such as other veggies or cheese. One of the two characteristic Hiroshima ingredients, yakisoba noodles, is then placed separately on the grill. After that, the rest of your choices are laid out to grill. The batter layer is then flipped and placed atop the fried noodles. The grilled toppings go on next, and before serving it’s crowned with the second of the two Hiroshima characteristic ingredients, a fried egg. There are over two thousand okonomiyaki restaurants in Hiroshima so even the choice of where to get your fill is ‘as you like.’

Hiroshima’s second most famed food would be oysters. Accounting for about 60% of Japan’s oyster production, Hiroshima is second to none. With an oyster cultivation history dating back 400 years, Hiroshima bay produces 25 to 30 thousand tons a year. The peak season for trying raw oysters is October to February where you can find them served at restaurants around the city, usually with five choices of accompanying sauce, such as plum or lemon-soy. Kaki fry (fried oysters) and dote nabe (oyster hot pot cooked with miso) are also outstanding. There are even oyster festivals held throughout February, the biggest being the Miyajima Oyster Festival.

In addition to okonomiyaki and oysters, Hiroshima is also widely recognized for several other foods. Hiroshima nazuke (pickled greens) are considered one of Japan’s “Big Three”. Orange and mandarin trees can be found upon terraced fields, rising from the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Apples, pears and persimmons are all also grown locally, while Shark dishes are especially popular in the Bihoku area. So if you’re in Hiroshima for some sightseeing, don’t neglect the cuisine. It’s exceptional and you won’t find it anywhere else.