Tsukemono Yakisoba
Tsukemono yakisoba, or pickled vegetables over pan-fried noodles, is Akiota’s twist on regular yakisoba, the fried-noodle dish eaten at summer festivals throughout Japan. Yakisoba is usually made with chewy wheat noodles, which are stir-fried and mixed with a thick sweet-and-savory sauce. The Akiota version consists of thin noodles fried on a hot plate with meat, vegetables, and tsukemono pickles, making for a simple and delicious dish. Unlike other local foods, tsukemono yakisoba has a short history: it was invented in 2014.
Tsukemono are a type of pickled vegetable or fruit. Much like Western pickles, tsukemono have a tangy flavor and often accompany a main dish. Pickles have long been a staple of the diet in the Akiota region, where the winters are long; in summer, produce is harvested fresh, pressed in salt, and preserved to create a nutritious topping or side dish for healthy eating during the months the town is covered in snow.
Since tsukemono often froze in winter or were simply too cold to eat, local people would heat them on a charcoal grill or in a frying pan and eat them as a snack or side dish.
A few local restaurants eventually came up with the idea to top yakisoba with grilled tsukemono. Now the combination has become a popular and inexpensive dish, whether for a quick lunch or a tasty snack with beer.