Dango-jiru
The warm, comforting qualities of dango-jiru make it the “soul food” of Oita prefecture. The dish consists of flat wheat flour noodles in a soup based on either miso (Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans) or soy sauce, along with pork and vegetables such as burdock root and carrots. The ingredients and presentation vary, however, the flavors always represent the familiar and comforting cuisine of Oita home-cooking.
Although the style varies from family to family, the soup always contains flat noodles known as dango. Generally, the term “dango” refers to round balls of dough made from a mixture of rice, millet, or wheat flour with water. However, Oita’s dango are known for their flat shape.
The same flat noodles used in dango-jiru can also be found in another regional dish known as yaseuma, in which the flat noodles are covered in sweet kinako (roasted soybean powder) and are usually eaten as a snack or a dessert.
Many restaurants in Bungotakada offer dango-jiru, and meal kits are available at various souvenir shops for those wanting to cook it themselves at home.