Ibaraki

A soul food favorite from central Ibaraki. This ramen comes with a sweet-and-savory Ankake sauce packed with fried liver, pumpkin, and loads of veggies. There are two options: Stamina Hot, served with piping hot soup, and Stamina Cold, a broth-free version. I like to add a bit of vinegar halfway through.

（Buuuuu）

A ramen dish topped with a sweet-and-savory Ankake sauce. The toppings include liver, cabbage, and pumpkin, all simmered to perfection. Its slightly spicy kick is seriously addictive. One standout spot is “Genkai” in Mito City, where they swap out the liver for hormone. Even if you’re not a fan of liver, you’ll still love it here.

（Kyu）

I especially recommend the Stamina Ramen at “Matsugoro” in Mito City and “Ganja” in Tsukuba City. Their Stamina Cold Ramen comes with chilled noodles topped with a hot, sweet-and-savory Ankake sauce filled with pumpkin, carrots, and liver. It’s a popular dish you won’t often see outside the prefecture. I recommend getting extra sauce so it coats the noodles nicely.

（Nobi~）

I don’t usually eat liver, but I’d often come for this when I was feeling tired. What’s interesting about the cold version is that the chilled noodles are topped with piping hot Ankake sauce, so it ends up being about the same temperature as regular ramen.

（Ototohi）

It’s the kind of soba I’d expect to exist but isn’t that common. I get the soba noodles and Kenchin-style broth served in separate bowls, and I dip the noodles into the hearty soup as I eat. Depending on the restaurant or household, the broth may contain ingredients like burdock root, carrots, daikon, and konnyaku. Different places offer various textures and cutting styles for the ingredients. During the autumn soba season, you might find food tour events where you can try different versions.

（Waiyu）

At my parents’ or grandparents’ house, we had Kenchin soup, but never Kenchin udon (or soba). At a soba shop in Mito called “Aoyagi”, you can try it as a winter special. I recommend the “Kenchin Mori”, where you dip cold soba into hot broth. It’s filled with chunks of vegetables like daikon, and the broth soaks into them, making them soft and tasty. Plus, it comes with a side of sansho, which is a nice touch.

（Tommytomosato）

Warm soba with a hearty Kenchin soup full of vegetables is a comfort food that really makes me feel winter is on the way. It’s already showing up in the lunch section of local supermarkets. Both soba and Kenchin udon are delicious, but personally, I prefer the soba, so I’m recommending Kenchin soba this time.

（Satsuki）

I dip soba into Kenchin soup to eat it. It was such a regular part of school lunches that I was surprised to find out it’s a local dish! It’s full of veggies and really warms me up. Definitely worth trying.

（J）

Try Kenchin soba with the fragrant Hitachiaki Soba. You can have it with dipping broth or poured over the noodles, but in Ibaraki, the poured version might be more common. It’s amazing when you add plenty of shichimi togarashi with dried tangerine peel from Tsukuba’s Fukure Mikan. You can find this dish at most soba restaurants in Ibaraki. If you make it at home, my family says that using pork instead of chicken gives the broth a richer flavor. In our house, we even have it as toshikoshi soba.

（Rie）

Ibaraki Prefecture is actually known for its thriving soba cultivation. When the soba flowers bloom, the fields turn completely white, and it’s such a beautiful sight. During soba season, you’ll see flags with “Hitachiaki Soba” flying everywhere, which reminds you that it’s the time of year again. It’s one of the autumn traditions in Ibaraki.

（Sakura）

I have Hitachiaki soba with Kenchin soba. Dipping soba is great, but if I’m having it at home, I really enjoy adding the noodles to hot broth.

（Miran）

I recommend Mizore Ramen at Gankoya Karugan. You might wonder, “Do these go with ramen?” It comes with a surprising combination of umeboshi and grated daikon as a topping. but it’s actually really good.

（Meshitama）

It’s so good when you mash up the umeboshi while you eat.

（Konko）

Instead of vinegared rice, the inside of this inari sushi is filled with soba noodles. You can try it at a soba shop near Kasama Inari Shrine.

（Nuiko）

This ramen is based on the one Tokugawa Mitsukuni, also known as Mito Komon, is said to have had when ramen was first introduced to Japan. Lately, it’s often sold as a souvenir.

（Waiyu）

The idea of mixing in lotus root and the strong texture are great. Boil it at home and give it a try.

（Sumisumi）