Yakisoba

Yakisoba (焼きそば), literally "fried buckwheat," or sōsu yakisoba (ソース焼きそば) (the same, but in sauce), is considered a Japanese dish but may have originated in Japan as a variant of fried noodles. It first appeared in food stalls in Japan during the early 20th century. Although soba means buckwheat, typically suggesting noodles made from that flour in mainland Japan, yakisoba noodles are made from wheat flour. It is typically flavored with a condiment similar to oyster sauce.

Preparation

It is prepared by frying ramen-style noodles with bite-sized pork, vegetables (usually cabbage, onions or carrots) and flavored with yakisoba sauce, salt and pepper. It is served with a multitude of garnishes, such as aonori (seaweed powder), beni shoga (shredded pickled ginger), katsuobushi (fish flakes), and mayonnaise.

Serving

Yakisoba is most familiarly served on a plate either as a main dish or a side dish. Another popular way to prepare and serve yakisoba in Japan is to pile the noodles into a bun sliced down the middle in the style of a hot dog, and garnish the top with mayonnaise and shreds of pickled ginger. Called yakisoba-pan, pan meaning bread, it is commonly available at local matsuri (Japanese festivals) or konbini (convenience stores).