Summer Food in Hiroshima

May 26, 2021

Summer Food in Hiroshima

It’s getting to be that time of year again, when the thermostat rockets, the humidity intensifies, and all Japanese conversation is restricted to “atsui ne” [it’s hot, isn’t it?]

Because of this, many consider summer to be the worst season in Japan, but to say so is to ignore the fact that it has some of the best cuisine options. Why not get out of your stuffy house, hit the baking streets, and enjoy some of the delicious treats that the season serves up.

Kakigori

Kakigori is pretty much the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind when it comes to summer. Essentially just shaved ice topped with sweet flavoring, kakigori is every child’s summer treat. However, some stores go all out, with all the elaborate toppings that you could think of.

One such store is Kouriya Yuki Boushi in Kamiyacho. There is something for every palette, from the deliciously sweet strawberry and mascarpone, choco mint, and melon cream to the more grown-up flavors of green tea, chestnut, and earl grey.

Where: Hiroshima, Naka Ward, Kamiyacho, 1 Chome − 4 − 11 ̄ 2 No Ie (map)
Website: twitter.com/yukiboushi_0623

Nagashi Somen

It’s not often that food gets described as being ‘fun,’ but if there is fun food, then nagashi somen [flowing noodles] is it. In traditional restaurants, thin somen noodles are served down a bamboo slide in a stream of cold water, where the diner grabs them with chopsticks as they slide by before dipping them in a soy-based sauce called tsuyu and gobbling them up.

Of course, this is not so practical in these post-pandemic times. However, if you want to get close to the experience, a small store at Imose Amusement Park specializes in nagashi somen. Its cool Showa-era decor makes it quite an interesting spot to eat, but also, instead of bamboo slides, they have small whirlpools at your table, so you are not sharing with other customers.

Where: Ono Takinoshita, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture (map)
Website: oyakodetanoshimou.com

Goya

Even though it can be grown all over Japan, goya is a summer food most closely associated with the tropical islands of Okinawa. Bitter melon or bitter gourd in English, goya very much divides opinion on its deliciousness, but if you like bitter food, it could be right up your alley.

Hoga Shouten in Naka Ward is an Okinawan restaurant that has numerous goya dishes, including goya-champuru, a mix of tofu, bean sprouts, egg, pork (or SPAM), and goya, which is the quintessential goya dish. . If it is your first time trying goya-champuru, Hoga Shouten is a good place to start because they cook the dish longer to remove some of the bitterness of the goya.

Where: Hiroshima, Naka Ward, Nagarekawacho, 4-21 1st and 2nd floor Elsa Building (map)
Website: higashouten.owst.jp

Yakitori

Yakitori is popular all year round, but it takes on additional meaning in summer as one of the primary foods served up at festivals. These barbecued meat skewers are traditionally chicken (yakitori literally translates to ‘grilled chicken’). However, most places branch out into wider varieties, including pork and spring onion, liver, and even chicken hearts – they taste better than they sound.

Unfortunately, most festivals have been canceled in the current situation, which means that if you want to sample some summer skewers, you will have to head to a yakitori restaurant. One of the best in Hiroshima is Simidake Ichidaime in Hondori, which has around 20 meat skewers, vegetables, and seafood on sticks.

Where: 3-3-17 Hondori, Naka Ward, Hiroshima (map)
Website: first-ai.com/menu/index.html

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Image: via https://twitter.com/yukiboushi_0623/status/1393043524505853953/photo/3
Image: via https://oyakodetanoshimou.com/imose-somen-nagashi/
Image: By Hajime NAKANO via flickr.com  [CC BY 2.0]
Image: By julajp (A while busy) via flickr.com [CC BY 2.0]
Image: By Goat Tree Designs via flickr.com [CC BY 2.0]