Morioka Reimen & Jajamen
While Iwate prefecture is known for its stunning mountains and coastal scenery, Morioka City is known for its three great noodle dishes: wanko soba, reimen, and jajamen. Although wanko soba is its representative dish, the latter two are common everyday meals. In the summertime, locals tuck into a refreshing bowl of cold reimen noodles, a unique Morioka speciality, inspired by Korean naengmyeon. It is a bowl of thin soba (buckwheat) noodles served in an icy cold, savoury broth accompanied with fresh watermelon slices/chunks, kimchi, and a hard-boiled egg.
Another favourite local dish that is popular year-round is jajamen, a thick, udon-like noodle dish served with a dollop of miso-braised minced meat, and topped with chopped cucumbers, pickled vegetables, and grated ginger. While this is also a Korean-inspired dish, the Morioka version is often completed with “chi tan tan”, a raw egg whisked and cooked with a serving of hot broth, then poured into the finished jajamen bowl to complete the taste.
You can get reimen or jajamen at many restaurants across Morioka City, including Pyonpyonsha and Seirokaku for reimen and Pairon for jajamen.
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