Local Specialty of Mt. Fuji: Yoshida Udon

Japan has so many culinary delights that sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. “What would you like to order?” “Umm, everything…?”

When traveling around this foodie heaven, my advice is to find out the local specialty of the area you’re visiting. Japan has many regional specific dishes that are difficult to find or not as good elsewhere. So seize the opportunity to try these special varieties when you have the chance and save staples for those times in between.

The town of Fujiyoshida at the base of Mt. Fuji is well-known for its unique udon noodles. Characteristically tough and chewy, they have a texture that is unlike any other udon dish you have tried.

You can pick up a “Yoshida Udon Map” (吉田のうどんマップ) from the City Hall or Information Centers that detail the more than 60 shops around town that sell the dish. They may not be easy to recognize as they are typically set inside regular homes, so look out for the traditional noren (cloth dividers with vertical slits) hanging over the entrance and the flag with these characters 吉田のうどん. Each shop makes/serves the dishes differently (some sell many varieties while others specialize in just one) so it is possible to have a completely different culinary experience from one restaurant to the next. You’ll have much more choice at lunch time as most places close around 2 or 3pm, however, there are a few options for dinner dining.

The restaurant we visited was a very local place away from the main streets as it was one of the few places open at that time of day. The menu was entirely in Japanese. The case may be different for restaurants in the center of town but here is a useful guide courtesy of the Fujiyoshida City Hall that will help you out when ordering. The dishes typically come in two sizes – futsu (regular) or dai (large).

These are some of the basic dishes:

Kake   かけ   Basic noodles and soup

Tsuke  つけ   Hot soup with noodles on the side

Niku  肉   Meat (horse, beef or pork)

Tempura  天ぷら  Batter-fried vegetables and seafood

Nikuten  肉天   Meat and tempura toppings

Kitsune  きつね   Fried sweet tofu

Yumori   湯盛り  Boiling water and bonito flakes

Hiyashi  冷やし  Cold noodle dish – summer favorite!

Here’s what we ordered!

Hiyashi udon 冷やしうどん – cold noodle dish served with meat.

Nikuten udon 肉天うどん – meat and tempura toppings.

Nikuten to the front and hiyashi to the back.