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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Iwate
Wanko soba
Soba served in one-bite portions in small bowls, refilled by the server until you cover the bowl. A tradition from Iwate that began as a way to welcome guests.
Traditional dish from Iwate
Also known as: わんこそば, Wankosoba
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Wanko soba — Iwate, Japan
Wanko soba is a way of serving soba, the buckwheat noodles typical of Iwate Prefecture. The noodles are served in one-bite portions in small bowls called wanko. As soon as you finish a bowl, the server adds another portion, and this continues until you cover the bowl to indicate you are done.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the tradition dates back to the Edo period and is associated with the cities of Hanamaki and Morioka. The most common explanation is that it began as a way to receive guests by offering abundant food. The name comes from wanko, the small wooden bowl used to serve it.
The portions come with condiments and small side dishes—such as scallions, grated daikon, wasabi, nori seaweed, pickles and fish—that you add to taste. The pace is quick, and servers often cheer and encourage the table. Empty bowls are stacked, and the total is counted at the end.
Specialty restaurants in Morioka and Hanamaki serve wanko soba year-round. For many people it has become a challenge to see how many bowls they can eat, but you can eat slowly and stop whenever you like: just cover your bowl.
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Where it comes from
Iwate
A way of serving soba typical of Iwate, especially Hanamaki and Morioka.
Ingredients
Soba (buckwheat noodles) in a light broth. Accompaniments: scallions, grated daikon, wasabi, nori seaweed, pickles, fish and other small side dishes.
How it is eaten
In one-bite bowls, refilled by the server. To stop, cover your bowl. Empty bowls are stacked to be counted.
When it is eaten
Year-round, at specialty restaurants.
Your questions
Questions about Wanko soba
How does wanko soba work?
The server serves soba in one-bite portions and adds another as soon as the bowl is empty. To finish, cover the bowl. Empty bowls are stacked and counted at the end.
Where can I eat wanko soba?
At specialty restaurants in Iwate Prefecture, especially in Morioka and Hanamaki, the cities associated with the tradition.
Can people with allergies eat soba?
Soba is made from buckwheat, which can cause allergic reactions in some people. If you have any doubt, avoid it or consult a doctor before traveling.
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Dish · Japan
Tempura
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Dish · Akita
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Dish · Fukui
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Dish · Hiroshima
Okonomiyaki
Layered pancake cooked on the griddle: thin wheat batter, lots of cabbage, slices of pork, fried noodles and egg, with a thick sweet sauce. In Hiroshima, it’s everyday food, served in specialized restaurants and eaten with a spatula.
Dish · Hokkaido
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Dish · Ise
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Dish · Kagawa
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Sweet · Kagoshima
Shirokuma
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Dish · Miyajima
Anago-meshi
Grilled conger (anago) with shoyu sauce, sliced and arranged over rice cooked in broth. A Miyajima specialty, sold since 1901 as a train-station snack at the boarding point for the island.
Dish · Miyazaki
Chikin nanban
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Iya soba
Thick, short soba made only from buckwheat from the Iya Valley, without binding wheat flour, served in hot broth with fried tofu, kamaboko, scallions and mountain greens. A dish from the Iya Valley, in Miyoshi.
Dish · Nagano
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Dumpling made from wheat flour, sometimes mixed with buckwheat, filled with vegetables seasoned with miso or soy sauce, or with sweet bean paste; baked, steamed, or both. A dish from Nagano, from mountain villages.
Dish · Nagasaki
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Miso-nikomi udon
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Drink · Okinawa
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Rice spirit from Okinawa, made with black koji and sometimes aged for years (kusu). Ryukyu is Japan’s official geographical indication for awamori from the prefecture.
Dish · Okinawa
Goya champuru
Stir-fry of goya, the bitter melão-de-são-caetano, with firm Okinawan tofu, egg and pork. It’s the best-known champuru from Okinawa, made at home and served in restaurants across the prefecture.
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Okinawa soba
Thick wheat noodles, not buckwheat, in a pork-and-dried-bonito broth, topped with simmered pork belly, kamaboko, scallions and pickled red ginger. It’s an everyday dish in Okinawa.
Dish · Osaka
Takoyaki
Dough balls made from flour, egg and dashi with pieces of octopus, cooked on a griddle with round hollows and topped with sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed and dried bonito flakes. It’s Osaka’s best-known flavor.
Dish · Kyoto
Saba-zushi
Salted and vinegar-marinated mackerel sushi on a rice log, wrapped in bamboo sheath. A celebratory dish of Kyoto, tied to the Saba Kaido, the route that brought mackerel from the Wakasa Sea.
Dish · Sendai
Gyutan
Sliced beef tongue, seasoned and grilled, served with barley rice, pickles and oxtail soup. It’s Sendai’s signature dish, created after World War II.
Dish · Shiga
Funazushi
Nigorobuna carp from Lake Biwa, salted and fermented for months with rice: an ancient form of sushi with a strong taste and aroma. A dish from Shiga, deeply rooted in the prefecture’s culture.
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Dark, aromatic soba made from whole-ground buckwheat with the husk, served cold in stacks of round bowls (warigo) or hot, straight from the pot (kamaage). A dish from the Izumo region in Shimane.
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Dish · Tokyo
Edomae-zushi
Nigiri in the Edo style, from old Tokyo: a small ball of vinegar-seasoned rice topped with cured, cooked, marinated, or raw fish. It originated as street-vendor food and spread around the world.
Dish · Tokyo
Monjayaki
A very thin batter of wheat flour and broth, with cabbage and other ingredients, cooked on a griddle at the table and eaten bit by bit with small spatulas. A Tokyo dish associated with the Tsukishima neighborhood.
Dish · Yamagata
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Hoto
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Beyond the guide
