Egusa Shoten: Pick up a Pack of Spicy Karamen Noodles, Made Right in Miyoshi|Miyoshi Association of Tourism and Town Development Official Website

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Egusa Shoten: Pick up a Pack of Spicy Karamen Noodles, Made Right in Miyoshi

Egusa Shoten: Pick up a Pack of Spicy Karamen Noodles, Made Right in Miyoshi

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These days, chili-pepper-flavored and red-tinted “karamen” noodles are a part of everyday life in Miyoshi, as a staple at local supermarkets and frequently found on the menus of okonomiyaki restaurants. But these noodles are actually a fairly new addition to Miyoshi’s list of local specialties, and have only become so common so quickly thanks to their addictive flavor and infectious popularity. The creators of Karamen, noodle shop Egusa Shoten, borrowed from age-old noodle-making traditions and added a hint of fresh inspiration, quickly turning these noodles into a new Miyoshi classic.

Egusa Shoten was founded over a century ago in 1918, and has been run by four generations of the Egusa family, providing fresh noodles to the people of Miyoshi. But the current owner, fourth-generation Daichi Egusa, had graduated from college and was working an entirely unrelated job in the big city when he dreamed up karamen, and his whole life took a U-turn. Working in Tokyo, Egusa had seen a rainbow of colorful noodles being used in a trendy ramen shop, and he thought that perhaps his family’s noodle factory could do one better, by making noodles with both vibrant color and distinctive flavor. In 2006 he returned to Miyoshi, took over the family business, and―as a fan of spicy foods―decided to start by kneading chili peppers into the noodles. The product quickly evolved from spicy ramen noodles into the kind of noodles that are used to make Hiroshima’s popular dish okonomiyaki, and Egusa worked with neighboring okonomiyaki shop Horaiya to perfect the recipe, finally ending up with beautiful red noodles that have a great chewy texture and a kick of chili pepper spice.

The new okonomiyaki Daichi Egusa helped create, made with karamen noodles instead of standard unflavored ones, is called “Miyoshi karamen-yaki,” and the unique dish has become immensely popular at okonomiyaki shops in the region. Hidden inside a batch of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and covered in Miyoshi’s favorite Carp Sauce, the presence of karamen noodles isn’t always obvious until the first bite―but the extra dash of flavor that the spicy noodles lend to okonomiyaki is enough to hook any foodie, without being so spicy as to scare away eaters who can’t take the heat. After trying karamen-yaki, it’s hard to go back to standard okonomiyaki!

While diners can try Egusa Shoten’s karamen noodles at restaurants all over Miyoshi, the shop itself is also an interesting destination. At first glance it looks like a liquor store, with displays featuring Miyoshi wine and local sake from a wide range of brands, but fans of karamen will quickly find the noodles as well, all made at the noodle factory behind the store. In addition to karamen, Egusa Shoten also makes ramen, udon, and soba noodles, along with fresh pasta, and they’re working on new products to add to the lineup, too. Currently, they’re experimenting with thin udon noodles fortified with bonito fish stock, which lends the noodles a boost of delicate savory flavor. With a century of noodle expertise and plenty of new innovation, Egusa Shoten might just come up with another Miyoshi classic before long.

Information

Title Egusa Shoten (江草商店)
Address 4-7-7 Tokaichinaka, Miyoshi
Hours 8:00 - 19:00
Closed Sundays, New Year's holidays
Phone Number 0824-63-0777