It's getting cold in Tokyo so I want to bring up warm happy thoughts. Last summer I made the trek to Tochigi to try Sano style Ramen. Sano is a
city in central Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo. There's not a whole
lot going on in this town, so the local tourism center decided to
promote this Ramen back in the mid-80's to attract visitors.
Most Ramen focuses on the soup, with the noodles made to match. In the case of Sano, the noodles are the main attraction. Typically noodles are processed through a machine, much like pasta. In the case of Sano, the dough is pounded by a bamboo pole and cut by hand. This method is referred to as Aotakeuchi (青竹打ち) and is displayed prominently outside shops in the area. Here's a short clip:
I'd probably fall on my butt, or hurt something dear to me in the crotch region. Don't try this at home ;-)
During my visit I checked out Banri, one of the standard bearers for Sano Ramen. It was highly recommended by the locals I spoke with so I took their advice.
Here is the finished bowl. The hydrolytic (?) rate is high in the noodles, resulting in a chewier texture. The soup is Shoyu base mixed with a light Doubutsu-kei (probably tonkotsu or chicken). For Ramen eaters who crave more of a punch, they might find this a bit lacking.
Supleks Database
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