Top 7 Hiroshima Food SpecialtiesA complete guide to the must-eat local food specialties in Hiroshima, from okonomiyaki to tsukemen and lemon desserts.
Hiroshima is famous across Japan as a top destination for food lovers, offering a rich variety of unique and delicious local dishes. Here are the top 7 specialties you should not miss during your visit.
1. Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki (広島風お好み焼き)
This is Hiroshima's ultimate soul food and one of the two major styles of okonomiyaki in Japan, alongside the Osaka style.
- Features: Unlike the Osaka style where ingredients are mixed together, the Hiroshima style layers ingredients on a thin batter crepe. It is built up with cabbage, bean sprouts, pork belly slices, yakisoba noodles, and a fried egg.
- Why try it: The large amount of cabbage creates a natural sweetness as it cooks, combining with the crispy noodles to offer an amazing texture and a very filling meal. You can find many specialty shops gathered at 'Okonomimura' in the city center or 'Ekimae-hiroba' in front of Hiroshima Station.
2. Fresh Oyster Dishes (カキ料理)
Hiroshima produces more than half of Japan's oysters, making it the undisputed home of oysters in the country.
- Features: Grown in the calm and nutrient-rich waters of the Seto Inland Sea, these oysters are large, plump, rich in flavor, and have very little fishy smell.
- How to enjoy: You can enjoy them in many ways, from crispy grilled oysters (Yaki-gaki) to deep-fried oysters (Kaki-fry) and savory oyster rice (Kaki-meshi). The grilled oysters sold as street food in the shopping streets of Miyajima Island are especially famous.
3. Soupless Tantanmen (汁なし担々麺)
This highly addictive noodle dish emerged as a new Hiroshima specialty in the 2000s and has become incredibly popular.
- Features: As the name suggests, it is served without soup. Instead, it features a shallow layer of spicy chili oil sauce topped with minced meat, green onions, and a generous amount of Sichuan pepper (sansho) powder.
- How to enjoy: The standard way to eat it is to mix the noodles vigorously up and down at least 20 times as soon as you receive them. It features a unique, tongue-numbing spiciness. After finishing the noodles, it is a must to mix white rice into the remaining sauce, a style known as 'shime-gohan' (finishing rice).
4. Hiroshima Tsukemen (広島つけ麺)
Completely different from standard Japanese tsukemen, this is Hiroshima's own unique spicy, cold noodle dish.
- Features: Chewy noodles are chilled and topped with a mountain of boiled cabbage, cucumbers, green onions, and chashu pork slices. The dipping sauce has a rich umami base made from bonito flakes, combined with plenty of chili oil and roasted sesame seeds to make it bright red and spicy.
- Why try it: You can choose your preferred level of spiciness when ordering. Thanks to its sharp, refreshing, and clean taste, it is perfect for hot summer days or as a palate cleanser after eating oily foods during your trip.
5. Anagomeshi / Conger Eel Rice (あなごめし)
This traditional local dish has been loved for over a century, centering around the Miyajima area.
- Features: It uses sea eel (anago), which is less oily, lighter, and softer than freshwater eel (unagi). The eel is brushed with a special sweet soy sauce made from eel heads and bones, then grilled over charcoal until golden brown.
- Why try it: The smoky, tender grilled eel is sliced and closely arranged over fluffy rice cooked in the savory eel broth. Each bite fills your mouth with a rich, soft, and savory flavor. The restaurant 'Ueno' in front of Miyajimaguchi Station is most famous as the creator of this dish.
6. Setouchi Lemon Desserts (瀬戸内レモン)
Thanks to its mild climate, the coastal area of the Seto Inland Sea, including Hiroshima, is famous as Japan's top producer of lemons.
- Features: 'Setouchi Lemons' grown here are not overly sour, have a gentle aroma, and are sweet enough to be eaten with the peel.
- Varieties: You can easily find refreshing lemon cakes, lemon tarts, and lemon pound cakes at local cafes and dessert shops. Unique items like 'Ikaten Lemon' (lemon-flavored fried squid snacks), lemon cider, and lemon ramen are also popular souvenirs to buy at local shops.
7. Momiji Manju (もみじ饅頭)
This is the most famous traditional souvenir and sweet snack representing Hiroshima and Miyajima.
- Features: Inspired by the autumn maple valley (Momijidani) in Miyajima, it is a soft, moist sponge cake baked in the shape of a maple leaf.
- Trends: While a sweet red bean paste filling was the traditional standard, varieties now include custard cream, chocolate, matcha, and cheese. In the Miyajima shopping street, you can also try 'Agemomiji' (deep-fried maple manju), which is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making it a highly popular snack.