Nishin Soba: Kyoto’s Most Popular Noodles

While many visitors to Kyoto may seek out the popular ramen, a truly exceptional and traditional noodle dish is nishin soba, or herring soba. This delightful dish features perfectly cooked soba noodles topped with tender, flavorful herring, creating a harmonious blend of textures and tastes. Found in numerous soba restaurants throughout the city, nishin soba is especially popular during New Year’s Eve, when it symbolizes good fortune and prosperity. Indulging in this culinary treasure offers a genuine taste of Kyoto’s unique cuisine!

Nishin Soba

Nishin soba was first created in 1882 by the second heir of a little restaurant by the name of Matsuba, which sits right next to the Minamiza Theatre in the Gion district. All things considered, it is a relatively modern dish when considering Kyoto’s long culinary history. 

Why do people in Kyoto eat herring? Due to Kyoto’s distance from the ocean, fresh fish wasn’t readily available. Instead, Kyotoites more commonly consumed processed varieties of fish, like dried and aged herrings brought in from Hokkaido. Eventually, people discovered that these herrings paired wonderfully with soba. 

In this dish, the herring is simmered slowly in a sweet sauce. The result is a delicate fish that is in a rich flavor with almost no fishy smell. It’s typical for soba restaurants in Kyoto City to offer nishin soba. Regardless of the restaurant you visit, the toppings are quite simple: just green onions and a generous piece of herring on top of the soba.

The fish is cooked slowly, making it very tender- down to even the bones! The sweetness of the Nishin pairs wonderfully with the broth made from Kansai-style light soy sauce, along with dried bonito flakes and kelp.

I personally enjoy warm nishin soba, but the cold version is a wonderful option during the summer months. While many visitors to Kyoto often seek out ramen, I highly recommend trying nishin soba. It truly deserves a spot on your culinary itinerary!