Yakisoba (not soba) a recipe for Obon
Make your own homemade yakisoba sauce with "usutā sōsu", does it sound familiar?
Throughout last week, here in Japan; it was Obon, our major summer festival. Obon is a beautiful Japanese festival with its roots in honouring the spirits of ancestors. It usually happens in July or mid-August when families come together and remember loved ones who have passed away. The festival mixes traditions and plenty of colourful, joyful celebrations, making it one of Japan’s most special times of the year.
If you plan to visit Japan in the summer, definitely plan around Obon as travel is tricky. The roads and trains get super busy around this time. If you’ve ever watched flight prices to Japan going sky-high in the summer, this is likely one of the main reasons.
Once we’ve battled our way home, the festival kicks off with families lighting small welcoming fires, called mukaebi, outside their homes. Little fires to guide the spirits back home.
Throughout Obon, a real pleasure is seeing lively Bon Odori dances in parks and temples, or maybe just on TV. Dancers, dressed in colorful yukatas and wooden sandals, perform simple, meaningful movements that might mimic traditional activities like farming. I love the music and riot of colour, and the way the singers call out and respond to each other, is so distinctive. Here’s a clip from Awa Odori in Tokushima, biggest dance festival during Obon season.
Daytime is with family during Obon, and we might visit family graves. People clean the gravestones, offer flowers, and sometimes bring along their loved ones’ favourite foods or drinks as a way to show respect and keep their memory alive.
On the final day, there’s a bittersweet goodbye, or farewell, to the ancestral spirits. Families light another bonfire, known as okuribi, to guide the spirits back to the other world. A really touching, again beautiful, part of this is the toro nagashi, where people float paper lanterns on rivers or lakes, lighting the way for the spirits as they return to their resting places.
My daughter loved the fireworks AKA ‘hanabi’ and the connection to her name. She’s called Hana which means ‘Flower’ and the bi means ‘fire’, fire-flowers, beautiful no? Some of the most famous hanabi festivals in Japan take place around Obon. The Daimonji Gozan Okuribi in Kyoto, for example, is known for its massive bonfires in the shape of kanji characters on the mountains, and it often includes fireworks too. But they’re seen everywhere throughout the country and we enjoy a lot of indoor fireworks too.
At the festivals or dances people wear summer kimonos (yukata), have a drink, food of course and relax together under the fireworks. It’s a time for the perfect blend of celebration and reflection. Hanabi during Obon might not have a deep spiritual connection or Bhuddist roots, but they definitely bring us all together and make a stunning, vibrant backdrop to the week.
Of course, the whole festival is also a time for feasting! Families enjoy traditional dishes like tempura, sweet rice cakes, and cold somen noodles, which are perfect for the hot summer days. Yakisoba too. This is the dish I most connect with Obon and seeing friends and family during summer. If you’ve ever been to a Japanese festival or even just watched anime, you’ve probably seen these delicious stir-fried noodles piled high on a plate, maybe with some pork, veggies, and that signature savory-sweet sauce.
Our love for yakisoba started back in the early 20th century. After opening up to the world after centuries of isolation, the Japanese were absorbing influences from all over. Chinese food, especially dishes involving noodles, were pretty new to the Japanese palate. Chinese immigrants brought over new cooking styles, and Japanese chefs began experimenting with them.
Yakisoba is really a twist on Chinese chow mein, but with a Japanese spin. The noodles used in yakisoba are wheat-based, like ramen noodles, but they’re stir-fried with a mix of ingredients that vary depending on what’s available—often cabbage, carrots, onions, and thin slices of pork. The key, though, is the sauce. It’s a real flavour bomb that brings everything together.
The real turning point for yakisoba was after World War II. Japan was going through some tough times with food shortages, and people needed meals that were cheap, filling, and easy to make. Yakisoba hit all those marks. Street vendors started selling it everywhere, especially at festivals, where it became a go-to comfort food.
Yakisoba evolved differently across Japan. In Hiroshima, they’ll mix yakisoba into okonomiyaki, two yummy dishes in one. In Fujinomiya, they’ve got their own special style with firmer noodles and toppings like dried mackerel flakes. These regional twists make yakisoba a dish that’s both familiar and new, depending on where you are in Japan.
Then there’s instant yakisoba. This became a thing in the 1970s when companies like Nissin figured out how to package it up for people to make at home or even on the go. Like ramen, it’s quick, easy, and super satisfying, so if this could be made instantly there would be a huge market. And just like instant ramen, instant yakisoba spread beyond Japan, so now people all over the world can enjoy it. I’m not a fan of the instant version though, as the real dish is easy to make and so much tastier, with none of the MSG etc!
Yakisoba is a dish that’s loved for its simplicity and flavour. It’s one of those foods that feels both nostalgic and timeless, reminding you of good times with friends or the excitement of a festival, all wrapped up in a plate of stir-fried noodles.
What really makes yakisoba stand out is the sauce—it’s this tangy, sweet, and savoury mix that coats the noodles, giving them that addictive flavor. Now, here’s where "usutā sōsu" comes in. The sauce used in yakisoba actually has its roots in Worcestershire sauce, which originally came from England in the 19th century, courtesy of Mr. Lea and Mr. Perrins. Made from ingredients like vinegar, molasses, anchovies, and a bunch of spices it was the result of a sauce that was comissioned to copy Indian sauces that were known and loved by the British in India. One of the batches was tasted, rejected and left, but then it fermented then it was re-tried and loved. When it was introduced to Japan, it was adapted and became the base for the yakisoba sauce we know and love today.
The Japanese version of Worcestershire sauce is a bit sweeter and thicker, which makes it perfect for dishes like yakisoba. Often less intense than its British counterpart, it usually includes a blend of fruits, vegetables, spices, and vinegar, adjusted to suit Japanese tastes. The sauce's versatility and ability to enhance the umami profile of dishes have made it a staple in Japanese kitchens. It became so popular that it turned into a key ingredient in a lot of Japanese cooking, especially in street food.
Worcestershire sauce’s also incredibly hard for me to pronounce. A constant source of teasing from my husband when I try and also the cue for much laughter during my cooking classes. Did I get it right in the recipe reel?
In Japan, you’ll find several types of sauces with origins in Worcestershire sauce, try them out to see how they differ, but its mainly in thickness and sweetness:
Usutā Sōsu (ウスターソース): This is the thinnest and most similar, in my opinion to traditional British Worcestershire sauce. It’s used in cooking or straight as a table condiment.
Chūnō Sōsu (中濃ソース): A medium-thick version, slightly sweeter and less tangy, often used for dipping or in dishes like yakisoba.
Tonkatsu Sōsu (とんかつソース): The thickest and sweetest version, specifically tailored for dishes like tonkatsu and korokke.
In Japan, we are seriously into usutā sōsu and it features in:
Okonomiyaki: One of the most famous uses of Worcestershire sauce in Japan is in okonomiyaki the sauce is drizzled on top of the cooked pancake, along with mayonnaise, to add a rich, umami flavor.
Tonkatsu: Tonkatsu is often served with a thick, sweeter variation of Worcestershire sauce called tonkatsu sauce. This sauce is poured over the cutlet or served on the side for dipping.
Korokke: For korokke (Japanese croquettes), Worcestershire sauce is often used as a dipping sauce, providing a tangy contrast to the creamy potato filling.
Takoyaki: Like okonomiyaki, takoyaki is often topped off with a sauce made from Worcestershire sauce, combined with other condiments to create a savory and sweet coating.
So, when you’re enjoying a plate of yakisoba, you’re actually tasting a dish that’s a fusion of Japanese and Western flavours, with a history that reflects Japan’s knack for taking something foreign and turning it into something uniquely their own. And that sweet, tangy sauce? It’s all thanks to a little bottle of Worcestershire sauce that traveled all the way from England!
Despite the name "yakisoba," which means "fried soba," the noodles used in the dish are actually more similar to ramen noodles, made from wheat flour rather than buckwheat, which is what soba typically refers to. The term "soba" in yakisoba comes from an older usage where "soba" could refer to any thin noodle, not just the buckwheat kind.
As mentioned, at festivals you’ll see yakisoba cooked on a teppanyaki grill, a flat hot plate. There’s a number of reasons for this. The flat surface of a teppan provides even heating across the entire cooking area. This is crucial for teppanyaki, where ingredients like meat, vegetables, and noodles are cooked quickly at high temperatures. The large, flat surface allows chefs to control the cooking process precisely, ensuring that everything cooks evenly without burning.
Teppanyaki is often as much about the experience as it is about the food. It’s a performance. The teppan allows chefs to cook in front of customers. The chef will show-off their skills with knife work and flipping ingredients. Perfect at a festival to draw the customers in. There’s also a sense of openness as nothing’s hidden and you can see your yakisoba cooked fresh in front of you.
Cooking on a teppan also means less cleanup compared to using multiple saucepans or pots. Since everything is cooked on one surface, there’s less mess, and the flat plate is simply scraped down and cleaned. Again, ideal for street and festival food as at the end of the night it’s a simpler clean-up.
The direct contact with the hot iron surface also helps to develop a distinctive flavor and texture in the food, the Maillard reaction gives grilled foods that characteristic browned, caramelised look. This reaction is harder to achieve in a saucepan, where the food is often in contact with liquids or sauces that stop it from searing fully.
At home though, although I do see them from time to time, a teppan or hot plate is expensive and not practical. A Le Creuset cast iron wok is perfect, as it will achieve all of the above. It spreads the heat evenly, is great for caramelising the food, easy to clean and there’s a bit of performance when you cook! I like to serve yakisoba straight to the table in the wok, it looks great. If you don’t have one, just use the heaviset pan you have, don’t be put off!
Now, let’s get cooking. I hope you’ll love the recipe and enjoy it on a summer evening with friends, family and perhaps some fireworks too!
RECIPE
Makes 4
Ingredients:
Yaki Soba Sauce:
2 tbsp Sake
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tbsp Mirin
Stir Fry Ingredients:
80g Sugar snap peas
100g Stem broccoli
3 Baby sweet peppers or 1 large red pepper
200g Chicken thighs
1cm Ginger
1-2 tbsp Vegetable oil – for frying
1 tbsp Sesame oil - to drizzle
100g Dried egg noodles
Garnish/Toppings:
Finely chopped chives
Seven spice powder (Shichimi Togarashi)
White roasted sesame seeds
METHOD
Start by preparing the Yaki Soba sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and set to one side.
Peel the ginger and slice it into matchsticks.
Slice the peppers into 1cm wide strips.
Chop the stem broccoli into bite size pieces.
Remove the stringy parts of the sugar snap peas.
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, remove any bones or skin.
In the wok, add the vegetable oil on a medium heat and fry the ginger. Sauté it for around 1 minute, until aromatic.
To the ginger, add the chicken and fry for 3-4 minutes. Then add the sweet peppers and cook for 1 minute further.
Remove the wok from the heat and set it to one side, whilst you prepare the noodles.
Boil the noodles for 2-3 minutes (follow the specific instructions for your choice of noodles).
Steam or boil the broccoli and peas at the same time, making sure they are crunchy and not overcooked.
Drain the noodles and vegetables.
Heat the wok again on a medium heat and add the noodles, broccoli and peas. Cook until the stir fry is sizzling hot.
Now drizzle with sesame oil and then pour in the yaki soba sauce. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes to reduce and caramelise the sauce.
Serve with chives, seven spice and some sesame seeds on top.
Lovely story! And the recipe sounds delicious!
Great write up with exhaustive research