October is the season for soba. Along with fresh rice, we await simmering and enjoying soba in honor of the new harvest.
Everyone, when you hear “Tanuki Soba,” what kind of soba to you imagine?
Being born in Tokyo, to me, Tanuki Soba is served with tenkasu, which are crunchy tempura bits. But for those from Osaka, they likely picture soba with sweet and spicy fried chicken in the mix. You might think that sounds like Kitsune Soba, but in Osaka, Kitsune refers to an udon dish with fried toppings. But placing those same toppings on soba becomes known as Tanuki Soba, in Osaka.
The origin of the name “Tanuki” refers to the fact that you pull out the tiny, seed-like crunchy tenkasu, where “tane” is the Japanese word for “seed,” and “nuki” means “to take out.” In the Kansai Region, “Kitsune” refers to fried ingredients on top of udon, and “Tanuki” refers to fried ingredients on top of soba, for it is as though the udon has “transformed” into soba, just like transformative beings “Tanuki.”
As a self-described food-glutton, I love both Kitsune and Tanuki preparations. I usually order my soba with both the fried ingredients (Kitsune) and tenkasu (Tanuki). Some restaurants will call this “Mushina Soba,” or “Bakashi Ai Soba.”
If you come across this item on the menu of a restaurant during soba season, please give it a try.
**Source: Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku: The College Headmaster’s One-Dish Course Series. **
https://www.sushi-tokyo.jp/blog-headmaster
Photo Source: Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku: The College Headmaster’s One-Dish Course Series.