[Hiroshima Standard Style] A detailed introduction to the history and grilling method

Why Hiroshima's okonomiyaki has changed

• Table of Contents
• The key person behind the creation of the Hiroshima Standard Style
• How the Hiroshima Standard Style became popular
• What's the difference? Hiroshima standard style grilling method
• Why did Inune Mitsuo generously impart his techniques?
• A Hiroshima standard style with a long history! Please enjoy the taste created by Inune Mitsuo.

*This article is an excerpt from the YouTube channel of "Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Mitchan Sohonten [Official]".

This time, our teacher for the Hiroshima standard style will be Xiaohei, who is an expert on Hiroshima okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki is a gourmet dish that represents Hiroshima. It is said that the origin of okonomiyaki is an improved version of "Issenyoshoku," a small teppanyaki dish made by putting vegetables in wheat flour dissolved in water and cooking it.

The reason for the change from Issen Western food to Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is largely related to the historical background of the time. Around 1955-1957, the heat source for the iron plates was changed to gas, which allowed for the use of larger iron plates. Chinese noodles also became more widely available. Furthermore, egg-laying chickens began to be bred, making eggs cheaper to purchase. With these favorable conditions at work, the process of trial and error to make okonomiyaki even tastier led to the change to the Hiroshima standard style.

The key person behind the creation of the Hiroshima Standard Style

Currently, the Hiroshima standard style is used by many okonomiyaki restaurants in Hiroshima. It is said that the person who was deeply involved in the creation of this style was Inune Mitsuo, the first owner of "Micchan Souhonten." Inune Mitsuo is the person who established okonomiyaki as Hiroshima's soul food and is said to have popularized the Hiroshima staple "soba nikutama."

The okonomiyaki of Inune Mitsuo, a key figure in Hiroshima Standard Style, has been passed down to his beloved disciple, the second generation Inune Mitsuo, who preserves the flavor, techniques, and spirit of okonomiyaki.

How the Hiroshima Standard Style became popular

The okonomiyaki of "Micchan Souhonten" started in 1950 as a food stall in what is now Alice Garden. Why did the taste of the food stall spread so far? Apparently, okonomiyaki was especially popular among the many food stalls at the time. As a result, the number of shops selling okonomiyaki increased rapidly. Many shop owners came to ask how to make okonomiyaki.

During this time, the founder, Mitsuo Inune, openly taught everyone the Hiroshima standard style of okonomiyaki that he had invented. He even trained as a teacher at an okonomiyaki school in Tokyo and taught people how to cook okonomiyaki.

These graduates then began making okonomiyaki all over the country, including Hiroshima, and the Hiroshima standard style became established.

What's the difference? Hiroshima standard style grilling method

The difference between this okonomiyaki and previous versions is in the way it is cooked.

First, spread the dough, then layer on top of it in the following order: bonito flakes, cabbage, tempura scraps, bean sprouts, meat, and lard, then flip it over.

The noodles are boiled while cooking. Until now, steamed or boiled noodles were the norm for okonomiyaki, but one of the features of the Hiroshima standard style is the use of fresh noodles. Fresh noodles were chosen because, in the days of the food stalls, there was no refrigeration equipment, and because boiling and frying fresh noodles is more delicious.

Furthermore, fresh noodles are now used in a different way than before. Once the noodles are boiled, they are spread out on a hot plate in a circle and deep-fried in oil. One side is crispy, while the other side retains its chewy texture and aroma.

Before the birth of Hiroshima Standard Style, the dough, noodles, and ingredients were layered together. However, in Hiroshima Standard Style, the noodles are cooked separately from the dough and ingredients. This cooking method is a major feature of Hiroshima Standard Style.

Once the cabbage has been thoroughly steamed, place it on top of the noodles, add the egg, and flip it over. Spread the sauce on top and sprinkle with nori seaweed to finish.

Xiaohei describes the standard style, in which the noodles, vegetables, and meat are each cooked to their optimum temperature, as "a highly delicious okonomiyaki."

Why did Inune Mitsuo generously impart his techniques?

Inune Mitsuo created okonomiyaki that overturned conventional wisdom. He generously taught his techniques to others in order to boost the okonomiyaki industry as a whole. Inune Mitsuo saw the times and believed that if the okonomiyaki industry flourished, society as a whole would improve... It is no exaggeration to say that he was an innovator in the okonomiyaki industry after the war.

A Hiroshima standard style with a long history! Please enjoy the taste created by Inune Mitsuo.

It was thanks to Inune Mitsuo, the first owner of "Micchan Souhonten", that Hiroshima Standard Style became mainstream! If you eat Hiroshima okonomiyaki after learning about its history, you will surely feel a different taste. Please try Hiroshima Standard Style at least once. "Micchan Souhonten" will continue to introduce okonomiyaki from various regions.

Check out the YouTube video "What is the 'Hiroshima Standard Style' that is used by many Hiroshima okonomiyaki restaurants?"

Click here for the YouTube channel of "Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Mitchan Sohonten [Official]"