松五郎 (Matsugoro in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture)

 スタミナラーメン松五郎

Have you tried all of Japan's local styles? How about Ibaraki's semi-famous stamina ramen? Thick noodles topped with a Chinese ankake (あんかけ) made from carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, and liver. As the name suggests, it is meant to give you extra stamina.

There are around 40 stamina ramen shops in Ibaraki Prefecture, with many in Hitachinaka City (ひたちなか市) just next to the Prefecture's main city Mito. The shop Daishin (手打らーめん 大進) created the stuff in 1970, but the master Junichi Nagai-san (長井順一さん) eventually went on to open Matsugoro just over the border in Mito.

The menu is huge but simple. A feature of stamina ramen is the ability to order your ramen double, triple, up to six times the normal size (麺玉6ヶ). They also offer it two ways, hot or cold.

I went with the standard and it was plenty. The ankake sauce is a bit like Chinese hot and sour dishes. A bit of sweet, a bit of sour, and a bit of spice.

Apart from stamina ramen, there are four other official styles of ramen in Ibaraki Prefecture. 

Mito Clan ramen (水戸藩らーめん) is a recreation of ramen introduced to the Mito branch of the Tokugawa family in Edo times. Little is known except that lotus root flour was used.

Shimodate-style (下館) is closely connected with the old school shops from Sano in Tochigi and Kitakata in Fukushima.

Northern shops serve tofu miso ramen, another Ibaraki specialty.

Of course, most of these "original" styles are just marketing from the prefectural tourism board.

The final style isn't really a style, more of a concept. Ibaraki has an abundance of fresh ingredients and is sometimes called Kanto's kitchen (関東の台所). Okuji shamo (奥久慈しゃも) and Tsukuba shamo (つくばしゃも) are two prized chicken breeds. Mimei pork (美明豚) is another local specialty. Local soy sauce, local clams, and local sardines are also prized by ramen chefs. For those trying to learn everything about rame culture in Japan, the tourism board calls this style Ibaraki Sozai Ramen (いばらき素材らーめん).

To be honest, it's all a bit much and up for debate (albeit a very boring debate). Stamina ramen, though, is a definite Ibaraki creation.

Be sure to say hello to the swans if you visit Mito!