Hiyashi Chuka (冷やし中華) is a chilled ramen noodle dish that originated in Miyagi Prefecture (Tohoku Region).

It is now eaten all across Japan, and is extremely popular/common to eat during the hot and humid summer months.

The word hiyashi (冷やし) means “chilled” or “chilling”. Chuka (中華) — or chuuka — is short for “chuuka-men” (中華麺), which means “Chinese noodles” in Japanese (i.e. ramen noodles).

Read on for more interesting info about hiyashi chuka:

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Ingredients

The main ingredients of Hiyashi Chuka are:

Ramen noodles
Vegetables
Ham
Egg

The noodles used are a typical ramen noodles (which are called “Chinese noodles” or chuuka-men 中華麺 in Japanese). The noodles are boiled, then chilled in cold/ice water, and drained before being plated.

For toppings, there are technically no rules as to what ingredients can be used. One important note is to try and use ingredients with different colors. The bright, rainbow like appearance is one of the appealing factors of hiyashi chuka.

Some vegetables that are typically used include cucumber, tomato, mushroom, carrots and seaweed. The most common meat used is ham. BBQ/roasted pork (i.e. chashuu チャーシュー ), and chicken are also common.

Seafood like shrimp and crabsticks (i.e. kanikama) are also frequently seen. Shredded or thinly sliced egg is also a very typical ingredient.

There are also no rules as to what sauce can be used. The classic version uses a soy sauce & vinegar based dressing. Some other popular sauces include sesame, and even mayonnaise.

Location / Where to Eat

hiyashi chuka 711 — Pack of hiyashi chuka from 7-11 Japan

Hiyashi Chuka is eaten all around Japan. It is especially popular to eat during the summer months. It is a very common dish that can even be bought at basically any supermarket or convenience store around the country.

Different regions in Japan may have their own variation/preferences of hiyashi chuka — either the sauce, noodles, or toppings.

For example, in the Tokai region of Japan, it is common to eat with mayonaise instead of the typical vinegar/soy dressing.

In Western Japan (i.e. Osaka area) the dish is more commonly known as “reimen” (涼麺).

Originally, hiyashi chuka is thought to have originated in Sendai (Miyagi Prefecture). Read more about its interesting history below:

History / Origin of Hiyashi Chuka

ryutei restaurant sendai — *Ryutei* restaurant, the inventor of hiyashi chuka, is still in business!

Despite the name (i.e. Cold Chinese Noodles), Hiyashi Chuka was not brought over from China, but was actually invented in Japan.

There are various theories about the origin of the dish.

The most common/popular theory is that it was invented sometime in the 1930s at a Chinese restaurant in Sendai called “Ryutei” (中国料理龍亭).

The owner/chef of the restaurant at the time (Yoshio Shikura 四倉義雄) was looking for a way to increase lackluster sales during the summer. There was no air conditioning back then, and customers did not want to eat hot Chinese food during the humid summer months.

Since Japan had plenty of clean water, Chef Yoshio decided to cool noodles in running water, and mixed it with some nutritious ingredients. The original ingredients used are said to be cabbage, carrots, cucumber, chashuu pork, and egg. The dish was also originally called “ranbanmen” (凉拌麺 / リャンバンメン), which translates to something like “cold mixed noodles”.

During WWII, the dish disappeared temporarily due to lack of ingredients (and food in general), but re-emerged and spread after the war ended.

Its popularity grew, and evolved into the colorful form we recognize today. One major factor for its popularity is thanks to the company Daiku (also from Sendai), which created the first packaged make-at-home version of Hiyashi Chuka in the 1960s.

The original restaurant Ryutei is still in business. If you are ever in Sendai, make sure you check it out! (Google maps).

Another restaurant that is sometimes credited with creating hiyashi chuka is Yosuko (揚子江菜館) in Tokyo (Google maps)

How to make Hiyashi Chuka

It is quite straight forward to make hiyashi chuka. Simply cook some noodles, chill them, layer on your choice of ingredients, and add a sauce.

The most difficult part is probably just cutting the ingredients nicely, and making it look pretty. 😘

Below is a basic hiyashi chuka recipe adapted from kurashiru that features all the classic ingredients: ham, egg, cucumber, and tomato.