Hōtō

Usually regarded as a variety of the popular udon, hōtō is a comforting Japanese dish which consists of flat noodles cooked in a flavorful miso broth alongside various seasonal vegetables such as squash, potatoes, taro roots, or carrots. It initially appeared in the Yamanashi region in the wake of WWII, at a time when rice crops were traded for silk, which was more profitable, and the locals began to cultivate wheat instead. Soon after, they started producing wheat noodles and created hōtō, an invention that is today regarded as the signature dish of the entire region.