Have the best of both worlds! This hearty meal was created to satisfy customers who couldn’t decided between ramen or pork cutlet for lunch. ​Each of the seven ramen shops in Kosaka that serve the dish put their own spin on the recipe. Miso, salt, and spicy broth styles are available in addition to the standard soy sauce based ramen.

Kiritampo traces its roots to the lumberjacks who worked in the mountains around Odate. The day’s leftover rice would be mashed, kneaded, and then stewed with meat and vegetables or glazed with a miso paste. The dish is nationally renowned as a specialty of Akita Prefecture, but truly authentic kiritampo-nabe stew can only be found in Odate. Although a staple of homecooking, visitors to Akita can try the kiritampo for themselves at any of several restaurants in the area that specialize in the dish.