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[Gyoza with Miso Sauce - A Taste of Kobe]

Gyoza with miso sauce, said to have originated in Kobe, is a beloved comfort food for locals of Kobe and is recognized as a regional delicacy. Its addictive flavor pairs perfectly with beer.

While yaki-gyoza is usually eaten with vinegar, soy sauce, or raayu (Chinese chili oil), Kobe has a food culture of eating gyoza with miso-based sauce. The originator of this culture, "Ganso Gyozaen" (元祖 ぎょうざ苑), established in 1951 in Nankinmachi, is considered to be the originator of gyoza with miso sauce. At that time, before World War II, Japanese people living in Manchuria preferred yaki-gyoza (grilled dumplings) to the sui-gyoza eaten by the Chinese, and many families ate them with miso sauce out of nostalgia for their hometown. After the war, the grandfather of Ganso Gyozaen's founder, Korosue, wanted to spread the gyoza he had eaten in Manchuria in Japan, so he opened a restaurant and served yaki-gyoza with miso sauce, which then spread to other restaurants.

There are a number of restaurants in Kobe that serve gyoza with miso sauce, but I always stop by "Gyoza no Mise Hyotan Sannomiya-ten" (ぎょうざの店 ひょうたん 三宮店), which was established in 1957 and serves only yaki-gyoza. When you order gyoza, the staff entrusted with the grilling area, who have mastered the method handed down from generation to generation, will grill the gyoza for you. On the table is a spicy garlic slice in soy sauce, which does a great job. While waiting for the dumplings, we first sip a beer while nibbling on the garlic slices. On this particular day, the smell of garlic is not an issue.

When the beautifully browned gyoza arrive, they are first dipped in Hyotan's special miso sauce, an original blend of ground meat and other ingredients based on red miso paste. The sauce is thick but not salty and has a delicious flavor that makes the gyoza and beer go down a treat. We like the usual gyoza with more vinegar, but we can't help but think this is good too. You can order a second plate of gyoza with vinegar, soy sauce, raayu (Chinese chili oil), or grated garlic if you like, because one plate will be gone before you know it.

Each restaurant has its own unique taste, such as red miso, white miso, or combined miso, so we recommend that you go on a tour of miso-drenched gyoza restaurants when you visit Kobe. We hope you will find your favorite one.

ぎょうざの店 ひょうたん 三宮店
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7j3S3ndHdYhTA1Vr5
元祖 ぎょうざ苑 神戸南京町・中華街店
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qzNfWZ4zCJZcVba86

References
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/k_ryouri/search_menu/menu/40_18_hyogo.html
https://www.feel-kobe.jp/column/misodare/
https://hyoutan-kobe1957.com/
https://www.feel-kobe.jp/model_course/%E7%A5%9E%E6%88%B8%E3%81%8C%E7%99%BA%E7%A5%A5%EF%BC%81%E5%91%B3%E5%99%8C%E3%81%A0%E3%82%8C%E9%A4%83%E5%AD%90%E3%81%AE%E6%9C%89%E5%90%8D%E5%BA%97%E3%82%81%E3%81%90%E3%82%8A/