Eat up local B-grade gourmet! The B-1 GrandPrix

B-grade gourmet is a Japanese term for ordinary, yet tasty, foods, such as Ramen noodles or curry and rice. They are not luxurious and are almost always reasonably price.
This "B-grade gourmet" is a newish term which originally came out from a magazine in 1985. These days, it is used as a way to help revitalize a town with particularly tasty meals.
The first B-1 GrandPrix was held in Hachinohe, Aomori in 2006. B-grade gourmet chefs from all over Japan came to participate in the competition. Since then, the GrandPrix is held once a year and the event has been growing very quickly.

But the purpose of the B-1 GrandPrix is not to just sell local food. The main purpose is to teach as many people as possible about the local specialties of their hometown, as well as all of Japan, to help them appreciate the uniqueness of cheap Japanese cuisine.

The judges of the B-1 GrandPrix are the customers. Customers vote with the chopsticks they've used, so they can vote for two food at once.

Let's check out successive champions as chosen by the customers!

The Champion for 2 years in a row in 2006 and 2007 was Fujinomiya Yakisoba. Special features of this yakisoba are its ingredients. They use a meat residue after processing and cabbage. Also, it is common to add shavings of dried bonito on top just before eating for an extra flavor treat.

Usually, pig innards are served flat after proccessing. They are also sometimes sold after being well boiled.
But pig innards sold in Atsugi, Kanagawa are all sold as is. They are sold rare, so they are very fresh, and are sold only on the day when the pig was killed.
The meaning of "Shiro-koro" comes from its appearance when they are barbecued. The skin outside will shrink and become like a ball. Shiro = white, Koro=rolling.

This is called a "stew", but it is very different from the general innards stew eaten in Japan. This is more like "teriyaki" than "stew". It is cooked with sugar and soy sauce and served on top of rice in a bowl.

Very thick udon-like noodles and a thick sauce are the features of this Namie Yakisoba. Some people put chill pepper on top. Namie town is located very close to the Fukushima Daiichi power plant and everyone had to evacuate after 3-11. Even though many people got separated, they never gave up. They finally got the first prize in 2013!