Jun 24, 2026

Summer only foods

Are there any foods you only eat in the summer in Japan? Or, if you prefer, foods that you associate with summer? One that comes to mind for my family is somen - we usually only eat somen in summer, with the very odd exception. One of my kids sometimes craves somen when she's feeling poorly! 'Goya' is another. Do you eat somen and goya only in summer or would you eat it at other times of the year too?

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BigfamJapan

Former nickname was "Saitama". Changed it to save confusion on place review posts! Irish, 20+ years in Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com

1 Answer

TonetoEdo

about an hour ago

I'm a big fan of chilled somen. I haven't prepared it often at home. Goya chamburu, champloo, whatever you prefer to call it, is a summer staple in my kitchen. I tend to make chilled hiyashichuuka, soba, and hiyakko in summer.

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Summer only foods

BigfamJapan

1 hour ago

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