Gyoda Furai: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Saitama)

Despite its name, Gyoda furai is not a fried food but a flour based dish closer to okonomiyaki, made by grilling a thin wheat batter on an iron plate. In this town, which once flourished making tabi socks, it is said to have spread as a quick, filling meal and snack for the people who worked in the tabi factories. Because it was first cooked in a frying pan, it was also called furai yaki, and the name is sometimes written with characters meaning cloth comes or fortune comes. The chewy batter soaks up a sweet and savory sauce for a simple yet moreish taste.

Highlights

Fillings such as green onion, egg, and pork, along with the thickness of the batter, vary by shop, so each place has its own character. Pressing the batter with a pot lid while it grills, to spread the savor of the fillings throughout, is a technique unique to this dish. The fragrance of batter grilled crisp on the iron plate and the aroma of generously brushed sauce whet the appetite. A sprinkle of green seaweed or pickled ginger adds color and richer flavor.

Enjoying the Seasons

It is an everyday taste loved all year, easy to drop in for in any season. At festivals and events it also appears at stalls, where biting into a piping hot one is a simple joy.

Access and Basic Information

Old shops dot the area around Gyodashi Station on the Chichibu Railway. Comparing it with the local zerai fry is fun as well. A visit pairs well with Oshi Castle and a tour of the old tabi warehouse streets tied to the nations important cultural properties.

Practical Travel Notes

Inside, it is served round, and many shops fold it in half for takeout. The basic seasoning is a brush of soy or Worcester sauce with a sprinkle of green seaweed. A single piece is quite filling, so if snacking on a stroll, sharing among a few people is a good idea. Hours and closing days differ by shop and change easily, so checking before a visit is reassuring.

A Quick Tip

Best enjoyed piping hot off the plate while the sauce is still soaking in. Ordering both this and zerai fry for a taste comparison is recommended.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main area where it is served: Gyoda City. Both the Gyoda City official site and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Our Local Cuisine" state that it can still be enjoyed at more than 20 shops in the city.
• More on its origins: The areas where it is handed down are Gyoda City and the Kita-Saitama district. In this long-established wheat-growing area it began as a farmers' snack, then spread among the women working at the tabi (split-toe sock) factories that reached their peak in the early Showa period and became firmly established. Theories about the name include that it derives from "fu-rai" (cloth coming), that it was cooked in a frying pan, and that it comes from "tomi yo koi" (may riches come) (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries).
• Public facility you can drop into: Tourist Products Hall Buratto Gyoda (2-1-8 Oshi, Gyoda City, 1st floor of the Gyoda City Commerce and Industry Center) / 9:30-17:00, closed only over the New Year period (normally December 29-January 3). Phone 048-554-1036. The tourism association publishes a "Fry and Zeri Fry Map."

* Opening hours and prices at individual shops vary from establishment to establishment.

(Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, "Our Local Cuisine: Fry, Saitama Prefecture"; Gyoda City official website, "Fry"; Gyoda City Tourism Association, "Gyoda Tabi Navi")

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourist information for Saitama Prefecture together with information published by the individual establishments. Prices, menus and seasons are subject to change, so please check the official information of each establishment for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: Affordable, from a few hundred yen per piece
• Where to eat it: Fry shops and diners in Gyoda City
• Recommended time of day: Mainly at lunchtime; also good as a snack or street food
• Avoiding the crowds: Popular shops get busy at lunchtime, so shift your timing
• Enjoy it together with: Gyoda zeri fry, the Oshi Castle ruins, the Sakitama Kofun burial mound group, and a walk through the town of tabi warehouses