Shishikotsu Ramen, made with wild boar!

Omishima-island, in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, is famous for the Oyamagi Shrine.
A lot of worshippers visit this shrine to see the national treasures dedicated here.
It is very unique to have so many national treasures in one place.
Also, this shrine is known as the head shrine for Oyama Shrines and Mishima Shrines all over Japan.

You can find a vivid sign on the next street over from the Torii gate of Omishima Shrine.

This is “Shishikotsu Ramen”!
Maybe you know of “Tonkostu Ramen, ” which is a very popular ramen with a soup made with pork bone.
But “Shishikotsu”?
Even most Japanese have never heard of this.

“Shishi” means wild boar and “kotsu” means bone, so that means….
This shop is unique in Japan because it serves a ramen soup cooked with the bone of wild boars for more than 8 hours.

I realize that you cannot imagine how it tastes.
You can hear rock music at the entrance of the restaurant, and find various wild boar-related items inside…!
Yeah, it is a pretty maniac style, but at the same time, it has a kind of “cute” atmosphere.

The secret of good taste, Omishima wild boar

Ryo Yoshii, the owner of the restaurant, is a member of the “Association for the Best Use of Shimanami Wild Boar.”
This group aims for regional revitalization through the sales of meat or processed food from wild boar caught on the island.
Yoshii goes on patrol as a hunter early in the morning every day, and sometimes does the field dressing of the wild boar.

And of course, this ramen is made with wild boar caught locally.

Delicious wild boar taste with a slight sweetness

If you would like to try the taste of wild boar, Yoshii recommends the specialty dish of this restaurant, “Shishikostu Shio (salt) Ramen (800yen).”
The salt used for this is “Hakata-no-Shio” (salt made in Hakata) which is produced at the factory in Omishima.

You can taste the slight sweetness of wild boar, and its deliciousness will surprise you.
The simple taste of salt emphasizes the flavor.
At first, eat it adding nothing.
Later you can enjoy it by squeezing a lemon over it.
The lemons are also grown in Omishima.

You can choose the soup base: salt, soy sauce, or miso.

Also, there are several kinds of ramen you can choose.
One is “Shishikotsu Syoyu Ramen” (800yen) with a soy sauce base.
This has a sweet flavor and is made in Shodoshima-island.

“Shishikotsu Miso Ramen (800yen)” is good for people who don’t like wild game very much.
Several kinds of miso, red, white, or Hatcho miso are blended, which makes the soup very aromatic.
Also, you can have “Shishikotsu Aburasoba” available in limited quantities on weekdays.

The secret of roasted wild boar meat fillets

You can find the toppings for roasted wild boar fillet in many kinds of ramen.
The soft texture of the meat is just like a high-quality roasted beef, because it takes time to roast over a low temperature.

There are various cuts of meat, such as rib, loins, ham, and so on, but Yoshii roasts using the best method for each individual part.

“The wild boars in Omishima eat mainly fruits like citrus, persimmons, or chestnuts,” Yoshii tells us, “so the flavor of the meat is milder than wild boars in other areas which eat acorns or bugs. And the fat also tastes good and is not so greasy.”

“Each individual is pretty big, so many hunters from various regions come here to hunt,” Yoshii says.
He knows so much about the appeals of wild boar in Omishima as a hunter. So it is obvious that his wild boar ramen tastes great, isn’t it?

Photographs and text by Kaoru Masuda