Zenjiro - Itsutsubashi-yokocho Branch annex Sendai

Even though America consumes the third-highest amount of beef in the world (Argentina and Brazil top the charts), most people cringe at the thought of eating the phallic looking cow tongue.

Japan imports over 250,000 metric tons of American beef annually. That’s like 25 Eiffel towers of beef. Or 1.5 MILLION cars. But if you go to the town of Sendai, you can eat bonafide domestic Japanese beef in the form of cow tongue, the pride and joy of the city.

Cow tongue, or “gyutan” in Japanese, took off after World War II. The tongue was less expensive, and some of the pioneer chefs used it as an opportunity to distinguish themselves during a time of crisis.

Nowadays, the pink slabs of tongue have a hefty price tag, and I gotta say, those grill marks and the saltiness of the ramen make for a pretty sumptuous feast.

You can find gyutan ramen at “Zenjiro - Itsutsubashi-yokocho Branch annex” which is about three minutes south of Sendai station. And get some fresh slabs to take back to your hotel as a souvenir. Less