Like the last Munchies & Minis recipe, I promise I didn’t time this one for current events. I based today’s recipe on the manga-turned-anime BEASTARS. Its story follows high-school students in an anthropomorphic animal society where carnivores and herbivores live in perceived harmony. A coincidence I find with current events, though, is that this story examines a multicultural society built on systemic racism.
That’s also why I don’t feel comfortable accepting donations through Ko-fi for today’s recipe card: Legoshi’s Late-Night Yakisoba. While all my Patreon supporters received this last month, I want us to take a chance to do some good.
If you message me with a receipt screenshot of your donation to an official charity assisting the black lives matter movement, or to a black artist or content creator, I will send you the printable PDF recipe card for free. You can email me directly, or message me on my Facebook or Patreon page.
If you’ve read through all of this before and want to get cooking, click here to skip to the recipe for Legoshi’s Late Night Yakisoba.
BEASTARS and Diversity
The story of BEASTARS tackles multiculturalism while revealing the xenophobic ugliness often swept under the facade of harmony. We see internalized racism in Legoshi’s struggle and fear of his own body — how he has the potential as a gray wolf to harm herbivores or smaller species. Likewise, the rabbit Haru resents and rejects the weakness her parents insist that is in her biology. Even Rouis, the red deer golden boy of Cherrytown Academy, envies carnivores for their physical power while resenting them for trafficking him as livestock.
We also see systemic racism in the form of dorm segregation, police discrimination against carnivores, trafficking of herbivores to wealthy carnivores, and heavy restrictions on mixed species couples. The title of the show BEASTARS even references a competition with good intentions — highlighting young people as unifying leaders — but that perpetuates the model minority stereotype.
As the story progresses, BEASTARS teaches us that to live in a diverse society requires constant vigilance to its injustices. There is no one size fits all solution and the key is not restriction or prejudice, but understanding, empathy, communication, and accountability. And the violence inherent in the system is not the exception to squelched and smoothed over, but a symptom of greater injustice in need of a remedy.
Noodles with a Friend
So that brings me to today’s recipe: Legoshi’s Late-Night Yakisoba. After Legoshi rescues Haru, they stop for a much-needed snack of yakisoba at a nearby street vendor. It’s the second time they share a meal together. But it is one that warms the heart and brings them closer.
Since I wanted to give as accurate of a representation as possible for this dish, I needed to develop a recipe that was one — completely vegetarian, and two, safe for an anthropomorphized wolf to eat.
Society in BEASTARS forbids the eating of any sentient creature, and unfortunately for me, the standard yakisoba blend of oyster sauce and Worcestershire sauce is out. Oysters and fish? Both sentient in this world, according to the manga. There is vegetarian oyster sauce, though. And Bulldog brand of Worcestershire sauce is entirely vegetarian. Granted, it contains trace amounts of onion, which is toxic to canids. But unless you plan to feed this to your dog (please don’t), we can make an exception.
That said, the traditional addition of scallions is not an option for this wolf-safe bowl of noodly-bits. That’s why I chose Thai basil instead– safe, delicious, and fragrant. I also referenced the picture as best I could with red bell pepper, carrot, napa cabbage, and shiitake mushroom.
Combined with the runny yolk of a fried (unfertilized) egg, the mushrooms add that amino-rich umami bomb that carnivores crave.
recipe
Send Noods!
Lagoshi's Late-Night Yakisoba
Equipment: Stovetop, mixing bowl, colander, 12-inch skillet, and tongs.
Ingredients:
Yakisoba:
- 1 three-serving package of yakisoba noodles
- 1 large carrot sliced into 1/4-inch matchsticks
- 4-6 shiitake mushrooms, 1/2-inch diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
- 4 leaves napa cabbage, chopped
- 1/2 cup Thai basil
- 3 tablespoons red pickled ginger (beni-shoga)
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup Bulldog Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Instructions:
- After prepping your ingredients, heat the skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Stir the sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in the skillet then add the carrots and red pepper. Stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cabbage and cook until tender. While it cooks, roll the basil tightly and in a bundle and slice into ribbons.
- Load the noodles into the colander and run hot water over. Loosen them with your fingers and drain thoroughly.
- Add the mushrooms and half of the basil, then cook for about a minute. Toss the noodles in with a pair of tongs then lower the heat to medium.
- Drizzle the sauce evenly over the mix and continue to fry-cook with the tongs until coated. Transfer the yakisoba to three serving bowls and cover with foil to keep warm
- Either clean the skillet or put a new one on the stovetop over medium heat. When hot, coat the surface with cooking spray and crack three eggs on top. Cook the eggs until the whites set, then transfer each one on top of each bowl of noodles.
- Garnish each bowl with red pickled ginger and the remaining basil before serving.
