Hegi soba is the dish that defines Niigata's food culture. The noodles are made with funori, a type of seaweed used as a binding agent, which gives them a distinctive silky texture and light greenish tinge. They are served cold on flat cedar trays (called hegi), arranged in neat mounds that you dip in a cold dashi broth — a restrained, precise eating experience that suits the Niigata character.
The dish originated in the silk-weaving districts of the prefecture, where funori was already used to stiffen silk threads. Several restaurants in the Furumachi and Bandai areas of the city specialise in it; look for the flat cedar trays piled in the window display. Eat them swiftly once served, as they deteriorate quickly.