Kotohira is in Kagawa, the home of sanuki udon — the wheat-flour wheat noodles served in a clear dashi or with cold dipping sauce, made on a level of quality and seriousness that Kagawa locals will argue is unmatched anywhere else in Japan. Several small udon shops sit along the approach road to Konpira-san; queue at the busiest of them — that's usually the right one.
The other Kotohira food tradition is konpeito — small star-shaped sugar candies originally introduced by Portuguese traders, now sold in small paper bags along the shrine road. A few shops at the foot of the steps also serve the regional sweet kamado manjū, a small stuffed dumpling.