Information AboutOkinawa Soba |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT OKINAWA SOBA | |
| japanese noodles | |
| okinawan cuisine | |
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Okinawa soba (Japanese: ) is a type of noodle soup eaten in Okinawa . The thick wheat Noodles resemble Udon , while the soup is more similar to that of Ramen . It is traditionally served in a pork-bone or fish-based broth that is flavored with Konbu (edible seaweed), and topped with Kamaboko (fish sausage), ''negi'' ( Welsh Onion ), and a thick slice of stewed or . The Okinawan word for "pork rib" is Sōki (ソーキ), and if the soba is served with pork ribs, it is called sōki soba (ソーキそば). It is also often served with pigs' feet, or tebichi/tibichi (てぃびち) in dialect, and such soba is called tebichi soba. Okinawa soba is usually garnished with Beni Shoga (pickled ginger), and kōrēgusū ( Awamori rice liquor in which Tōgarashi hot peppers have been soaked) can optionally be added for flavor. HISTORY What is now called Okinawa soba was originally brought from China some 500 years ago. During the era of the Ryukyu Kingdom , before Okinawa's annexation by Japan in the late 1800s, Okinawa soba could only be eaten by royalty. After Okinawa's annexation, however, during Japan's Meiji Period , the prohibition was lifted, and Okinawa soba could be eaten by commoners. IS IT SOBA? The word '' Soba '' in Japanese means " Buckwheat ," but Okinawa soba noodles contain no buckwheat—they are made entirely from wheat. After Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972 , Japan's soba-growers' association tried to make Okinawa drop the name "soba," since according to regulations on the naming of noodles, a noodle must contain at least 30% buckwheat in order to bear the name "soba." In the end, the Okinawan soba makers won an exception based on the argument that "Okinawa soba" was a vital part of Okinawan culture. (Chinese soba is also made from wheat flour.) Today, if one wants to eat buckwheat noodles in Okinawa, one must generally look for on the menu. |
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