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{{short description|Type of Japanese noodle}}
{{original research|date=November 2012}}
{{original research|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox food
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}
| name = Okinawa soba
[[Image:Soki soba in Naha.jpg|thumb|Sōki soba]]
| image = Soki soba in Naha.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Sōki soba
| alternate_name = Soba, suba
| country = [[Japan]]
| region = [[Okinawa Prefecture]]
| creator =
| course =
| type = [[Japanese noodles]]
| served =
| main_ingredient = [[Noodle]]s ([[wheat flour]]), [[broth]] ([[konbu]], [[katsuobushi]] flakes, [[pork]])
| variations =
| calories =
| other =
}}


{{nihongo|'''Okinawa soba'''|沖縄そば||{{lang-ryu|うちなーすば}} ''Uchinaa Suba''}} is a type of [[noodle soup]] eaten in [[Okinawa]]. In Okinawa, it is sometimes simply called ''[[soba]]'' or ''suba'', although it is different from buckwheat noodles known as [[soba]] in the rest of Japan. The thick wheat [[noodles]] resemble [[udon]], while the soup is more similar to that of [[ramen]].
{{nihongo|'''Okinawa soba'''|沖縄そば}} is a type of [[noodle]] produced in [[Okinawa Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. Okinawa soba is a regional collective trademark of The Okinawa Noodle Manufacturing Co-op.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi/t_torikumi/tourokushoukai/bunrui/pdf/47-002-5008493.pdf |title=Okinawa soba, trademark registration N. 5008493 |publisher=Japan Patent Office |language=ja |access-date=4 June 2013 }}</ref> On Okinawa, it is sometimes simply called ''[[soba]]'' (or ''suba'' in the [[Okinawan language]]), although this Japanese term typically refers to [[buckwheat]] noodles in mainland Japan. The noodles of Okinawa soba are made from wheat flour, and do not contain any buckwheat.


The noodles tend to have a circular cross section in the [[Yaeyama Islands]], and tend to be slightly flat in the rest of the Okinawan archipelago. It is served in a broth flavored with [[konbu]] (edible seaweed), [[katsuobushi]] flakes and pork.
The thick wheat [[noodles]] more closely resemble the texture of [[udon]], and when served in soup, the broth is more similar to that of [[ramen]]. The noodles tend to have a circular cross section in the [[Yaeyama Islands]] and tend to be slightly flat in the rest of [[Okinawa Prefecture]].


Standard toppings are [[kamaboko]] (fish cake), sliced [[scallion]] and a thick slice of stewed {{Nihongo|san-mai niku|三枚肉|pork belly}} or {{Nihongo|[[sōki]]|ソーキ|boneless pork ribs}}, and usually garnished with ''[[beni shoga]]'' (pickled ginger).
It is served in a broth flavored with ''[[konbu]]'' (edible seaweed), ''[[katsuobushi]]'' flakes and pork. Standard toppings are ''[[kamaboko]]'' (fish cake), sliced [[scallion]] and a thick slice of stewed {{Nihongo3|pork belly; lit. "three-layer meat"|三枚肉|san-mai niku}} or [[soki]] (boneless pork ribs) and usually garnished with ''[[beni shōga]]'' (pickled ginger). For extra spice, diners can add a few drops of ''[[kōrēgūsu]]'', which consists of [[chile pepper]]s soaked in ''[[awamori]]'' rice liquor.


⚫
Varieties include:
For extra spice, diners can add a few drops of ''kōrēgūsu'' (高麗胡椒, コーレーグース "Korean pepper"), which consists of [[chile pepper]]s soaked in [[awamori]] rice liquor.
⚫
* ''Sōki soba'' (ソーキそば) - topped with extra ribs, known as [[sōki]] in Okinawan.
⚫
* ''Tebichi soba'' (てびちそば) - topped with stewed [[pig's trotters]].


== Name ==
⚫
Varieties include:
[[File:Miyako Soba DSC2761.jpg|thumb|Miyako soba, a variant of Okinawa soba from [[Miyako-jima|Miyako Island]]]]
⚫
* ''Sōki soba'' (ソーキそば) - topped with extra ribs, known as [[sōki]] in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]].
⚫
* ''Tebichi soba'' (てびちそば) - topped with stewed [[Pig's trotters]].


Today the word ''[[soba]]'' means buckwheat, in particular buckwheat noodles, in Japanese. This word is in origin an abbreviation of ''soba-mugi'' (buckwheat). The word ''soba'' refers to the edge in ancient Japanese and ''soba-mugi'' meant "edgy wheat". Around the 16th century, buckwheat began to be processed into thin noodles. This method was originally known as ''soba-kiri'' (lit. soba cutting) but it was later abbreviated into ''soba''. Soba was mainly consumed in eastern Japan and was not popular in western Japan or on Okinawa. Buckwheat noodles remain rare on Okinawa, where they are known as ''Nihon soba'' (Japanese soba) or ''kuroi soba'' (black soba).
⚫
==History==
What is now called [[Okinawa]] [[soba]] was originally brought from [[China]] some 500 years ago. Braised pork rib noodle soup is still a common street food in [[Zhejiang]] Province. Zhejiang is the closest province of mainland China to the Ryukyu Islands and was a trading hub between Japan and China in the past.


In modern Japan, the meaning of ''soba'' was extended so that it could refer to other types of thin noodles. [[Yakisoba]] (stir-fried noodles) contain no buckwheat. ''Shina soba'', commonly known as ''Chūka soba'' (Chinese soba), or [[Ramen|rāmen]] today, is also made from wheat flour. Okinawa soba falls into this category and is made entirely from wheat.
During the era of the [[Ryūkyū 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.


Under a fair competition regulation, soba was standardized as "the noodles contain at least 30% of buckwheat." This definition caused a problem when Okinawa was returned to Japanese rule in 1972. In 1976, the [[Fair Trade Commission (Japan)|Fair Trade Commission]] tried to make Okinawa Prefecture drop the name "soba" because Okinawa's soba did not conform to the regulation. The Okinawa Noodle Manufacturing Co-op negotiated with the Fair Trade Commission and as a result it was accepted as one of several exceptions under the name of ''Okinawa soba''.
==Definition of soba==
The word ''[[soba]]'' in Japanese means "[[buckwheat]]," but Okinawa soba noodles contain no buckwheat&mdash;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, and that ''soba'' can occasionally mean noodles in general. ([[Ramen]], also made from wheat flour, is sometimes called ''Shina Soba'' or ''Chuka Soba'', both meaning "''Chinese soba''". [[Yakisoba]] (stir-fried [[Chinese noodle]]s) also contain no buckwheat.)


⚫
== History ==
Today, if one wants to eat buckwheat noodles in Okinawa, one must generally look for {{Nihongo|"Japanese soba"|日本そば|nihon soba}} on the menu.
Some attempt to trace the origin of Okinawa soba to the [[Ryūkyū Kingdom]] period. Chinese delegates possibly brought wheat noodles to the royal court,<ref name="miyagi2000">{{cite journal |author=Miyagi Masayasu 宮城昌保 |title=''Ryūkyū no menshoku denpa'' 琉球の麺食伝播 |journal=風俗史学 Fūzoku Shigaku |issue=13 |pages=61–71 |year=2000 |language=ja }}</ref> though no link has been established to the modern Okinawan cuisine.<ref name="nishimura2003">{{cite journal |author=Nishimura Hidemi 西村秀三 |title=''Yuragu genfūkei'' 揺らぐ原風景|journal=Ajia yūgaku アジア遊学 |issue=53 |pages=73–81 |year=2003 |language=ja }}</ref>

The first known documented reference to Okinawa soba was in 1902 during the late [[Meiji period]] when it was known as ''Shina soba'' (Chinese ''soba'') as in mainland Japan. Several soba restaurants are known to have operated in [[Naha]] during the [[Taishō period]] and to have close links with the red-light district.<ref name="nishimura2003" /> Soba restaurants were destroyed by U.S. attacks during the [[Battle of Okinawa]]. Its revival began in U.S. internment camps, where wheat rations were supplied. In the 1960s, soba was popularized with the introduction of noodle making machines. The popularization was accompanied by the transformation from a restaurant meal to home cooking. The mainland Japanese custom of eating soba on New Year's Eve was introduced to Okinawa in 1968, but buckwheat noodles were replaced by wheat noodles. Today, Okinawa soba is considered as a vital part of traditional Okinawan culture, although folklorist Nishimura Hidemi argued that it was an [[invented traditions|invented tradition]].<ref name="nishimura2003" />

[[File:Monumento ao Sobá.jpg|thumb|Monument to ''[[sobá]]'' in [[Campo Grande]], [[Brazil]], where a local variation of Okinawa soba has spread due to Okinawan immigrants]]

In Brazil, a variation of Okinawa soba known as {{Lang|pt|[[sobá]]}} is popular in the city of [[Campo Grande]] in the [[Brazilian state|state]] of [[Mato Grosso do Sul]], due to the influence of [[Okinawa]]n immigrants.<ref name="MatoGrossoTV">{{Cite web|url=http://www.portaldaeducativa.ms.gov.br/sobarias-de-campo-grande-se-reunem-para-discutir-preservacao-da-receita-do-prato-tipico-da-cidade/|title=Sobarias de Campo Grande se reúnem para discutir preservação da receita do prato típico da cidade|date=2018-08-07|website=Rede Educativa MS|last=Lima|first=Daniela|language=pt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621074250/http://www.portaldaeducativa.ms.gov.br/sobarias-de-campo-grande-se-reunem-para-discutir-preservacao-da-receita-do-prato-tipico-da-cidade/|archive-date=2020-06-21|url-status=live}}</ref> It is eaten all-year long at street markets or in special restaurants called "sobarias".<ref name="OkinawaCGMS2019">{{Cite book|publisher=Associação Okinawa de Campo Grande – MS|year=2019|location=Campo Grande, Brasil|pages=554–556|url=http://www.okinawacgms.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/LIVRO-OKINAWA-EBOOK.pdf|language=pt,ja|title=Terra de Esperança – Kibo no Daitsi|chapter=VI-2 Feira Central|orig-year=2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727132645/http://www.okinawacgms.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/LIVRO-OKINAWA-EBOOK.pdf|archive-date=2021-07-27|url-status=live}} ([http://www.okinawacgms.com.br/ Associação Okinawa de Campo Grande – MS website])</ref> {{As of|2019}}, the recipe has deviated from Okinawa style to suit Brazilian local preferences.<ref name="OkinawaCGMS2019" />

== Notes ==
<references />

== External links ==
*{{in lang|ja}} [http://oki-soba.jp/ Okinawa Noodle Manufacturing Co-op]
* [http://www.jfftc.org/rule_kiyaku/pdf_kiyaku_hyouji/019.pdf Fair competition regulation regarding fresh noodles] containing the definition of Okinawa soba (in Japanese).


{{Commons category|Okinawa soba}}
{{Commons category|Okinawa soba}}

{{Japanese food and drink|state=autocollapse}}
{{Soups}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinawa Soba}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinawa Soba}}
⚫
[[Category:Japanese noodles]]
[[Category:Okinawan cuisine]]
[[Category:Okinawan cuisine]]
[[Category:Soba]]

[[es:Okinawa soba]]
[[Category:Noodle soups]]
⚫
[[Category:Japanese noodle dishes]]
[[ko:오키나와 소바]]
[[it:Soba di Okinawa]]
[[ja:沖縄そば]]
[[zh:沖繩麵條]]

Latest revision as of 07:33, 29 March 2024

Okinawa soba
Sōki soba
Alternative namesSoba, suba
TypeJapanese noodles
Place of originJapan
Region or stateOkinawa Prefecture
Main ingredientsNoodles (wheat flour), broth (konbu, katsuobushi flakes, pork)

Okinawa soba (沖縄そば) is a type of noodle produced in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Okinawa soba is a regional collective trademark of The Okinawa Noodle Manufacturing Co-op.[1] On Okinawa, it is sometimes simply called soba (or suba in the Okinawan language), although this Japanese term typically refers to buckwheat noodles in mainland Japan. The noodles of Okinawa soba are made from wheat flour, and do not contain any buckwheat.

The thick wheat noodles more closely resemble the texture of udon, and when served in soup, the broth is more similar to that of ramen. The noodles tend to have a circular cross section in the Yaeyama Islands and tend to be slightly flat in the rest of Okinawa Prefecture.

It is served in a broth flavored with konbu (edible seaweed), katsuobushi flakes and pork. Standard toppings are kamaboko (fish cake), sliced scallion and a thick slice of stewed san-mai niku (三枚肉, pork belly; lit. "three-layer meat") or soki (boneless pork ribs) and usually garnished with beni shōga (pickled ginger). For extra spice, diners can add a few drops of kōrēgūsu, which consists of chile peppers soaked in awamori rice liquor.

Varieties include:

  • Sōki soba (ソーキそば) - topped with extra ribs, known as sōki in Okinawan.
  • Tebichi soba (てびちそば) - topped with stewed pig's trotters.

Name[edit]

Miyako soba, a variant of Okinawa soba from Miyako Island

Today the word soba means buckwheat, in particular buckwheat noodles, in Japanese. This word is in origin an abbreviation of soba-mugi (buckwheat). The word soba refers to the edge in ancient Japanese and soba-mugi meant "edgy wheat". Around the 16th century, buckwheat began to be processed into thin noodles. This method was originally known as soba-kiri (lit. soba cutting) but it was later abbreviated into soba. Soba was mainly consumed in eastern Japan and was not popular in western Japan or on Okinawa. Buckwheat noodles remain rare on Okinawa, where they are known as Nihon soba (Japanese soba) or kuroi soba (black soba).

In modern Japan, the meaning of soba was extended so that it could refer to other types of thin noodles. Yakisoba (stir-fried noodles) contain no buckwheat. Shina soba, commonly known as Chūka soba (Chinese soba), or rāmen today, is also made from wheat flour. Okinawa soba falls into this category and is made entirely from wheat.

Under a fair competition regulation, soba was standardized as "the noodles contain at least 30% of buckwheat." This definition caused a problem when Okinawa was returned to Japanese rule in 1972. In 1976, the Fair Trade Commission tried to make Okinawa Prefecture drop the name "soba" because Okinawa's soba did not conform to the regulation. The Okinawa Noodle Manufacturing Co-op negotiated with the Fair Trade Commission and as a result it was accepted as one of several exceptions under the name of Okinawa soba.

History[edit]

Some attempt to trace the origin of Okinawa soba to the Ryūkyū Kingdom period. Chinese delegates possibly brought wheat noodles to the royal court,[2] though no link has been established to the modern Okinawan cuisine.[3]

The first known documented reference to Okinawa soba was in 1902 during the late Meiji period when it was known as Shina soba (Chinese soba) as in mainland Japan. Several soba restaurants are known to have operated in Naha during the Taishō period and to have close links with the red-light district.[3] Soba restaurants were destroyed by U.S. attacks during the Battle of Okinawa. Its revival began in U.S. internment camps, where wheat rations were supplied. In the 1960s, soba was popularized with the introduction of noodle making machines. The popularization was accompanied by the transformation from a restaurant meal to home cooking. The mainland Japanese custom of eating soba on New Year's Eve was introduced to Okinawa in 1968, but buckwheat noodles were replaced by wheat noodles. Today, Okinawa soba is considered as a vital part of traditional Okinawan culture, although folklorist Nishimura Hidemi argued that it was an invented tradition.[3]

Monument to sobá in Campo Grande, Brazil, where a local variation of Okinawa soba has spread due to Okinawan immigrants

In Brazil, a variation of Okinawa soba known as sobá is popular in the city of Campo Grande in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, due to the influence of Okinawan immigrants.[4] It is eaten all-year long at street markets or in special restaurants called "sobarias".[5] As of 2019, the recipe has deviated from Okinawa style to suit Brazilian local preferences.[5]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Okinawa soba, trademark registration N. 5008493" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Patent Office. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  2. ^ Miyagi Masayasu 宮城昌保 (2000). "Ryūkyū no menshoku denpa 琉球の麺食伝播". 風俗史学 Fūzoku Shigaku (in Japanese) (13): 61–71.
  3. ^ a b c Nishimura Hidemi 西村秀三 (2003). "Yuragu genfūkei 揺らぐ原風景". Ajia yūgaku アジア遊学 (in Japanese) (53): 73–81.
  4. ^ Lima, Daniela (2018-08-07). "Sobarias de Campo Grande se reúnem para discutir preservação da receita do prato típico da cidade". Rede Educativa MS (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2020-06-21.
  5. ^ a b "VI-2 Feira Central". Terra de Esperança – Kibo no Daitsi (PDF) (in Portuguese and Japanese). Campo Grande, Brasil: Associação Okinawa de Campo Grande – MS. 2019 [2014]. pp. 554–556. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-07-27. (Associação Okinawa de Campo Grande – MS website)

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Okinawa soba.
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