"Suba" means "buckwheat noodles" in the Okinawan dialect. Nowadays, it is rarely called "suba" and most people just say "soba". The amount of soba eaten in Okinawa Prefecture every day is more than 150,000 servings. Okinawa soba, which is eaten daily, is a very popular soul food.

Let's explore the characteristics and history of Okinawa soba.

Features of Suba

Even though it's called Okinawa soba, it doesn't contain buckwheat flour. It's made from 100% wheat flour noodles and uses kansui (water syrup). Kansui is an alkaline salt solution used when making Chinese noodles. It is used to give the noodles elasticity and color.

Okinawa soba is classified as Chinese noodles due to the ingredients and manufacturing process, but it looks more like udon. It is thick and has a unique chewy texture.

The defining feature of Okinawa soba is the pork. The most common is pork belly, known as sanmainiku. In Okinawa, there is a dish called rafute, which is similar to braised pork, and is made by slowly stewing sanmainiku and seasoning it with soy sauce, awamori, and brown sugar. The sanmainiku that is served on Okinawa soba is also basically rafute.

In addition to the pork belly, it is topped with kamaboko (fish cake), ginger, and island green onions. The soup is made with a rich stock made from pork bones and bonito flakes.

History of Suba

Okinawa soba is said to have started when a Chinese chef opened a soba restaurant in Naha. At the time, wheat flour was a hard ingredient to come by, so it was a very expensive dish. Therefore, Okinawa soba was only served as a royal dish in the Ryukyu Kingdom.

It is said that it was only around 1900 that Okinawa soba, which was previously a food for royalty and aristocrats, became available to the common people.

However, in 1976, the Fair Trade Commission instructed that "foods that do not use buckwheat flour cannot be called soba." The Okinawa Fresh Noodle Association then explained that they had been familiar with the name "suba" for a long time and began a campaign to keep the name.

After much negotiation, the trademark "Okinawa Soba" was successfully registered. To commemorate this day, October 17th became "Okinawa Soba Day."

Types of soba vary by region

The noodles used in Okinawa soba vary depending on the region. Here are three characteristics of the famous soba.

Miyako soba

Miyako soba uses thin, flat noodles with no curls, and the soup is light. The only topping on the noodles is spring onions. However, ingredients are actually hidden underneath the noodles. There are various theories as to why the ingredients are hidden, including to show poverty or to keep the ingredients warm.

Yaeyama soba

Yaeyama soba uses thin, straight noodles with no curls. The soup is slightly sweet and has a gentle flavor. It is characterized by being topped with thin slices of pork and kamaboko. You can add salt and pepper called pipatzu to taste.

Daito Soba

Daito Soba is characterized by its thick, curly noodles. The noodles, which are made with wood ash and seawater from Daito Island, are chewy and satisfying to eat. The chewy, curly noodles go perfectly with the light soup.

How to enjoy the wonderful things unique to Okinawa

When you think of Okinawa soba, meat is a staple. Okinawa soba uses sanmainiku (pork belly meat), and soki soba uses spare ribs.

We will also introduce other ways to enjoy soba that are unique to Okinawa.

Tebichi soba

Tebichi is a dish made from stewed pig's trotters. They are stewed until soft, giving them a chewy texture. They are full of collagen and are very popular among women. They use chopped pig's trotters, so they have a strong impact.

Nakami soba

Nakami is pork offal, and is a popular dish in Okinawa. It is carefully prepared so there is no unpleasant odor. It is an irresistible dish for offal lovers. Nakami soba also contains shiitake mushrooms and konjac.

Vegetable soba

It is topped with plenty of stir-fried vegetables, so it is filling. Since it is only vegetables, it is refreshing and easy to eat. It is a great dish for those who are worried about not getting enough vegetables. Depending on the restaurant, pork may be included.

Yushi tofu soba

It is topped with yushi tofu, a local Okinawan dish. Yushi tofu is eaten when soy milk containing nigari begins to solidify. It is a flavorful tofu with a fluffy texture. It is recommended when you want to eat healthy soba.

Asa soba

Aasa is a type of seaweed. Aasa soba is topped with so much seaweed and pork belly that the noodles are barely visible. Some restaurants even knead seaweed into the noodles. This is a dish that lets you enjoy the aroma of the seashore.

How to get to Okinawa

To get to Okinawa's main island, where you can eat subaru, it's convenient to take a direct flight to Naha Airport from all over the country.

Here is the flight time for direct flights. The flight time varies depending on the season and weather.

From Hokkaido/Tohoku area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・From New Chitose Airport: Approx. 3 hours 45 minutes ・From Sendai Airport: Approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

From the Kanto area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・About 2 hours 45 minutes from Haneda Airport ・About 3 hours from Narita Airport ・About 3 hours from Ibaraki Airport

From the Chubu area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・From Chubu Centrair International Airport: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes ・From Niigata Airport: Approx. 3 hours ・From Komatsu Airport: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes ・From Shizuoka Airport: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes

From the Kinki area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes from Kansai International Airport ・Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes from Itami Airport ・Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes from Kobe Airport

From the Chugoku area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport) ・Approx. 2 hours from Okayama Airport ・Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes from Hiroshima Airport ・Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes from Iwakuni Airport

From Shikoku area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・About 2 hours from Takamatsu Airport ・About 1 hour 45 minutes from Matsuyama Airport

From Kyushu area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes from Fukuoka Airport・Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes from Kitakyushu Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Kumamoto Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Nagasaki Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Miyazaki Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Kagoshima Airport・Approx. 1 hour from Amami Airport・Approx. 50 minutes from Okinoerabu Airport・Approx. 40 minutes from Yoron Airport

Location of Okinawa Prefecture

summary

There are many ways to enjoy Okinawan soba. The flavor changes depending on the toppings and type of noodles, so you won't get bored even if you eat it every day.

If you visit Okinawa, be sure to try "Suba."

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