Okinawa Soba Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Okinawa Soba
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jan 28, 2024 • 3 min read
In mainland Japan, the term “soba” refers to a quintessential buckwheat noodle, but on the island of Okinawa, it refers to a flat, snappy wheat noodle reminiscent of udon.
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What Is Okinawa Soba?
Okinawa soba is a Japanese noodle dish consisting of soba noodles in a dashi broth, topped with slices of steamed fish cake, green onions, and san-mai niku, or pork belly. Condiments that accompany the dish include kōrēgūsu, a fiery blend of local chili peppers steeped in awamori, a rice liquor, and beni-shōga, a tangy, pickled ginger. Popular variations include soki soba, which is served with spare ribs, and tebichi soba, which is served with pig trotter meat.
The noodle dish was known as “chūka soba” (Chinese soba) throughout the rest of Japan until 1976, when an exception was made to the official definition of Japanese buckwheat soba and the dish became known as Okinawa soba.
4 Tips for Making Okinawa Soba
Like ramen, Okinawa soba noodle soup is a fairly flexible format, characterized by a few specific ingredients and preparations. Here are a few tips to help you execute the dish:
- 1. Source the right noodles. Okinawa soba noodles are an exception to the rule when it comes to their ingredients: These flat, chewy wheat and egg noodles are closer to ramen or udon noodles in texture and don’t contain buckwheat. Using fresh noodles is a plus if you can find them: If you can’t find fresh Okinawa noodles, dried udon or ramen noodles are a good substitute.
- 2. Building the broth. The briny umami of dashi stock made with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) meets fatty, salty pork broth in a traditional bowl of Okinawa soba. You can build your own pork broth by simmering pork bones and combining it with a batch of homemade dashi, or make a stronger broth by adding katsuobushi directly to the pork broth—just strain or skim the broth to remove the flakes before using.
- 3. Serve with condiments for authenticity. For a true Okinawa soba experience at home, pick up a bottle of kōrēgūsu and satsuma-age or kamaboko fish cakes online or in Asian grocery stores.
- 4. Use chopsticks to cook the noodles. To keep the noodles from clinging together as they cook, use a pair of chopsticks to untangle them as you stir.
Okinawa Soba Recipe
makes
2prep time
20 mintotal time
45 mincook time
25 minIngredients
- 1
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sear the pork belly until the fat has rendered and its edges are golden brown and crisp, about 4–5 minutes per side.
- 2
Remove the pork from the pan, and set it aside on a wire rack.
- 3
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil.
- 4
Add shallot, ginger, and garlic to the pot, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pork stock and dashi, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot.
- 5
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Add soy sauce, mirin, and sake to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with a bit more soy sauce or a pinch of kosher salt.
- 6
Add the noodles to the boiling water, loosening them by hand as you add them to the pot. Stir with chopsticks, and cook according to the package directions.
- 7
Once the noodles are cooked but still have some chew, pour them into a colander to drain the water out. Divide the noodles into two serving bowls.
- 8
Ladle soup broth over the noodles, and top with slices of pork belly, fish cake, scallions, and pickled ginger, and a drizzle of kōrēgūsu, if using.
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