Tokushima Prefecture
Iya soba
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- Main lore areas
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Iya area, Miyoshi City
- Main ingredients used
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buckwheat
- History/origin/related events
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The Iya area of Miyoshi City is famous for soba (buckwheat noodles). It is said that when the Heike clan, defeated in the Genpei War, fled to Iya, they began to grow buckwheat seeds in the area. Since rice is difficult to grow in Iya, buckwheat, which is easy to grow and has a short growing season, has become a staple food. Iya soba is a local dish representative of the Iya region. Made with 100% local buckwheat flour, it is the soul food of the Iya region. It is also called "soba-kiri" (buckwheat noodles) because the noodles are easily cut and become thick and short. Fresh water from Iya is used for the water used to knead the buckwheat flour and for the soup stock, and Iya ingredients are also used for the ingredients. Other soba dishes, such as "buckwheat rice porridge," in which the buckwheat seeds are used as they are, are also prepared in abundance in Iya.
- Opportunities and times of eating habits
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In the Iya region, buckwheat seeds are sown in August, and harvested two months later in October. The harvested buckwheat seeds are dried in the sun for about a month, then threshed and milled to make soba. Iya soba was served on festive occasions and as a hospitality dish for gatherings.
- How to eat
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It is said that in the old days, buckwheat flour was made by the women of each household. When many people were coming, they would start preparing the buckwheat flour the day before and prepare it for the reception. The buckwheat flour was then mixed with water from the Iya Valley, kneaded, stretched, and cut into thin strips with a knife. The noodles are made without adding any flour, which makes them shorter and easier to cut. The soba is boiled, served in a bowl, and poured with warm dashi broth. Ingredients include deep-fried tofu, fish paste, green onions, and sometimes wild vegetables.
- Efforts for Preservation and Succession
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It is commonly made at home and served at several restaurants in Iya. It is also served at events held in Oboke and Iya, and is sold and offered at hotels, cafeterias, and souvenir stores. In recent years, some products can be purchased by mail order, making it easily available even in distant places and widely popular throughout the country.