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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Miyoshi
Iya soba
Thick, short soba made only from buckwheat from the Iya Valley, without binding wheat flour, served in hot broth with fried tofu, kamaboko, scallions and mountain greens. A dish from the Iya Valley, in Miyoshi.
Traditional dish from Miyoshi, Tokushima
Also known as: 祖谷そば, Soba-kiri
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Iya soba — Miyoshi, Japan
Iya soba is made with buckwheat flour from the valley itself, without wheat flour as a binder. For that reason the dough breaks easily and the noodles are thick and short, and it is also called soba-kiri. The dough is kneaded with valley water, rolled out and cut with a knife, and the soba is served in a bowl, in hot broth, with fried tofu, kamaboko, scallions and sometimes mountain greens.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Japan, tradition says the Heike, defeated in the 12th-century wars, took refuge in the Iya Valley and began planting buckwheat there. Rice grew poorly in the valley, and buckwheat, a short-season crop, became the main food. The valley has other dishes made from the grain, such as a buckwheat groat porridge (soba-gome zosui).
Planting is done in August and harvest in October; the grain dries in the sun for about a month before being threshed and milled. In the past, the women of each household ground the flour, and when many visitors arrived, preparation began the day before. Iya soba was served at celebrations and as a welcoming dish.
Today it is made at home and served in many households in the Iya and Oboke valleys, in guesthouses and at local events, where it almost always appears on the menu. Miyoshi’s tourism offers workshops to make soba by hand, by reservation.
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Where it comes from
Miyoshi , Tokushima
Soba from the Iya Valley, in the city of Miyoshi.
Ingredients
Iya Valley buckwheat flour, water; dashi and shoyu broth; fried tofu, kamaboko, scallions, mountain greens.
How it is eaten
In a bowl, with hot broth; the noodles are short and tender, eaten with chopsticks and a spoon.
When it is eaten
All year round; traditionally for celebrations and visits. Harvest in October.
Your questions
Questions about Iya soba
Why is Iya soba short and thick?
Because it’s made only from buckwheat, without wheat flour as a binder. The dough breaks easily, so the noodles are thick and short.
Can you learn to make Iya soba?
Yes. In Miyoshi there are hand-soba workshops in the Iya and Oboke valleys. They require advance reservation; confirm before you go.
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Beyond the guide
