Okinawa Soba
When coming to Okinawa, the dish you have to eat is Okinawa Soba. With the steady increase in tourist visitors to Okinawa, Okinawa Soba is fast becoming the number one tourist product.
Okinawa Soba may be called "Soba," but it does not use what is called Soba flour in Japan. Instead it uses wheat flour and the flattish noodles look pretty much like Kishimen or Udon noodles.
Okinawa Soba seems to have been originally called "Shina" (China) Soba. Only after the war did the name "Okinawa Soba" spread. The roots and history of Soba cuisine are not really known, but Soba shops began to proliferate after the establishment of prefectures in the early Meiji period. Of course the main centers were Uenoya, Nishimachi and Higashimachi in Naha City, centers of commerce and nightlife.
Throughout, the ingredients have been pork, Kamaboko, and onions, but back then there was a simple Soba with meat and onions. As the number of Soba shops grew, they found ways to improvise. Soon Soba was appearing topped with fried egg and tempura. The Soki Soba that everyone now knows made its appearance after the war.
Originally, Okinawa Soba was something that people stopped to eat when returning home from shopping or the theater. During the Meiji, Taisho and early Showa periods, the time when Soba shops were most busy was during the Naminoue Festival. Festivals offered a chance for women and children especially, who were normally hesitant about eating out, to enjoy a meal out. People also enjoyed having Soba delivered for high school sports days.
After the war, wheat flour became easier to get and the number of people patronizing Soba shops increased. Accordingly, Soba shops appeared in increasing numbers in shopping areas and at crossroads. After a shopping excursion, people got in the habit of saying, "Why don't we stop and eat Soba before we go home." Soba is the perfect meal to warm and fill an empty stomach.
Nowadays, people eat Soba at home but it is still the thing to eat when going out. Okinawan people love their Soba and when they hear about a shop serving a tasty variety, it doesn't matter, north or south, they get in their car and head off to find it.
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