Iya Soba (Iya Buckwheat Noodles)
Iya Soba (Thick, Short Buckwheat Noodles of the Iya Valley)
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Iya Soba is a soba (buckwheat noodle) dish handed down in the Iya area of Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture. Iya lies in the deep valleys of the Shikoku Mountains, a land of steep slopes where rice was hard to grow. For this reason, buckwheat, which has a short growing period and grows even in poor soil, has been eaten as a staple food. Iya Soba is characterized by being made with almost no wheat flour as a binder (tsunagi). Because the noodles break easily, they end up thick and short, letting you enjoy a rustic flavor and the aroma of buckwheat. Many legends remain in Iya of Heike ochiudo, defeated warriors of the Taira clan who fled there and settled. Iya Soba, too, is said to have been handed down as the everyday food of these Heike fugitives. Today it is a specialty of Miyoshi City and can be eaten at soba restaurants and roadside stations (michi-no-eki) around the Kazurabashi vine bridge and Oboke.
Origin
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, agriculture in the Iya area is said to have begun with slash-and-burn farming in the Jomon period. In Iya, surrounded by mountains, rice was difficult to grow, and a culture of eating buckwheat as a staple took root. There is also a legend that members of the Heike (Taira clan) who lost the Genpei War fled to Iya and began growing and eating buckwheat, which has a short growing period. This is a legend, and the sources do not record specific dates.
History
In the mountainous areas of western Tokushima Prefecture, including Iya, farmers have continued to cultivate steep slopes as they are, without turning them into terraced fields. This 'Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System' is a farming method of growing small quantities of many kinds of grains, including buckwheat. It was designated as Japanese Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage in 2017 and as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2018. Seeds of native grain varieties are passed down in the region, and buckwheat is used in local dishes such as Iya Soba and Sobagome Zosui (buckwheat-grain porridge).
Features
Iya Soba is made by hand from locally grown buckwheat flour with almost no binder. Because there is little binder, the noodles break easily, and they are characteristically thicker and shorter than ordinary soba. Iya's climate, with large temperature differences between day and night, is said to be well suited to growing aromatic buckwheat. Some shops add a little wheat flour to make the noodles easier to eat. It is served in styles such as hot kake soba (in broth) and cold zaru soba (on a bamboo tray).
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
In Iya, buckwheat has been eaten not only as noodles but also as whole grains in zosui (rice-porridge-style dishes) and as dumplings. Buckwheat dumplings are also used in 'dekomawashi,' in which they are skewered together with iwa-dofu (firm 'rock' tofu) and other ingredients and grilled over an irori (sunken hearth). Buckwheat is an important ingredient that has supported life in Iya.
Famous Shops
祖谷そば もみじ亭
徳島県三好市山城町西宇1468-1 RiverStation West West内
A restaurant inside a tourist hub facility in Oboke, housed in a relocated old farmhouse (kominka) from the Iya area. It serves Iya Soba made by a master soba maker from Higashi-Iya. The menu is said to include 'Iya Soba Yamakake Bukkake' (soba topped with grated yam) with small side dishes, and set meals (gozen) that come with iwa-dofu and salt-grilled amego (amago trout).
道の駅 にしいや
徳島県三好市西祖谷山村尾井ノ内348-2
A roadside station (michi-no-eki) located close to the Kazurabashi vine bridge of Iya. You can eat Iya Soba at its snack corner. According to listings in tourist guides, Iya Soba starts from about 450 yen. The shop also sells Iya specialties such as processed products of goshi-imo (a local potato) and yuzu, as well as woodcrafts.
清流のそば処 祖谷美人 渓谷店
徳島県三好市西祖谷山村善徳9-3
A restaurant overlooking the mountains and gorges of Iya. It serves handmade Iya Soba made with buckwheat flour grown in a land of large temperature differences and with spring water. According to listings in tourist guides, Iya Soba costs about 800 yen. Iya local dishes such as Sobagome Zosui and salt-grilled amego are also available.
そば処 祖谷橋
徳島県三好市山城町下川169-1
A shop serving handmade soba and udon near the Iyaguchi Bridge. It mainly serves the local dish Iya Soba. According to listings in tourist guides, Iya Soba starts from about 480 yen. Located at the entrance to the Iya Gorge, it is an easy place to stop on the way to Iya.
FAQ
Q. Why are Iya Soba noodles thick and short?
A. Because Iya Soba is made with almost no binder such as wheat flour. With little binder, the dough does not hold together well, and if it is cut thin and long, the noodles break partway. That is why being cut thick and short became its defining feature. In return, you can enjoy the natural aroma and rustic flavor of buckwheat.