Sobagome Zosui (Buckwheat-Grain Porridge)
Sobagome Zosui (Buckwheat Groat Porridge Soup of Iya)
Sobagome Zosui is a local dish that has been eaten mainly in the Iya (祖谷) area of Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture. Sobagome (hulled buckwheat grains) is buckwheat that, instead of being ground into flour, is boiled in salted water, hulled and dried. It is called 'kome' (rice) because the grains are likened to grains of rice, but it is not rice from the rice plant. Chicken and vegetables are simmered in dashi (broth), the flavor is adjusted with soy sauce, and boiled sobagome is added to finish. Because it has plenty of broth, it is also called 'sobagome-jiru' (sobagome soup). In Iya, surrounded by mountains where rice is hard to grow, buckwheat, which has a short growing period, has been grown as a staple food. There is also a legend that members of the Heike (Taira clan), who fled to Iya after their defeat in the Genpei War, ate this dish at New Year. Today, sobagome is sold in supermarkets in the prefecture, and the dish is also made at home.
Origin
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), members of the Heike who were defeated in the Genpei War fled to the Iya area, which is surrounded by mountains and where rice is hard to grow. There, it is said, the custom took hold of growing and eating buckwheat, which has a short growing period, in place of rice. Sobagome Zosui was born from the idea of simmering buckwheat as whole grains, like rice, instead of grinding it into flour. These are legends, and no specific dates are recorded.
History
The Heike people are said to have made and eaten Sobagome Zosui at New Year. The ingredients were mainly vegetables and wild mountain plants, and mountain birds were apparently sometimes added as a special treat. In the mountainous areas of western Tokushima Prefecture, including Iya, farming that grows buckwheat and other minor grains on steep slopes has continued, and in 2018 it was recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) as the 'Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System.' Tokushima Prefecture introduces this dish in its pamphlet 'Tokushima no Kyodo Ryori' (Local Cuisine of Tokushima).
Features
Sobagome is said to swell to more than four times its size when boiled. First, the sobagome is boiled in plenty of water for about 10 to 15 minutes and rinsed. Chicken, carrots, konnyaku, chikuwa (tube-shaped fish cake), dried shiitake mushrooms and so on are simmered in dashi made from niboshi (dried sardines) and dried shiitake. The dish is seasoned with usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce and mirin, the boiled sobagome is added, and chopped green onions are scattered on top. Methods vary from household to household, such as using chicken bones or kombu for the dashi or adding daikon radish.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Sobagome Zosui is eaten not only in the Iya area of Miyoshi City but throughout Tokushima Prefecture. Sobagome can easily be bought at supermarkets and elsewhere in the prefecture. Because buckwheat is rich in protein, minerals and dietary fiber, the dish is considered nutritionally well balanced.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
At home, it is made casually with whatever vegetables and chicken are available, and the dashi and ingredients differ from household to household. In recent years, freeze-dried Sobagome Zosui has also been sold, which can be eaten simply by pouring hot water over it. Some restaurants in Iya serve Sobagome Zosui with ingredients typical of a mountain village, such as locally made firm iwa-dofu (firm 'rock' tofu).
Famous Shops
そば道場
徳島県三好市東祖谷落合651
A soba restaurant committed to buckwheat grown in Iya. It is described as using cold water from the upper reaches of the Iya River and stone-milled buckwheat flour. A listing in a tourist guide gives the price of Sobagome Zosui as about 400 yen. Soba-making experiences are also available by reservation, priced at 2,500 yen per person.
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 Iya Valley that serves Sobagome Zosui along with Iya Soba. A listing in a tourist guide gives the price of Sobagome Zosui with chicken, vegetables and iwa-dofu as about 1,000 yen. Other local dishes of Iya, such as salt-grilled amego (red-spotted masu trout), can also be enjoyed.
| Tsurugi no Sobagome (つるぎ雑穀生産販売組合) | Sobagome made from buckwheat grown in Tsurugi Town, Tokushima Prefecture, sold by a cooperative in the town. Tsurugi Town is part of the area of the GIAHS 'Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System.' According to a feature article, a 150 g pack costs about 1,200 yen (tax included) on an online shopping site (as of January 2024). |
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FAQ
Q. Is sobagome a type of rice?
A. No. Sobagome is made by boiling, hulling and drying the seeds of buckwheat, a plant of the knotweed family (Polygonaceae), without grinding them into flour. It is called 'sobagome' because the grains are likened to rice, but it is not rice, which belongs to the grass family. Since it is the buckwheat seed itself, people with a buckwheat allergy need to be careful.