Product Summary (Registration No.154)

Registration No.154 揖保乃糸

Registered name (Transcription) : 揖保乃糸（IBONOITO）
Reference information : IBONOITO（Dried Noodles）

Category of product

Class 5 : Processed agricultural product（Dried Noodles)

Production Area

Hyogo Prefecture

Registered Group

Hyogo Prefecture Tenobe Somen Cooperative Association

Characteristics

The noodles retain their shape when boiled, feel smooth on the tongue, and have a chewy and crispy texture. They are highly recognized as refined products, boasting the top production of Tenobe (hand-stretched) somen noodles in Japan.

Link with the Production Area

The producing area was blessed with fertile soil used for farming along the Ibogawa River. Cultivation of wheat and wheat flour production with water mills had been actively performed. Because good-quality Ako salt is easily available from the nearby, people have produced somen noodles since early times. The unique manufacturing techniques have been passed down from generation to generation for about 600 years, including the "hand-stretching technique", and the technique called "yaku", which consists in maturing the noodles in an exclusive warehouse. In 1894, a system of somen production standards inspection based on grading was introduced to unify quality and enhance reliability. The unified brand of "IBONOITO", named after the Ibogawa River flowing in the area, was also implemented to unite somen products.