Product Summary (Registration No.91)

Registration No.91 三瓶そば

Registered name (Transcription) : 三瓶そば（Sanbe Soba）
Reference information : Sanbe Buckwheat

Category of product

Class 1 : Agricultural product (Buckwheat) 

Production Area

Shimane Prefecture Sanbe Town and Yamaguchi Town, Oda City

Registered Group

Sanbe Soba Promotion Association

Characteristics

Sanbe Soba is a native variety of buckwheat with a long history of production in the towns of Sanbe and Yamaguchi in Oda City at the foot of the Sanbe Mountains. Compared to major buckwheat varieties grown elsewhere in Honshu, grains are tighter and smaller, and the taste more bitter, which contribute to the depth and richness of this soba. Sanbe Soba is rated highly by soba mills and discerning soba noodle chefs nationwide for being a rare native soba, for its glutinous properties, and excellent taste.

Link with the Production Area

Sanbe Soba is grown in the Oda City towns of Sanbe and Yamaguchi, located 500 m or so above sea level. The towns are at the foot of 1,126 m high Mount Sanbe, an active volcano. Andosol formed by Mt. Sanbe's volcanic ash, and large diurnal temperature ranges typical of highlands make the local area highly suitable for soba production, which has been practiced since the Edo period (17C-19C).