Banshu Hand-pulled Somen (thin wheat noodles) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Hyogo Prefecture

Banshu Hand-pulled Somen (thin wheat noodles)

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Image source: Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group
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Image source: Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group

Main lore areas

Harima area
Main ingredients used

Wheat, salt, water

History/origin/related events

Ibo No Ito, a Banshu soumen characterized by its firm, crisp texture and resistance to boil-through, is a specialty of the Harima region.
The history of soumen in Japan dates back to the Nara period when Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty brought back from China a sweet called sakubei, from which soumen was derived. The connection with soumen in the Banshu area of Hyogo Prefecture can be seen in an ancient document from Ikaruga Temple (Taishi Town, Ibo-gun), which mentions soumen in a clause dated 1418 (Oei 25). It was during the Edo period that soumen production came into full swing, and was encouraged as a permitted industry by the Tatsuno clan during the Anei era (1771-1780). During the Bunka era (1804-1818), the Tatsuno clan began to protect and foster the product. Ibo No Ito flourished as a traditional industry in the Banshu region, thanks to the availability of wheat (wheat harvested in the Banshu Plain), water (the clear waters of the Ibo River), and salt (salt from Ako), which were important conditions for making soumen, and also as it became a side business during the winter farm-closing season. Ibo No Ito is classified into seven grades according to the season when it is made, the type of flour used, and the fineness of the noodles, and is widely used for everything from everyday household items to luxury gifts.
Opportunities and times of eating habits

Ibo No Ito is produced from October to April of the following year, but it is eaten at home all year round, served cold with cold soup in summer and warm with hot soup in winter.
The cut-off part of the soumen that comes out of the production process is called “bachi” because its shape resembles a bachi (plectrum) of a shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese instrument), and it has more firmness, stickiness, and saltiness than soumen. It is eaten at home or in school lunches as bachi soup, which is made by boiling miso soup and adding bachi as it is, or simmering it with vegetables.
How to eat

“The bachi” used in “bachi soup” can be used directly in soup stock without boiling it, so it is easily prepared at home. Cut radish and carrots into strips, cut taro into bite-size pieces, and boil them quickly. Then cut the fried tofu into bite-size pieces, add all the cut ingredients into the broth, and simmer. Just before turning off the heat, add “the bachi” and soy sauce to taste. Because “the bachi” is very salty, season the broth lightly and adjust the seasoning after adding “the bachi”.
Efforts for Preservation and Succession

In 1997, the Hyogo Hand-pulled Soumen Cooperative Association opened the Ibo No Ito Museum “Soumen no Sato”, where visitors can learn about the history and production process of soumen noodles. It also solicits recipes for soumen noodle ideas and publishes them on its website and in catalogs.
In addition, every year the Tatsuno City Board of Education holds a “Soumen Making Experience” for elementary school students in the city.

RECIPE

Ingredients (2 servings)

Soumen bachi 10g
[Miso soup] Soup stock 300g
[Miso soup] Pumpkin 50g
[Miso soup] Thinly sliced fish cake 5g
[Miso soup] Miso paste 16g

How to cook

1. Make miso soup.
2. Put soumen bachi directly into the miso soup pot and simmer until soft.

provider : Recipe provided by : Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group (Makiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuta, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sawako Honda)

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

Banshu Hand-pulled Somen (thin wheat noodles) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Hyogo Prefecture