myojo okinawa soba: instant island fever

by rameniac | 08 Feb 2008

The Ryukyu Islands are a fascinating place. Home to many of my favorite musicians - Gackt, Chitose Hajime, Atari Kousuke to name a few, the islands in the far south of Japan have a distinct history and flavor all their own that sets them apart from the “mainland” in innumerable ways. Okinawan soba, the local noodle, is likewise self-styled; it’s not soba in the traditional Japanese sense (like ramen, it is still made of wheat flour, as opposed to buckwheat), but nor is it considered ramen proper. Perhaps it’s an island cousin to ramen in much the same way Hawaiian saimin is - a soup noodle for sure, but in taste and texture, something vastly different, yet delicious in its own right.

Myojo Okinawa Soba then, is definitely an accessible instant interpretation of the real thing, easily found on Japanese supermarket shelves far removed from Naha. Okay, so like I said, it’s not “really ramen,” but they do stock it in the instant noodle section and people have been asking me for advice on where to find the stuff. Plus, there’s nothing to indicate that this close “cousin” of ramen isn’t made using the same process that Momofuku Ando used to flash-fry instant noodles. As such, I’m just going to rip open this five-pack, cook one up, and tell you all about it.

In form, the noodles are broad and flat, reminiscent of Nagoya kishimen, another close relative to ramen, but also squiggly. Myojo Okinawa Soba cooks up firmer and springier than typical ramen noodles, and texture-wise fall somewhere in between ramen and udon, much like instant Korean u-dong noodles. There are common characteristics within the noodle diaspora (did I really just say that?) between the different types of noodles, and it is something of a thrill to uncover them; Okinawan soba is said to have a large influence on the ramen of Kagoshima, the nearest “mainland” prefecture. And it’s only natural, as techniques get passed on from shop to shop and town to town, influence spreads.

The soup packet in a serving of Myojo Okinawa Soba reflects a similar hybrid sensibility. Like hot udon or traditional buckwheat soba, a dash of shichimi is included for seasoning. The soup itself, while akin to a light shoyu ramen, is strongly wafu in taste, and the heavy use of kelp and bonito and other fish (the ingredients also list salmon, mackerel, and tuna) are apparent in the katsuo kombu dashi. In fact, the shoyu flavor is almost secondary, and I would not be surprised if this turned out to be the reason why Okinawan soba is typically not considered within the pantheon of ramen styles. Like Nagasaki champon or kishimen, it’s very much its own thing, and that’s quite alright by me.