This traditional Okinawa soba is a comforting noodle soup that includes soba noodles in a light broth, along with pork belly, fish cake, green onion, and bonito flakes.
This dish is a staple of Okinawan cuisine, known for its health benefits and rich umami flavor.
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I have collected over 30 Okinawan recipes for longevity to inspire you.
Okinawans practice mindful eating, called Hara Hachi Bu, which promotes longevity.
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What is Okinawa Soba?
Okinawa soba is a traditional noodle dish from Okinawa, Japan. Even though Okinawa is a okinawa prefecture, it has its own unique food and culture. In addition, Okinawa is a tropical island that is warm throughout the year and has abundant ingredients unique to warm climates.
Despite its name, okinawa soba is not made with soba (buckwheat) noodles, as you might expect from other soba dishes in Japan (1). Instead, the noodles are wheat-based, thick, and slightly chewy, resembling a cross between ramen and udon. The dish typically features a clear, savory broth made from pork, sometimes enhanced with bonito flakes, and is often topped with braised pork belly (known as “soki”), fish cake (kamaboko), green onions, and sometimes pickled ginger. It’s a comforting, flavorful soup with strong ties to Okinawan culture, which is known for its focus on longevity and healthy living.
Okinawa Soba versus Soki Soba
Okinawa Soba and Soki Soba are similar noodle dishes from Okinawa, both using thick, wheat-based noodles in a savory broth made from konbu and katsuobushi. The key difference is in the toppings: Okinawa Soba typically features pork belly or other pork cuts, while Soki Soba is distinguished by its topping of tender, braised boneless pork ribs (soki). If the meat is slow-cooked pig feet, it’s known as Tebichi Soba
Ingredients to make Okinawa Soba
Okinawa soba is easy to cook once you manage to gather all the ingredients. I thought it would be hard to find them in Europe, but I found them at an Asian grocery store in our small town of Vevey. I suppose they are quite common ingredients in Asian cuisine.
Okinawa Soba Noodles
Though japanese soba usually refers to buckwheat noodles, Okinawan soba uses wheat noodles that more closely resemble ramen.
The ingredients for Okinawa soba noodles include wheat flour, water, and egg, which sets them apart from udon noodles that are eggless.
Alternatively, you can use udon noodles that have a similar flat shape and chewy noodle texture. I used them to make stir-fried Chicken Yaki Udon.
Broth
The broth is made from both pork broth from simmering pork bones and dried bonito flakes (katsuo dashi). It’s flavorful yet light and clear. This style is unique to Japanese noodle soups, similar to how Okinawa stands out in Japan. It’s a mix between ramen broth and traditional dashi. The result is a balanced blend of meat and fish flavors.
Meat
Okinawa Soba is typically topped with a few slices of stewed pork belly, called “Rafute” in Japanese. The pork is braised until tender than return it to the pot and add cooking sake, sweet soya sauce, and palm sugar. The mixture is brought to a boil over medium heat, allowing the liquid to reduce.
For the vegetarian option, you can use tofu instead.
Garnish
The toppings are typically simple, just chopped green onion and pickled ginger. I especially love that pickled ginger is included in this dish. Its tangy flavor acts as a refreshing palate cleanser, balancing the richness of the pork belly.
Okinawa Soba Recipe
First step: Prepare the Pork broth and Pork Belly
Place the 14 oz pork belly block in a large pot and cover with enough water to fully submerge the meat.
Bring the water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 3–5 minutes until foam and scum start to form on the surface. Drain the meat and rinse both the meat and the pot under running water.
Return the meat to the pot, then add 4 cups of water, the white part of the spring onion, 1 teaspoon of sweet soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of sake. Bring it to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Strain out the meat and vegetables, setting the broth aside. Cover the meat in the aluminium folium for 10 minutes.
Second step: Prepare katsuo dashi
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and add 1 cup of dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Let it cook for 15 seconds, then turn off the heat. This creates katsuo dashi. Set it aside to steep until it’s ready to use. Strain the katsuo dashi through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot with the pork broth. Bring the soup broth to a boil.
