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.
If you have followed me for some time, you know that sharing Blue Zone recipes is my favorite, and this recipe will not disappoint you. Nutritious Okinawan Soba is a comfort and soul food for many Okinawans reflecting their healthy approach to food – simple, healthy, and full of flavor.

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.

Third step: Make the Stewed Pork Belly
Once the pork belly has cooled enough to handle, slice it thinly, about 3–5 mm thick. In a clean small saucepan, combine black sugar, sake, soy sauce, and water. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the sliced pork belly, quickly coating it with the sauce. Cover the pork with the lid and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, until the sauce has nearly evaporated.
Fourth step: Cook the Noodles
While the broth is simmering, cook the Okinawa soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Fourth step: Assemble the Soup
Place the cooked noodles into bowls. Pour the simmering broth over the noodles.
Top with slices of stewed pork belly, fish cake, pickled red ginger and chopped green onions and serve hot.

How to store this soba noodle dish?
the best way is to store the toppings and soup in separate airtight containers. It is safe to keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days or freeze them for up to a month. Cook the noodles fresh right before serving.
Other Blue Zone favorites


Okinawa Soba: Okinawan Noodle Soup from Blue Zones
Ingredients
For the Pork Broth
- 400 g pork belly 14 oz
- 1 spring onion
- 1 teaspoon cooking sake
- 1 teaspoon Soya sauce sweet
- 4 cups water
For the Katsuo Dashi
- 1 cup katsuobushi dried bonito flakes
- 2 cups water
For the Stewed Pork Belly
- 2 Tbsp cooking sake
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 Tbsp soya sauce sweet
- 2 Tbsp water
For the Okinawa Soba
- 2 servings Okinawa soba noodles
- 1 green onions
- fish cakes
- pickled ginger
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Once the pork belly has cooled enough to handle, slice it thinly, about 3–5 mm thick. In a clean small saucepan, combine black sugar, sake, soy sauce, and water. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the sliced pork belly, quickly coating it with the sauce. Cover the pork with the lid and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, until the sauce has nearly evaporated.
- While the broth is simmering, cook the Okinawa soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Place the cooked noodles into bowls. Pour the simmering broth over the noodles.
- Top with slices of stewed pork belly, fish cake, pickled red ginger and chopped green onions and serve hot.