Name: How To Make Okinawa Soba (Sōki Soba)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 400 g Pork Belly Block; 20 g Sliced Ginger (with peel); 2 Tbsp Black Sugar; 2 Tbsp Awamori (Okinawan Traditional Liquor) or Cooking Sake; 1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce; 60 ml Water; 500ml Water (for the broth); 20 g Dried Bonito Flakes (for the broth); 1 tsp Salt (for the broth); 1 tsp Powdered Chicken Soup Stock (for the broth); 2 tsp Soy Sauce (for the broth); 3 Servings Okinawa Soba Noodles; 6 g Chopped Green Onion; 6 slices Fish Cakes; 18 g Red Pickled Ginger; Kōrēgūsu (Okinawan Chili Sauce) optional, as you prefer

Main Noodle Popular Pork Ramen Regional Cuisine Soup

Okinawa Soba is a traditional Okinawan dish that can be enjoyed at restaurants and as part of everyday meals in Okinawa.

The main ingredients of Okinawa Soba are simmered and seasoned pork belly slices, deep-fried fish cake, red pickled ginger, and green onion. The soup is commonly made from pork broth and bonito soup stock, creating a flavorful taste that spreads in your mouth.

Based on the basic Okinawa Soba introduced above, there are some other variations in Okinawa Soba. Let us introduce two major Okinawa Soba variations below:

Sōki Soba: Okinawa Soba using spare ribs as the ingredient.
Tebichi Soba: Okinawa Soba using pettitoes as the ingredient.

While authentic Japanese “Soba” is made from buckwheat, the noodles used in Okinawa Soba do not contain buckwheat. They are made with 100% wheat flour and are categorized as Chinese noodles in terms of their ingredients and making process.

We are using raw Okinawa Soba in this recipe, but there is also a dried type which should be easier to purchase. When you look for Okinawa Soba, you’ll find mainly three types of noodles for Okinawa Soba, so let’s check them out:

Flat noodles: These look like Pho or Fettuccine and are mainly enjoyed in the northern part of Okinawa. They have the densest and chewiest texture among all types of Okinawa Soba.
Curly noodles: The curly noodles are easily coated with dashi soup stock and are mainly enjoyed around the southern part of Okinawa, including Naha city.
Round noodles: The cut end of this noodle is round and the shape is straight. This type is mainly enjoyed on Ishigaki Island, located south of the main island of Okinawa.

Overall, the texture and the taste of Okinawa Soba noodles are more like Udon than Soba or Chinese noodles, so if you can’t find Okinawa Soba in your area, Udon noodles should be the best substitution.

It takes time to make Okinawa Soba, but creating this regional cuisine is enjoyable! Choose your favorite noodle type and ingredients, and experience the Japanese island taste at home!

Overview

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1hr 30mins

Total time: 1hr 45mins

Total servings: 3

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

400 g Pork Belly Block
20 g Sliced Ginger (with peel)
2 Tbsp Black Sugar
2 Tbsp Awamori (Okinawan Traditional Liquor) or Cooking Sake
1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
60 ml Water
500ml Water (for the broth)
20 g Dried Bonito Flakes (for the broth)
1 tsp Salt (for the broth)
1 tsp Powdered Chicken Soup Stock (for the broth)
2 tsp Soy Sauce (for the broth)
3 Servings Okinawa Soba Noodles
6 g Chopped Green Onion
6 slices Fish Cakes
18 g Red Pickled Ginger
Kōrēgūsu (Okinawan Chili Sauce) optional, as you prefer

Expert's Tip

P-1-YMKI-KTOFLK-80-Yamaki Katsuobushi Japanese Dried Bonito Flakes Big Bag 70g.jpg

Katsuobushi, known as Bonito Flakes in English, is an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine. One of the most common ways of using them is by making dashi broth. In this Okinawa Soba recipe, dashi broth is one of the main components, giving the soup a complex flavor. This large-sized bag of katsuobushi will allow you to replicate authentic Okinawa Soba at home, as well as other staple Japanese dishes like miso soup, soba noodle soup, and more.

Instructions

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1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather the ingredients together.

The fourth picture shows Kōrēgūsu. It is made from Okinawan chili peppers and Awamori (a traditional Okinawan liquor). Kōrēgūsu contains alcohol, so if you are not tolerant of alcohol, omit it.

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2) Searing and Simmering the Pork Belly

Prepare a pot and pour in cooking oil (extra, if needed). Heat the pot until hot enough. Then place the pork belly in the pot and grill until each surface becomes golden brown.

Add sliced ginger and about 900 ml of water (extra to cover the pork belly). Once boiled, remove the scum and simmer with a lid for 1 hour over low heat.

After 1 hour, cool it to room temperature. Then place plastic wrap on the surface of the broth. Cool it in the fridge until the fat becomes solid.

Covering the surface like this makes it easier to remove the excess fat from the pork broth.

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3) Making the Dashi Soup Stock

While simmering the pork belly, prepare another pot and heat 500 ml of water. Once boiled, turn off the heat and add dried bonito flakes. Wait for 2 minutes.

Then strain the bonito soup stock into a bowl using a strainer lined with a paper towel. You should end up with about 350 ml of bonito soup stock.

covering the pork broth with a piece of plastic wrap

removing the plastic wrap from the pork broth once it has cooled

removing the fat and the pork from the broth

cutting the pork belly blocks into smaller pieces

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4) Separating the Pork Belly Fat From The Broth & Slicing The Pork Belly

Moving back to the pork broth, once the fat solidifies to the top of the pot, gently remove the plastic wrap and fat. Take the pork belly out of the pot and cut it into 5 mm thick slices. Strain the pork broth through a strainer to remove any remaining fat. Keep the pork broth for making the noodle soup in the next step.

*You should end up with about 600-700 ml of pork broth.

5) Combining the Pork Broth and Dashi

Prepare the dashi soup stock (about 350 ml) and pork broth. Combine these two to make a 900 ml soup stock mixture.
*Example: 350 ml bonito soup stock + 550 ml pork broth = 900 ml

Prepare a pot and pour in the soup stock mixture. Heat it over medium heat. Once boiled, add salt, powdered chicken soup stock, and soy sauce. Mix well and set aside.

adding the pork slices into the braising liquid

covering the pork slices with an otoshibuta

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6) Braising the Pork Belly Slices

Prepare a pot and add black sugar, Awamori or cooking sake, soy sauce, and water. Heat over medium heat. Once boiled, add the pork belly slices.

Quickly coat the pork slices with the sauce and place an otoshibuta (drop lid). Flip the slices once or twice and simmer for about 20 minutes until the seasoning sauce has almost evaporated.

adding the okinawa soba noodles to boiling water

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7) Boiling the Okinawa Soba Noodles

Prepare a pot and add enough water (extra) to boil the Okinawa Soba noodles. Heat over medium heat. Once boiled, add the Okinawa Soba noodles and cook for the time indicated on the package. Be careful of boiling over.

When cooked, drain the water well.

8) Assembling the Okinawa Soba

Prepare a bowl and pour in the noodle soup and add the Okinawa Soba noodles and broth.

Top with pork belly slices, sliced fish cakes, red pickled ginger, and chopped green onion. Enjoy!

*If you prefer, drizzle Kōrēgūsu to add a twist to the dish. Be careful not to pour too much, as it is spicy!

About the author

Megumi Moriya

Megumi is a recipe writer based in Chiba, Japan. She carries a Bachelor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies and is interested in creating content about Japanese cuisine and traditional confectioneries. Megumi is most interested in making Japanese recipe content, and in her free time, she likes to play the piano, make handcrafted goods, and hula dance. She hopes to inspire Japanese Taste readers to make Japanese recipes at home and of course share more about Japanese culture.

View articles by Megumi Moriya