I've been on a noodle kick lately . . . maybe because I was so deprived of it for FOUR WHOLE MONTHS while I was on that diet. A few weeks ago I felt like eating some somen. I got this cheap $1 something Shirakiku Tomoshiraga somen noodles from Foodland . . . the kine I usually get.
After I got home I looked at the label. It's distributed by Nishimoto Trading Company of Santa Fe Springs, California. And guess where it comes from. CHINA. I repeat . . . CHINA. K, I not knocking noodles made in China. I know that they make very good noodles. I just expected somen noodles to be made in Japan.
So, when me and Wendell was at Marukai shopping for New Years groceries I checked out their wall of somen packages. There were sooo many to choose from and I had no clue which to pick. I noticed the words "no Ito" on a lot of them . . . Shirasagi no Ito, Harima no Ito, Ibo no Ito, Banshu no Ito. Some of you may know that, given too many choices, I end up getting nothing because I can't make a decision. Luckily Wendell ran into one of our friends so he was busy talking story, which gave me time.
I finally chose this one, Banshu no Ito. Don't ask me why. I dunno. Maybe it was because it had a middle-of-the-road price of $3 something.
This time I made sure it was a "Product of Japan".
I did some research when I got home. I found out that Banshu no Ito means "Banshu district's thread". The Banshu area, in the west of Harima, Hyogo prefecture, is one of the outstanding production centers of somen noodles in Japan. Evidence of somen in Banshu dates back 600 years.
One particularly famous brand from the region is called “Ibo no Ito”. It is made from the highest quality of flour, water from the crystal clear River Ibo and salt from nearby Ako. The manufacturing process is strictly regulated by the Hyogo Prefecture Tenobe (hand-stretched) Somen Cooperative. You can find out more here: Ibo no Ito Somen. Make sure you click on "Grades and Bands" to learn the meaning of the colored bands.
I got this pack from Nijiya Market. It was $5.49.
I actually haven't tried the Banshu no Ito noodles yet . . . the one I got from Marukai, but I did eat the whole pack of the above Ibo no Ito noodles. Hey . . . it's a small pack, okay. I liked the smooth, silky texture and the very slightly salty flavor. I would suggest trying it at first with just some tsuyu so that you can enjoy the noodle itself without any overpowering distractions. You're gonna like it. Trust me.
13 comments:
$5.49 for somen noodles?! Wow, that's expensive. Must be yummy!
Yah, expensive, Les. And it's not even top of the line for that brand. It's like 4th or 5th!! Better to stick to the cheaper ones for pot lucks.
Hummm....ummm....Little bit less weight than stuff in a bottle right...
I agree, cheaper one for pot lucks! I love somen, can't wait to try it, thanks Jalna!
Yup, Didi. Lighter than shoyu and ume vinegar bottles. LOL!!
You're welcome, Mich.
Thanks for the somen primer. Interesting, I usually shop by price.
Cool, I know a somen noodle expert!
Is it worth the price?
You're welcome, Anon. I usually shop by price too, but I was curious.
Erick, you know as much as me now!
Renee, to me, when eaten freshly made, it's worth it to at least try. I think when my current batch of noodles runs out, I would get the Ibo no Ito again, especially since I don't really eat somen all the time and wouldn't be spending the bucks often. BUT if you're gonna make it to eat later, then $1something ones are probably just as good.
Thank you for the interesting facts. I will try to find the quality somen noodle this week. I like to eat this noodle cold in Summer time with lots of toppings.
I like to eat somen cold too, Akemi. I kept thinking of you when I was doing this post.
I just assumed somen noodles were made in Japan, too. Now I gotta go check mines ones!
Surprise yah, Moki.
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