Japan Tourism / Travel to Fukui Pref. for Soba Made From Buckwheat Freshly Harvested in Autumn

2024/12/05

It's exciting in this season to travel to a region famous for soba to enjoy the freshly made and boiled noodles served in their traditional way. In search of the authentic taste of Echizen soba, I visited Fukui Prefecture, a place where soba culture is firmly established.

"Shin-soba" refers to soba made from buckwheat harvested in autumn, generally between October and November, and served for one to two months after the harvest. Echizen soba is eaten mainly in the Reihoku area of the prefecture.

Farmers in Fukui Prefecture cultivate indigenous buckwheat varieties, and many local restaurants use the flour of these varieties to make soba.

The native varieties have been grown in this area since long ago. The seeds are small but packed with flavor, and they have a rich aroma. Unlike improved varieties, native varieties do not ripen at the same time. However, this characteristic is said to make the varieties special.