Noodles
Saba Somen
Saba somen — somen noodles simmered in grilled mackerel broth
Grilled mackerel is simmered in a sweet-savory sauce, which is then used to season somen noodles. The dish traces back to mackerel carried along the old "Saba Kaido" route from Wakasa, and to a custom of sending preserved mackerel to newly married daughters during the busy rice-planting season.
- Origin: Shiga
- About 320 km west of Tokyo
Lineage
What it's made of
Saba somen simmers grilled mackerel and tosses it with somen noodles, a dish eaten mainly in the Hokubu area. Mackerel is said to have been readily available in Hokubu and Kosei thanks to the Saba Kaido, the old route that carried seafood from Wakasa to Kyoto. Noodles soaked in the grilled mackerel's salt and the broth's savor come together into a rich, satisfying dish fit for a festival feast.
How it's made
Dashi and seasonings for the base flavor are brought to a boil in a pot, and grilled mackerel is simmered in it until the liquid reduces by about half, basted over the fish as it cooks, which is said to be the key step. Once the mackerel is plated, the broth is strained to remove any bones, and scallion is briefly warmed through in it. More seasoning is added to the broth and brought to a boil, firm-cooked somen is added to season it, and the noodles are arranged around the mackerel with the broth poured over.
Why it took this shape
In the Hokubu area, families are said to have sent grilled mackerel, a nutritious preserved food, to daughters who had married into farming households, timed to the busy rice-planting season, in a custom called gogatsu-mimai, or May well-wishing. The grilled mackerel received was reportedly shared with neighbors and relatives, valued as something easy to cook during the busy farming season. It's also said to have been served as a feast dish at the Hikiyama Festival of Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine.
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Dishes in the same style
- Abura SobaNo broth is poured at all — noodles are tossed in a soy-and-sesame-oil tare pooled at the bottom of the bowl, said to have started at shops in the Musashino area in the late 1950s, with vinegar and chili oil stirred in partway through.
- Abura ZomenPork and somen are fried together with a splash of broth, the oil and stock emulsifying into a silky coat on the noodles. Just how somen took root in wheat-free Amami isn't clear, but the dish is a fixture whenever people gather, not least for the August Dance festival.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Also from Shiga
- Aka Konnyaku NiKonjac dyed reddish with iron oxide, a specialty of Omi-Hachiman, is pan-simmered with bonito flakes and soy sauce. The color holds even after cooking, and the dish is a fixture at ceremonial meals and school lunches alike.
- Amenoio GohanA whole Lake Biwa trout, migrating upstream to spawn, is set atop rice and cooked together; "amenoio" means "rain fish," a name tied to the trout's autumn run after rainfall. The flesh and roe are flaked and mixed through the rice, traditionally made in large pots for gatherings.
- Biwamasu SashimiBiwamasu, a trout found only in Lake Biwa, is filleted and served raw as sashimi. The fish grows richest from early to midsummer and is prized locally as "the jewel of Lake Biwa" — a fish so scarce that it rarely reaches markets beyond the lakeshore.
- Chojifu no Karashi AeChojifu, a square baked wheat gluten unique to Shiga, is paired with cucumber and dressed in mustard-miso vinegar. The gluten also appears in Buddhist vegetarian meals, and its chewy texture with a refreshing tang makes the dish a staple at family gatherings.
- Dongame JiruEggplant scored with a crosshatch pattern is simmered in dashi, then finished with miso and ground sesame. Said to originate in the merchant town of Gokasho, the name compares the muddy look of the sesame in the broth and the eggplant's scored skin to a turtle's shell.
- Ebi MameFreshwater shrimp from Lake Biwa are simmered sweet-savory with soybeans. Inexpensive and long-keeping, the dish is eaten as everyday fare, but is also served at New Year's with a wish for long life — that one might live, like the bent-backed shrimp, into old age.