Okinawa Soba Instant Cup Noodle from Maruchan
Made up of a chain of islands, “Okinawa (沖縄)” is the southernmost prefecture of Japan and boasts its unique food culture.
One of the regional specialties of Okinawa is the noodle soup dish, “Okinawa Soba (沖縄そば)”, which now can be enjoyed not only in many cities around the country but also in instant noodle form, because of its popularity.
Maruchan Okinawa Soba Instant Cup Noodles
Actually, Toyo Suisan recently, on May 3rd, released a cup of instant Okinawa Soba from its Maruchan line, which, according to its official website, was developed based on a popular cup of instant noodle sold only in Okinawa Prefecture.
By the way, I bought this cup noodle at my go-to convenience store (7 Eleven) for about 240 yen (about 2.2 USD).
Features of Okinawa Soba
For the unfamiliar, Okinawa Soba uses thick wheat noodles somewhat different from Chuka-men (Chinese noodles) for ramen, and its soup, in many cases, is a blend of pork dashi and “Katsuo (かつお: bonito)” stock.
As the main topping, stewed pork spare ribs called “Soki (ソーキ)” are often garnished, but what I bought this time is just a cup noodle, so only contains a flavoring of it.
Incidentally, other typical garnishes for Okinawa Soba include “Sanmai Niku (三枚肉: stewed pork belly)”, Kamaboko (fish cake), Beni Shoga (red pickled ginger), and chopped green onions.
And as a condiment for the noodle soup, the Okinawan hot chili sauce “Koregusu (コーレーグス)” is especially famous.
So based on these elements, this cup noodle is composed. But unlike an actual bowl of Okinawa Soba, the cooking of this instant noodle is very straightforward; pour boiling water into the cup and just wait for 5 minutes, that’s it.
Taste
As for the taste, the slightly curly wheat noodles are somewhat soft, but thanks to the thickness, they have a nice chew.
Meanwhile, the soy sauce-based broth is light tasting but well balanced with flavorful umami notes from pork, bonito, kombu (seaweed), and chicken.
Ingredients and Nutrition Facts
Lastly, for your reference, here is the specific ingredients and nutrition facts label of the Maruchan Okinawa Soba instant noodle.
