Okinawa Soba

Okinawa soba contains no buckwheat at all - the noodles are wheat, thick, slightly flat and chewy, closer to udon - and that caused a genuine problem in 1976 when the national fair trade authorities objected to the name on the mainland's soba standards. The Okinawa noodle association argued the case on the grounds of long local usage and in 1978 won an exemption, which is now marked locally as Okinawa Soba Day on 17 October. The broth is pork bones and katsuobushi, clear and light rather than heavy. On top go soki, pork spare ribs stewed until they fall off the bone, or rafute, braised belly, plus kamaboko fish cake, spring onion and a scatter of red pickled ginger, with a bottle of koregusu - chilli steeped in awamori - on the table to add heat. Regional variants differ: Yaeyama soba uses round thin noodles, Miyako soba hides the meat under the noodles.

Highlights

• No buckwheat - thick chewy wheat noodles, closer to udon than to soba.
• A won argument - an exemption granted in 1978 to keep the name.
• Pork on top - soki ribs or braised rafute belly, with fish cake and ginger.
• Koregusu - chilli steeped in awamori, added at the table for heat.

When to go

All year. An hour. Many shops close in the early afternoon when the broth runs out.

What to expect

Shops often sell out and close by mid-afternoon. The broth is light and visitors expecting ramen richness are sometimes disappointed. Regional variants differ enough to confuse. Koregusu is strong - add a little.

Nearby

Naha's Makishi market area has several long-standing shops.