is a traditional local dish from the

Amami Islands The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is a Japanese archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is sout ...

Kagoshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...

, located in

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. It is commonly eaten as a home-cooked meal, a casual dish at diners, an item on

izakaya An () is a type of informal Japanese Bar (establishment), bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern. Etymology The word e ...

menus, or as a light snack in place of sweets. The dish is made by mixing boiled sōmen noodles with a sauce containing oil, which prevents the noodles from sticking together, giving it a distinctive texture.

Overview

Abura-zōmen is a regional dish from

, made by stir-frying pork, vegetables, and sōmen noodles (そうめん). While it is similar to Okinawa's '' sōmen chanpuru'' (そうめんチャンプルー), a distinctive feature of ''Abura-zōmen'' in the Amami region is the addition of dashi broth during the stir-frying process. The emulsion of the stir-frying oil and the broth coats the noodles, giving them a smooth and pleasant texture. Although wheat was not traditionally cultivated and sōmen production was not local to the Amami region, there are several theories as to why sōmen became widely established there. One theory suggests that sōmen was introduced from

Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a ...

during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, and because dried noodles could be preserved for long periods, they became a common food in

Amami The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is a Japanese archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is sout ...

. However, the exact origin remains uncertain. Due to its simplicity, ''Abura-zōmen'' is still widely prepared in ordinary households in the region today. Many restaurants specializing in regional cuisine proudly serve ''Abura-zōmen'', reinforcing its deep cultural roots. It has become a popular dish not only among locals but also among travelers from outside the prefecture. During celebrations, rice planting and harvesting, and other occasions where large groups of people gathered, Abura-zōmen was commonly prepared. It is considered an essential dish, particularly during the '' Hachigatsu Odori'' (八月踊) festival held in certain regions of

. '' Hachigatsu Odori'' involves singing and dancing to dozens of different songs unique to each village, expressing gratitude to the gods and praying for a good harvest. Since many people gather for the festival, it is customary to serve ''Abura-zōmen'' in large platters for everyone to share.

Preparation

Ingredients:

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

sōmen , ''somyeon'' (), or ''sùmiàn'' () is a very thin noodle made of wheat flour, less than 1.3 mm in diameter. The noodles are used extensively in East Asian cuisines. Japanese ''sōmen'' is made by stretching the dough with vegetable oil, ...

(そうめん),

garlic chives ''Allium tuberosum'' (garlic chives, Oriental garlic, Asian chives, Chinese chives, Chinese leek) is a species of plant native to the Chinese province of Shanxi, and cultivated and naturalized elsewhere in Asia and around the world. It has a numb ...

(ニラ), dried anchovies (いりこ), dashi broth (だし汁) First, thinly sliced pork is stir-fried in oil. Then, dried anchovies and boiled sōmen are added, and dashi broth is poured over the mixture. Once the oil and dashi emulsify, garlic chives are added, and the flavor is adjusted with soy sauce and other seasonings. It is ideal to leave a small amount of broth remaining in the dish. The type and amount of dashi broth can vary depending on the region, household, or restaurant. In some cases, chicken broth similar to that used in ''keihan'' (鶏飯) is employed, while others use broth made from silver-stripe round herring (''kibinago'', キビナゴ). Additionally, some versions are made with less broth for a drier finish, whereas others are served with more broth, resembling ''nyūmen'' (にゅうめん). In terms of ingredients, besides garlic chives, various locally available vegetables may also be included.

References

{{reflist Amami culture Japanese noodle dishes