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Writer's pictureSORA Japanese School

Shimabara So-Men

Japan's popular cold noodle dish - So-Men

Title card that says Shimabara So-Men

One of the best foods to eat during the hot summer in Japan is cold so-men noodles.


Japan’s five major so-men production: Miwa Somen in Nara Prefecture, Hanshu Somen in Hyogo Prefecture, Shodoshima Somen in Kagawa Prefecture, Handa Somen in Tokushima Prefecture, and Shimabara Hand-pulled Somen in Nagasaki Prefecture.



Wide banner image of cooked Shimabara So-Men noodles in a serving basket

What we are introducing today is Shimabara hand-pulled so-men. It is produced in Minami-Shimabara City, located in the southern part of the Shimabara Peninsula in Nagasaki Prefecture. It is a specialty product that boasts the second largest production volume in Japan.


The characteristic of Shimabara hand-pulled so-men is its firmness. It is characterized by the fact that it does not fall apart when stewed in a pot.



Two basket trays with 6 servings of Shimabara So-Men each

So-men are made from flour, salt, water, and cottonseed oil.


Using traditional techniques, a 10-centimeter-long piece of so-men is stretched to about 30-40 centimeters, and eventually thinned to about 2 meters to make so-men.


So-men is often served with cold dipping soup and yakumi (condiments ). Please give it a try during the hot summer season!



Image of someone catching Shimabara So-Men on a bamboo water slide called Nagashi So-Men

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