Awajishima Hand-Stretched Somen

Stretched by hand, dried in the sun

Makers in Minamiawaji, on Awaji Island in Hyogo, stretch the dough by hand into very fine strands, then hang them outside to dry. Rows of white noodles drying in the winter sun, a scene called the art of white threads, have been part of island life since the Edo era.

Made only in winter

Noodles are made in the cold months, when Awaji stays fairly mild. The Yuzuruha mountains block the winter wind, and there is little rain or snow, so the air is dry. Makers keep their own mix of ingredients, resting times, a final stretch called kadoboshi and a fixed season, all passed down since the Edo era.

How to eat it

Cold somen dipped in a light soy-based sauce is the summer classic. The noodles are thin and smooth with a firm bite, and somen specialists and long-established inns seek them out.