🍜 Hiyashi-somen (cold somen noodle)

Cold somen noodles have long been eaten in Saga Prefecture. Kanzaki Somen, a specialty of Kanzaki City located in the eastern part of the prefecture, is famous as one of the leading Somen brands in Kyushu. It is characterized by the umami and rich aroma of wheat, its crispy and strong texture, and its smooth and slippery texture. You can fully enjoy its charm by tightening it with ice water. In winter, it is enjoyed as Nyumen, as it does not fall apart while boiling. It is said that the Somen production began about 380 years ago when a monk from Shodoshima, who was traveling around the country, fell ill in Kanzaki and taught a local peddler how to make hand-pulled Somen noodles, who took good care of him. The production of Somen spread in Kanzaki partly because the land was suitable for wheat cultivation such as Saga's warm climate and high-quality water source. In the early days, it was often handmade as a side job for farmers during the winter. Later, people began to use water wheels to grind wheat, taking advantage of the abundant water supply, and there used to be more than 300 noodle makers in the area. Kanzaki is also the birthplace of machine-made Somen, having developed a roll-type noodle-making machine and being one of the first to introduce machine-made noodle production.