🍜 Izumo Soba
Izumo soba is representative of the Izumo region. Along with "wanko soba" in Iwate Prefecture and "Togakushi soba" in Nagano Prefecture, it is one of the three most famous soba in Japan. It is said that soba spread to the Izumo region in the early Edo period when Naomasa Matsudaira, the first lord of the Matsudaira family of the Matsue domain, brought soba chefs with him when he moved from the Matsumoto domain in Shinshu. Izumo soba has a darker color than most soba. When buckwheat flour is milled, it is generally classified into three types of flour, from the first to the third. For example, soba made from the first buckwheat flour, which is ground from the center of the buckwheat seed, is called Sarashina soba, while soba made from the third buckwheat flour, which is ground from the part closer to the outer shell, is darker in color and is called Yabusoba or Inaka soba. Izumo soba is made using a milling method called "Hikigurumi," in which the buckwheat (the buckwheat with the hull attached) is ground directly into buckwheat flour without sorting. This process is said to produce soba with high nutritional value and aroma, as well as a good flavor and texture. Another feature of soba is that only about 20% of the flour is used to bind the buckwheat.