# Saba somen (Mackerel somen) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Saba somen (Mackerel somen)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
The Kohoku region

## Main Ingredients Used
Grilled mackerel, somen noodles, green onions, etc.

## History, Origin, and Related Events
“Mackerel somen” is a local dish eaten throughout the prefecture, mainly in the Kohoku region of Shiga Prefecture, where grilled mackerel is simmered and mixed with somen noodles.Since ancient times, there have been many routes to transport goods such as seafood from Wakasa, a “Mitsukekuni,” to Kyoto. It is called the “Mackerel Road” because mackerel was the representative commodity. The route that passes through the Kosai region from the Obama region through the Kuchiki region is well known, but there was also a route to the Kohoku region from the Tsuruga region. For this reason, mackerel was often available in the Kohoku and Kosai regions of Shiga Prefecture. Among these, in the Kohoku region, there is a custom called a “May visit”' in which, in the spring, to show concern for daughters who have married farmers, grilled mackerel, a nutritious preserved food, is presented to the family which their daughter married into during the busy rice planting season. The grilled mackerel that was received was distributed to friends and relatives in the neighborhood. It was valued as an easy dish to prepare during the busy farming season. Mackerel received on rice planting visits is sometimes lightly grilled as is and eaten with vinegar and soy sauce.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
“Mackerel somen” is served as a delicacy at “the Hikiyama Festival”, which is held as a festival at Nagahama Hachiman Shrine every April, and is eaten on special occasions. It is also eaten as a gift during a “May visit” during the busy spring farming season.

## How to Eat
Put the seasoning stock and seasonings in a pot, bring to a boil, add the grilled mackerel, and simmer until the broth is reduced by about half. The key is to pour the broth over the mackerel when simmering. Once boiled, place the mackerel on a plate and strain the broth to avoid getting any bones in it. Lightly heat the green onions in the broth and place on the plate. Add seasonings to the broth, bring to a boil, then add the somen noodles that have been boiled until firm and season. Arrange the somen noodles around the mackerel and pour the broth over it.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Today, it is still made at home and passed down from parent to child. It can be easily purchased at supermarkets and sales outlets and is also served at restaurants. It is popular among the younger generation as well.

## Ingredients
- Grilled mackerel: 1
- Somen: 4 bundles
- Water: 2L (hot water for the somen)
- Green onions: 5
- [Dashi for seasoning] Dashi soup: 1000ml
- [Dashi for seasoning] Sugar: 25g
- [Dashi for seasoning] Soy sauce: 100ml
- [Dashi for seasoning] Sake: 50ml
- [Dashi for seasoning] Mirin: 20ml
- [Mackerel broth for seasoning the somen] Water: 400ml
- [Mackerel broth for seasoning the somen] Sugar: 20g
- [Mackerel broth for seasoning the somen] Sake: 30ml
- [Mackerel broth for seasoning the somen] Mirin: 20ml
- [Mackerel broth for seasoning the somen] Bamboo skin: 1

## Recipe
1. 1. Boil 2L of water in a pot and boil the somen noodles until firm. Once boiled, cool and remove the slime under running water, then drain in a colander.
2. 2. Add the seasoning stock and seasonings to a pot and bring to a boil.
3. 3. Remove the skewer from the grilled mackerel and put it in a pot to simmer. Occasionally, pour the broth over the mackerel. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the broth is reduced by half. Be careful not to let it boil over.
4. 4. Remove the mackerel from the pot and place it in the center of a plate. Strain the broth from the pot to make sure there are no bones in it.
5. 5. Cut the green onions diagonally into 5cm pieces, heat them briefly in the broth from 3, and arrange them around the mackerel on the plate from 4.
6. 6. Add water, sugar, sake, and mirin to the broth from 3, bring to a boil, then add the somen noodles from 1 and season.
7. 7. rrange the somen noodles around the mackerel from 3. When dividing the mackerel into small pieces, divide the mackerel into five equal parts, place each one in a medium-sized bowl, add the somen noodles and broth around the mackerel, and serve with the green onions.

## Provider Information
provider : Shiga Food Culture Research Group

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