OKINAWA RAMEN, Part 1 - RAMEN JAPAN

Ramen Japan. This time we head to the southern islands of Okinawa, not for ramen, but for Okinawa soba. It uses noodles not so different from ramen, but has a style all its own. Over the next two episodes we reveal the secrets behind the distinctively delicious Okinawa soba. In the south of Japan, the subtropical islands of Okinawa. A seaside resort paradise. From the mid-15th century, for some 450 years, it was known as Ryukyu, a country all its own. And it developed a distinctive food culture. As well as fish from the southern oceans, its cuisine is also known for its use of pork. One of the best-known and loved local dishes is Okinawa soba. Okinawa's largest city, Naha. Once a castle town in the days of the Ryukyu dynasty, it's long been a thriving urban center. It's also believed to be the birthplace of Okinawa soba. At this local shop that still makes it the old-fashioned way, they'll show us how it's done. As soon as an order comes in, the noodles go into boiling water, but after just one second, they're right back out again. Then soup is added. And finally, the toppings. And that's it. In fact, the noodles are pre-boiled, so before serving, all that's required is a quick dip in boiling water. The soup is also pre-seasoned. Toppings include slow-simmered boneless pork ribs, Kamaboko fish cakes, local island green onions and ginger. This is the Okinawa soba known and loved for generations. And for a dash of spice, there's Koregusu. Chili peppers pickled in Aomori, a local rice spirit. It's a classic Okinawan seasoning. It's also quite hot, so don't add too much. The way the noodles are made is just like the method used for classic Chinese-style ramen noodles. The process begins each morning. The main ingredient, wheat flour, is blended with an alkaline water solution. This alkaline solution is said to give the noodles their distinctive firmness and yellow color. The same method is also used here at the Sapporo Ramen Noodle Factory. In fact, the Japanese national standard for noodles, like ramen, defines them as a blend of wheat flour and alkaline water. So in that sense, Okinawa soba is in the same category. After blending the wheat flour and alkaline solution, Nakada kneads the dough with his feet. Further rolling out the dough with a pole creates a firm texture. Once cut, the noodles are then immediately boiled. And after they come out of the boiling water, they're coated in cooking oil. We coat the noodles with cooking oil so that they don't stick to each other. Immediately placed on the fans to cool, the noodles are now done. This method of noodle making was inherited from a long-running shop, now no longer in business. This was the original shop. Valuable footage from the time still remains. Noodles made by hand by owner Shinzato Tsuru every morning were the key to its popularity. When he heard the shop was closing, Nakada went there to learn how to make the noodles. Just a year after Shinzato closed her shop for good, Nakada became her successor. Okinawa's first ever ramen-style noodle shop opened in 1902. This newspaper ad from the time says they invited a chef from China. Based on records, this is a recreation of that first bowl of noodles. It started with a dark shoyu soy sauce base. But later, in the 1920s, a light shio salt-based soup appeared, which then became the norm. The Second World War, the site of fierce battle, Okinawa was reduced to ashes. 1945, war's end. Okinawa comes under American rule. It was women like this who helped Okinawa soba become a local favorite. Then, in 1972... Okinawa is restored to Japanese rule and must now follow Japanese regulations. Four years later, the Okinawa Noodle Maker Cooperative received a complaint from the Japan Fair Trade Commission in Tokyo. Calling Okinawa soba, soba, was not allowed. Soba was reserved to describe the classic Japanese noodles made with buckwheat flour. But the chair of the cooperative at the time, Dohi Keiichi, raised an objection. Okinawa's food culture mustn't be changed. Two years of negotiations followed. The date of official recognition, October 17th, was named Okinawa Soba Day by the cooperative. Every year, the day is celebrated by serving Okinawa soba for lunch in schools all over Okinawa. Heading north on Okinawa's main island, into the town of Motobu. Long home to a thriving fishing industry, Bonito is a major part of their catch. So much so that locals refer to it as Bonito Town. An Okinawa soba shop founded in 1905, surviving the flames of war, it still remains today. The oldest known Okinawa soba recipe, it's gone unchanged for 120 years. The fourth generation owner, Nakahodo Hiroki, preserves the original taste. To the pork bone soup, they add plenty of dried bonito. Okinawa soba's roots lie in the way the noodles are made. The noodles are pre-boiled on a traditional stove. They are cooked all in one go, over the wood fire's intense heat. Ash left over from the fire is mixed with water. The dough is made by blending this wood ash, alkaline water, with wheat flour. The noodles are then boiled, coated in oil, and cooled. That's the cycle. This is the original Okinawa soba. The shop was founded by Nakahodo's great-grandmother. All of our ancestors were from the Kume area of Naha. They came to Okinawa as refugees from China, and settled here. Naha's Kume area is where the shop's founder learned to make noodles. So he was taught by the second generation owner, Sakugawa Kana, his grandmother. Here, a massive pile of firewood is stacked in front of the shop. His grandmother's teachings have passed down to the present day. Okinawa soba, loved by Okinawans for over 100 years. Full to the brim with the wisdom and ingenuity of their island home. But that's just the beginning. Join us for part 2 of Okinawa Soba.