Handa somen

“Handa somen,” a local specialty that symbolizes Handa's excellent climate

About Handa somen

Handa, a town rich in nature, located in western Tokushima prefecture. Although it is a small town, there are many somen manufacturing plants, and it is known as a production area for Handa somen.
Handa somen has a long history, and it actually boasts a 200-year tradition.
There are various theories about the history of Handa somen, but according to the “Handa Town Journal,” it is said that it began in the Tenpo era when the boatmen of Hirata boats that operated from Onohama Port to Muya at the time made them do it for self-sufficiency or as a side job for their families. It is said that the noodle making method was brought from present-day Miwa-cho, Shiki-gun, Nara Prefecture to the land of Handa via Awaji and Naruto.
It is a superb item that boasts the highest quality even when viewed nationwide, and its unique flavor is unforgettable once you eat it. The characteristic of Handa somen is that it is slightly thick and chewy, as the Handa Somen ondo sings, “The strength of the texture makes the throat sound.”
Unlike general somen, Handa somen is characterized by “thick noodles.” According to the Japan Agricultural and Forestry Standard (JAS), which classifies noodles by thickness, handa-hand-stretched somen is classified as “hiyamugi,” but in the case of handa-hand-stretched somen, the regionality of tradition and noodle culture that has continued since the Edo period is recognized, and it can be specially expressed as “somen.”
Handa somen has a reputation for its thickness, flavor, and strength of texture.