Hand-Stretched Somen

Hand-Stretched Somen

The meticulous taste of hand-stretched somen makes for a most welcome dish on the table in summer. We add salt water to flour, knead well, and carefully pull the dough to create individual somen noodles. Quickly pulling the dough thin will break it. We twist the dough and pull it only as far as it will go, then pull again after it has been fully aged. Ibonoito is carefully created through the repetition of the processes of nekashi (aging) and nobashi (pulling).

  • 1. Kneading process

    1. Kneading process

    We knead flour and salt water to create the somen noodle dough.
  • 2. Board cutting process 2. Board cutting process

  • 2. Board cutting process

    Board cutting ①

    The well-kneaded somen dough is aged and is then formed into a noodle belt with a width of about 10cm and a thickness of about 5cm. This is then rolled into a tub called a saitou.

    Board cutting ②

    Several of the noodle belts are combined and are passed through a roller to create one piece. This is then repeatedly combined with other pieces to create one large piece.
  1. Kneading process
  2. Board cutting process
  3. Twisting process: Oil applying operation
  4. Twisting process: Thinning operation
  5. Twisting process: Uniforming operation
  • 4. Twisting process: Thinning operation 5. Twisting process: Uniforming operation

  • 3. Twisting process: Oil applying operation

    We pass the noodle belt through a roller and, while twisting it, create a noodle string with a diameter of about 20mm.
    3. Twisting process: Oil applying operation

    4. Twisting process: Thinning operation

    While twisting the noodle string that has been aged for about 2 hours, we use a
    roller to stretch it to a thinness of about 12mm in diameter.

    5. Twisting process: Uniforming operation

    While further twisting the noodle string that has been aged for about 1 hour, we use a
    roller to stretch it to a thinness of about 6mm in diameter.
  • 3. Twisting process: Oil applying operation

    3. Twisting process: Oil applying operation

    We pass the noodle belt through a roller and, while twisting it, create a noodle string with a diameter of about 20mm.
  • 4. Twisting process: Thinning operation

    4. Twisting process: Thinning operation

    While twisting the noodle string that has been aged for about 2 hours, we use a
    roller to stretch it to a thinness of about 12mm in diameter.
  • 5. Twisting process: Uniforming operation

    5. Twisting process: Uniforming operation

    While further twisting the noodle string that has been aged for about 1 hour, we use a
    roller to stretch it to a thinness of about 6mm in diameter.

  • 6. Hanging and wrapping process

    We use hanging and wrapping machinery to hang the noodle strings, aged for about 4 hours, over two tubes in a figure-eight configuration while twisting. The noodles are then placed in a box called "omo."
  1. Hanging and wrapping process
  2. Pulling process
  3. Division process
  4. Frame drying process
  5. Cutting process
  6. Weighing, bundling, and boxing process
  7. Product inspection process
  8. Warehouse aging process

  • 6. Hanging and wrapping process

    We use hanging and wrapping machinery to hang the noodle strings, aged for about 4 hours, over two tubes in a figure-eight configuration while twisting. The noodles are then placed in a box called "omo."
  • 7. Pulling process 7. Pulling process

    7. Pulling process

    After about 3 hours, we remove the noodle strings from the omo and perform trial pulling to about 50 cm, taking into account the progress of aging and the following day's weather. We then adjust the tools to perform pulling efficiently. After finishing this task, the noodle strings are placed back in the omo and are slowly aged for about 15 hours until the following morning.
  • 8. Division process

    8. Division process

    We remove the aged noodle strings from the omo and pull them to a length of about 1.3m.

  • 9. Frame drying process

    We attach the divided noodle strings to the "loom," gradually stretch them to a length of about 2m, and insert "chopsticks" into the noodles to evenly separate them. We check the temperature and humidity of the drying room and the flow of air from the ceiling fan to perform even drying.
  • 10. Cutting process

    10. Cutting process

    We cut the somen noodles, now dried to a moisture content of about 12%, to a length of 19cm and perform visual checks of the cut section.
  • 11. Weighing, bundling, and boxing process

    11. Weighing, bundling, and boxing process

    The cut somen noodles are wrapped into 50g bundles using paper marked with the association member code. They pass through a metal detector and undergo a final visual quality check while being packed into a box.
  • 12. Product inspection process

    12. Product inspection process

    An inspection instructor performs a quality rating inspection.
  • 13. Warehouse aging process

    13. Warehouse aging process

    When the rating inspection has been completed, the Ibonoito noodles are stored in a special-purpose warehouse.
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