Gomoku Soba-meshi is a variety of soba-meshi that mixes many vegetables and oil for a shinier appearance. It is a Soba-meshi that uses Rose sauce with Gomoku sauce (shoyu, sake, sugar, oyster sauce, pepper). It may also be described as "Chinese left overs Soba-meshi" or "Motomachi Soba-meshi".
The word "Gomoku" means a mixture of ingredients. It is said that the dish had originated from Gomoku Yakisoba, which was made to feed a family with stir fry. There are some great restaurants that serve Gomoku Yakisoba in Motomachi district near Nankinmachi or near bye the area away from all the tourists. Gomoku Yakisoba is a favorite way of eating noodles, because of its classic taste. So many would go on to make it at home who knew of the techniques needed to make the dish. Those who wanted to save up would use the left overs any way they could. Talking to everyday people has its benefits as one story told by a Japanese-Chinese boy explained why his family eats Gomoku Soba-meshi. The story from the boy explains that Gomoku Yakisoba was made out of a means of savings and when there was left overs it would be made into Soba-meshi. It was a dish that allows residents to not have any waste, and without wasting noodles. He stated that his father said getting by can be difficult and getting a job can be difficult too, but the family would not be going back to China. He said that he believed they were probably very self aware of what they fed the family for dinner for the sake of survival. The dish uses left over gomoku yakisoba that has been separated from the sauce and chopped up. It is moist, however it is cooked with sesame seed oil on one side for some crispy texture. A mixture of rice is put in with rose sauce and gomoku sauce. The food is tossed together to make soba-meshi. The typical gomoku sobameshi has carrots, shiitake, cabbage, bamboo shoots, and sometimes squid. While the dish seems to use left overs you can sort of feel the need to use what is from a previous meal. It isn't the most glamorous dish or story that I heard about food from talking to locals. But it does show how a family can struggle to put food on the table and make use of what flavors and ingredients are affordable versus a dish that is made out of luxury and have a professional chef select the best way to serve up a dish at a Kobe Beef restaurant. Its just a quick and dirty dish, but thats the story this Soba-meshi had to tell. Since i don't have a picture of this dish I will have to eventually make it myself and take a photo. But until then I will be talking to others and hearing their family recipes and areas they come from to understand the food of their families. I wonder how many Soba-meshis are out there? maybe once i can get links to the places in Shin Nagata it will be easier to know.
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