焼き: grilled
そば: noodles
Yakisoba 焼きそば is Japanese fried noodles. Okinawa yakisoba is a little different then regular mainland Japanese yakisoba, though. 「沖縄風」= Okinawa-style
Typically the thicker noodles are used (the same ones used for suba すば), and depending on the place it will be either salt style 「塩」 or sauce style 「ソース」. There is also a ketchup-based style ケチャップ (gross!!) which is luckily less common (I absolutely abhor ketchup).
Another difference is in the meats: usually spam スパム is a popular choice, although often it will be a mix of spam and the same kind of pork they use in regular Okinawan soba. I do not eat meats so I either give them to my husband or order without. It is commonly served with benishouga 紅生姜 (red pickled ginger), which I love. Sometimes they even have the benishouga on the table so I can add as much as I like.
It is definitely a junk food, and not so great for you, but with an ice cold Orion, it hits the spot! It is a popular choice with foreigners at the local shokudo 食堂 in Okinawa… after all what is not to like about fried noodles?
Mainland Japanese yakisoba is often topped with nori のり (dried seaweed flakes), mayonnaise マヨ, and/or katsuobushi 鰹節 (shaved bonito flakes) in addition to the pickled red ginger… but this is much less common in Okinawa-styles.
Photos of both sauce- and salt- yakisoba.
This is my favorite food from Okinawa and we still make it. We lived on Okinawa for three years in the 1980’s. When we lived there we visited a soba factory, very small and I think family run, just a little way south of Nago, on the road to the waterfalls who’s name I don’t remember. Your blog is very interesting.
Thank you– mostly this is just a collection of random things I learn, especially about food. Yakisoba is great, and especially using fresh Okinawa soba noodles makes it fantastic.
I also lived on Okinawa for (two) years in the 1980’s. I loved yakisoba so much. I’ve been trying to recreate it since then with no luck.