History of Ibonoito Somen
Nurtured by the gentle climate of Banshu and the limpid streams of the River Ibo over the course of five centuries
Made from the finest-quality flour, crystal-clear water from the River Ibo in the Harima area, and salt from Ako, Ibonoito tenobe (hand-stretched) Somen thin noodles are painstakingly manufactured by the most skilled culinary artists after being ripened several times through a traditional manufacturing process.
A part of people’s diet since 600 years ago
The link between Banshu and Somen dates back some 600 years.
In a diary of the Ikaruga Temple, Ibo-gun, Hyogo, dated September 15, 1418, a reference to “saumen” can be found. This is the oldest reference of Somen in the historical materials handed down in the Banshu area, evidence that people were eating Somen here at least 600 years ago.
Quality control: Background
Pledge from the group of Somen manufacturers in the Edo period
As an ever greater number of farming families began to manufacture Somen, thereby increasing production, some damaged the reputation of the area by mass-producing Somen of inferior quality. In response, Somen manufacturers in the area gathered together to draw up an agreement concerning quality (See photo), which demanded that violators pay damages for any breach of contract, showing a policy of tight quality management.