”Home of the Gods” Featuring Shimane Prefecture’s Antenna Shop～Experience Japan with these 3 Products～
Do you know why Shimane Prefecture is known as the “Home of the Gods”?
That’s because, in Shimane Prefecture, there are many shrines that worship the gods. And Izumo Taisha, one of the most ancient Shinto shrines, is the center of that.
This time, I will introduce you to 3 products that I found in Shimane Prefecture’s “Home of the Gods” antenna shop!
Strong Aroma “Izumo Soba” and “Soba Tsuyu”
First, I will introduce “Izumo Soba” and “Soba Tsuyu.”
Izumo soba is said to be one of the three major soba noodles in Japan. It is characterized by having dark, black color, and a strong smell.
The Izumo soba I bought this time is the 5th Generation Hondaya Shigeru Soba.
What is special about this soba is that they use buckwheat soba flour and wheat flour made in Japan. It was won the “Superior Taste Award,” which is a close equivalent to having 2 stars in an international evaluation like Michelin!
After boiling the noodles, I could smell the strong scent of buckwheat.
The photo on the left is soba noodles after being drained and cooled.
I put the soba tsuyu (soup base for dipping the noodles) I purchased into a separate dish, dipped my noodles, and tasted it.
The tsuyu has a rich soy sauce scent and is very refreshing. Contrary to the smell, the tsuyu tasted just right.
You can get the perfect amount of tsuyu on the soba noodles and it tastes delicious.
If you try the soba noodles without dipping it, you will be able to experience its strong aroma.
1 pack of the Izumo Soba (2 servings) is 324 yen (tax included) and the Soba Tsuyu is 108 yen (tax included).
The Flavorful “Edible Shijimi Clam Miso Soup”
Next, I will introduce the “Edible Shijimi Clam Miso Soup.”
These shijimi clams are from a lake called Shinjiko in Shimane Prefecture. They have been thoroughly cleaned and have been cared so that they “do not smell fishy,” selected only “plump clams,” and made sure that the “umami (savory) components can be tasted” in the clams.
Place the shijimi clams onto a bowl and pour hot water on them. The clamshells will start to open when you start stirring.
Once they have all opened, add the miso, and stir more. Adjust the amount of miso to your liking.
As you stir, the inside of the clam will fall out and become easy to eat.
The clams may seem small, but they are chewy and delicious!
The slight bitterness from the shijimi clams can be tasted in the soup and adds depth to the overall flavor.
The Edible Shijimi Clam Miso Soup is 216 yen (tax included).
Yuru-kyara “Shimanekko” Postcard
The last one is a bonus. There is a yuru-kyara (mascot character) in Shimane Prefecture.
Shimanekko is illustrated on traditional Japanese paper called Sekishu-washi.
Why not buy one as a souvenir?
And those were the 3 products from Shimane Prefecture’s antenna shop!
Please stop by Shimane Prefecture’s antenna shop when you visit Japan!
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Written by yui