| Soba buckwheat, which grows in cold weather and is not influenced by soil quality, has been long known to the people of Nagano City as a good crop to plant even in mountainous areas. There are soba growing areas all around Nagano City: Togakushi, Kinasa, and Oooka Chiku. Among these, the soba noodles made of the soba buckwheat produced in Togakushi is so good that it has been named as one of the best three kinds of soba in Japan. This is because Togakushi is not only a soba producing village, but also attracts many soba noodle chefs who are enthusiastic about food culture. Along the streets of Togakushi, you can easily find many soba noodle shops which proudly serve freshly-made soba noodles. Beyond Togakushi, there are many soba shops in Nagano City, where you can explore the unique and exclusive flavors and tastes of soba dishes. |
