Wanko Soba
わんこそばNoodle
Wanko soba is Iwate's soba served a mouthful at a time, tossed into your bowl by a server until you cover it with the lid. It suits anyone who wants a meal that doubles as a game, and the trade-off is that it can turn into an eating contest if you let the pace run away.
The name
wanko
椀子Wanko is the Iwate word for a small bowl, from wan, a bowl, and the diminutive ko. Another reading traces it to warigo soba, soba served in lacquered boxes.
japanese
The encyclopedia gives both readings and notes that the -ko ending appears across Tohoku.
Where to eat Wanko Soba · 1 place
- Hanamaki
Where the eating contests began and where the national championship is held.
The Nipponica encyclopedia traces wanko soba to the old Iwate custom of soba-burumai, treating guests to soba, which began with soba served in shallow lidded bowls. Another account credits Nanbu Toshinao, the Edo-period lord, who stopped at Hanamaki Castle and kept asking for more bowls. The dish grew famous through eating contests that a Hanamaki soba business started, and today Morioka serves more of it than Hanamaki does.
At Azumaya in Morioka, a server stands by your table and drops a mouthful of kake soba into your bowl each time you empty it, calling out as she goes, and fifteen bowls make roughly one ordinary bowl. Condiments such as tuna sashimi, grated daikon and minced chicken change the taste between rounds. Azumaya's own records are 500 bowls for men and 753 for women, and one old Morioka shop puts the average at 30 to 40 for women and 50 to 60 for men.
The New York Times named Morioka second on its 52 places to go in 2023 and put wanko soba in front of a world audience. Hanamaki holds the All-Japan Wanko Soba Championship every year.
Worth knowing
- Eat at your own pace. Azumaya says there is no rule that you must eat fast, and talking with your server is part of the meal.
Quick answers about Wanko Sobaよくある質問
How many bowls of wanko soba make a normal serving?
Azumaya in Morioka says fifteen wanko bowls make about one ordinary bowl of kake soba.
How do you stop eating wanko soba?
Put the lid on your bowl while it is empty and the server can see it. If any soba is left inside, the server keeps going.
How do you order Wanko Soba?
Order wanko soba and put on the apron. Hold your bowl up so the server can drop in each mouthful, and close the lid on an empty bowl when you have had enough.
When is Wanko Soba in season?
Wanko Soba: All year.
Where can you eat Wanko Soba in Japan?
Places we list for Wanko Soba include Azumaya Honten.