The comparative tasting was held on November 14 as part of the 2024 Resort Technology Expo in Okinawa. (Image provided by Jeju Provincial Office) JEJU, Nov. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – In a testament to shared culinary heritage across East Asian waters, a unique food tasting event comparing Jeju Island’s “gogi-guksu” and Okinawa’s “soki soba” drew enthusiastic crowds at a cultural exchange program in Okinawa.
The comparative tasting was held on November 14 as part of the 2024 Resort Technology Expo in Okinawa, showcasing Jeju’s performing arts and food culture, according to Jeju provincial officials. The noodle comparison emerged as the event’s highlight, with Okinawan residents forming lines extending over 50 meters to sample both dishes. Despite their geographical separation, the two noodle dishes share remarkable similarities.
Savoury Jeju meat noodles flavoured with pork (‘gogi-guksu’ in Jeju Island) have been a part of life on Jeju Island for generations. (Image courtesy of Jeju Local Food Preservation Institute) Soki soba features wheat noodles in pork bone broth topped with pork meat, distinguishing it from traditional Japanese soba made with buckwheat. The dish bears a striking resemblance to Jeju’s gogi-guksu, a pork-based noodle soup.
“Soki,” as explained by local sources, refers to a braised pork rib dish in Okinawa, specifically using tender meat or boneless ribs with cartilage still attached. “The cooking methods and broths are so similar t.
