World-Class Chefs and Sommeliers Recognize the 'Authentic Taste'! 'Soba Delicious Down to the Soba Water: White & Black' Wins Double ITI Superior Taste Awards
Hakubaku Co., Ltd.'s dried noodles 'Soba Delicious Down to the Soba Water (White & Black)' won the ITI Superior Taste Award. The authentic quality, which pursues the taste of traditional soba restaurants, has been recognized internationally.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 2, 2026 at 09:03
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 06:45 (453h 42m after Collected)
Hakubaku Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo City, Yamanashi; President and CEO: Shigetoshi Nagasawa), a leading grain company advocating for "Staple Food Reform," announced that its "Sobayu made Oishii Soba Shiro" (Soba Delicious Down to the Soba Water White) and "Sobayu made Oishii Soba Kuro" (Black) have received the "Superior Taste Award" from the ITI (International Taste Institute, headquartered in Belgium), an organization that evaluates the taste of food and beverages worldwide and awards products with excellent quality and taste.
"Shiro" recorded a comprehensive score of 90.4%, earning the highest rank of "3 Stars," while "Kuro" earned "2 Stars," achieving a double award for the series. To commemorate this award, products in new packaging featuring the "Award Logo"—proof that it is recognized by global "food professionals"—will be rolled out sequentially from late March 2026. We will continue to deliver an "authentic soba experience recognized by the world" to households.
- About the Award-Winning Product "Soba Delicious Down to the Soba Water"
Taste the essence of a traditional soba restaurant.
A soba series that allows you to enjoy the "authentic feel" of a long-established soba shop at home, thanks to its no-added-salt formula and carefully selected blend.
- Commitment to Sobayu (Soba Water)
1. No salt used: You can safely and deliciously drink even the soba water.
2. Thickness: We visited more than 10 long-established soba shops in Tokyo to thoroughly research the soba water they serve. Based on that data, we achieved a thickness of soba water comparable to specialty shops.
3. Stone mill: To ensure delicious soba water, we adopted a stone mill that effectively elutes fine particles during milling.
- Commitment to the Noodles
1. Manufacturing method: An "in-house pure whole-stone milling method" that retains the aroma of soba. The particle size of the milled buckwheat flour is not uniform; the presence of variously sized particles results in a smooth and highly aromatic soba.
2. Water: The water, vital for noodle making, is from the "Shinshu Kiso Mt. Ontake foothills water system." To draw out the natural aroma and sweetness, we use soft water with low mineral content.
- The Skilled Techniques of "Kirishina," the Sky Soba Workshop at 1200m Altitude
The manufacturing of this series is handled by "Kirishina Co., Ltd.," a Hakubaku group company.
To make the best soba, we established our production base in Kaida Kogen, Shinshu, seeking the best environment.
The clear air of Kaida Kogen, the pure water of Mt. Ontake, the temperature difference between morning and evening, the cool fog that deepens the flavor—under all these environmental factors and the belief in "machine-making that surpasses hand-making," skilled eyes discern the raw materials. Through research, development, and technology that thoroughly pursue texture, we produce high-quality dried noodles.
"Shiro" recorded a comprehensive score of 90.4%, earning the highest rank of "3 Stars," while "Kuro" earned "2 Stars," achieving a double award for the series. To commemorate this award, products in new packaging featuring the "Award Logo"—proof that it is recognized by global "food professionals"—will be rolled out sequentially from late March 2026. We will continue to deliver an "authentic soba experience recognized by the world" to households.
- About the Award-Winning Product "Soba Delicious Down to the Soba Water"
Taste the essence of a traditional soba restaurant.
A soba series that allows you to enjoy the "authentic feel" of a long-established soba shop at home, thanks to its no-added-salt formula and carefully selected blend.
- Commitment to Sobayu (Soba Water)
1. No salt used: You can safely and deliciously drink even the soba water.
2. Thickness: We visited more than 10 long-established soba shops in Tokyo to thoroughly research the soba water they serve. Based on that data, we achieved a thickness of soba water comparable to specialty shops.
3. Stone mill: To ensure delicious soba water, we adopted a stone mill that effectively elutes fine particles during milling.
- Commitment to the Noodles
1. Manufacturing method: An "in-house pure whole-stone milling method" that retains the aroma of soba. The particle size of the milled buckwheat flour is not uniform; the presence of variously sized particles results in a smooth and highly aromatic soba.
2. Water: The water, vital for noodle making, is from the "Shinshu Kiso Mt. Ontake foothills water system." To draw out the natural aroma and sweetness, we use soft water with low mineral content.
- The Skilled Techniques of "Kirishina," the Sky Soba Workshop at 1200m Altitude
The manufacturing of this series is handled by "Kirishina Co., Ltd.," a Hakubaku group company.
To make the best soba, we established our production base in Kaida Kogen, Shinshu, seeking the best environment.
The clear air of Kaida Kogen, the pure water of Mt. Ontake, the temperature difference between morning and evening, the cool fog that deepens the flavor—under all these environmental factors and the belief in "machine-making that surpasses hand-making," skilled eyes discern the raw materials. Through research, development, and technology that thoroughly pursue texture, we produce high-quality dried noodles.