Soba (Buckwheat noodles)

Soba

Buckwheat noodles

蕎麦、そば

 

[Zaru-soba]

Before talking about the dish, we fist have to look at the plant called "soba," a herbaceous plant (Fagopyrum esculentum) cultivated for its pyramidal seeds. Buckwheat takes only three months to grow and can be cultivated in mountainous areas on poor soil - but it is also very nutritious, being rich in protein, rutin, thiamine, lysine, and vitamins C and E. First the tough husk is removed (soba-kawa, in the past this made an interesting filling for "healthy" pillows), after which the seeds are ground into flour. Alternatively, the seeds van also be parboiled and mixed with rice (a way of eating rice of the common people in the far past, when white rice was the prerogative of the upper classes), or used for making shochu, beer or vodka.

When making soba noodles, often some wheat flour is added, because noodles made from only soba do not stretch easily and may break. The amount of wheat used is often indicated: ju-wari soba is 100% soba, so without any wheat; hachi-wari soba is 80% soba, so with 20% wheat, etc. Usually, less expensive types of soba contain more wheat. The expensive types with (almost) only soba are more for connoisseurs and demand more care in their preparation.

Soba noodles were originally sold by confectionery shops and Owari-ya (still going strong in Kyoto) was founded as such a shop in 1465. But the popularity of eating soba originates in the Edo period, when every neighborhood in the city had one or more soba-ya, which functioned much as today's izakaya, i.e. they always served sake with the soba. Also today soba-ya still serve sake. In the Edo period, soba was also sold from carts or movable stands.

Soba is more difficult to make than udon, so soba shops usually are a little bit more upscale in a traditional way. Although soba is more popular in Tokyo and udon in Western Japan, you can find both restaurants all over the country. But note that, while most soba shops sell udon as well, udon shops never sell soba! Another difference is that soba can be eaten very well cold; in the case of udon this is much less common.

Cold soba is immensely popular during the hot weather, but also in all seasons as a dish at the end of a banquet or drinking party. Soba helps the liver in dealing with alcohol and also lowers the blood pressure.

The word "te-uchi" or "hand-rolled" is often used as advertisement by soba restaurants, but this term has been misused so much that it has lost all meaning. Everything seems to be "hand-rolled" nowadays. The same is true for "honke,""original house," which indicates the pedigree of a shop.

Whether called "zaru," "mori" or "seiro," cold soba is the simplest and therefore also the most difficult soba dish: the soba must wholly stand on its own merits. For soba lovers it is also the most delicious way to eat soba: not hindered by other ingredients, you can fully savor the delicate sweetness of buckwheat noodles.

By the way, the reason soba is served in bamboo baskets, goes back to a three hundred year old custom. Since buckwheat noodles break easily (especially when made from 100% buckwheat), they were steamed, transported  and served in the same receptacle.

Soba is traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve, a tradition that survives to this day and is called toshikoshi soba. You'll see soba sets stacked up in supermarkets for this towards the end of the year.

Cold soba dishes

Chilled soba is served on a sieve-like bamboo tray called a zaru, sometimes garnished with bits of dried nori seaweed, with a dipping sauce known as soba tsuyu on the side. The tsuyu is made of a strong mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce (also called "satojoyu") and mirin. Using chopsticks, the diner picks up a small amount of soba from the tray and dips it in the cold tsuyu before eating it. Wasabi and scallions are often mixed into the tsuyu. Many people think that the best way to experience the unique texture of hand-made soba noodles is to eat them cold, since letting them soak in hot broth changes their consistency. After the noodles are eaten, many people enjoy drinking the (still warm) water in which the noodles were cooked (sobayu), mixed with the leftover tsuyu.

• Mori. Basic chilled soba noodles served on a flat basket or a plate.
• Zaru: Mori soba topped with shredded nori seaweed.
• Tenzaru: a variety of tempura is served on a separate plate (the most delicious way of eating zaru-soba, as the fresh tempura combines very well with the cold noodles).
  

 

[Tororo-soba]

Hot soba dishes

• Kake. Hot soba in broth topped with thinly sliced scallion, and perhaps a slice of kamaboko (fish cake).
• Kitsune. Topped with aburaage (deep-fried tofu).
• Tanuki (in Kantō) or Haikara (in Kansai): Topped with tenkasu (bits of deep-fried tempura batter).
• Tempura. Topped with tempura, a large shrimp frequently is used, but vegetables are also popular or kakiage (the problem is that the tempura sucks up the soup and so becomes sodden - it is a good idea to eat the tempura while still crispy).
• Tsukimi ("moon-viewing soba"): Topped with raw egg, which poaches in the hot soup.
• Tororo or yamakake. Topped with tororo, the puree of yamaimo.
• Wakame. Topped with wakame seaweed
• Sansai ("mountain vegetables soba"). Topped with sansai, or wild vegetables such as warabi, zenmai and takenoko (bamboo shoots).
• Kamonanban. Topped with duck meat and negi.
• Curry nanban. Hot soba in curry flavored broth topped with chicken/pork and thinly sliced scallion.
• Nishin soba. Topped with migaki nishin (very popular in Kyoto).

Other uses of soba

• Soba-cha, tea made from roasted buckwheat kernels, which can be served both hot and cold. It is often served in soba restaurants to accompany the meal, but is a refreshing drink at other times as well.

Note that yakisoba (despite the name) is not made from soba or buckwheat noodles, but from a type of ramen noodles.

Japanese Food Dictionary