Soba （蕎麦）―　Japan’s most loved food

Soba（蕎麦） is the most known Japanese food which differs from its cousins which look similar. Soba（蕎麦）　noodles are made from the buckwheat flour【蕎麦の実】。

As per the Japan Federation of Drynoodle Manufacturers Associations (全国製麺協同組合連合会?ぜんこくせいめんきょうどうくみあいれんごうかい),　the noodles made of a mixture of the Buckwheat flour and Wheat flour in the ratio of more than 70% is to 30% is called the Soba Noodles（蕎麦）.

Soba（蕎麦） is brownish in colour with coarse texture. Soba（蕎麦） noodles may be served chilled or as a hot noodle. It should be distinguished from Soumen.

?Soba（蕎麦） which was variously called as Nihon Soba, wa -soba or Yamato-Soba is presently called as Soba-kiri（蕎麦切り） with its popular short form as Soba. These names where to differentiate these noodles from its other cousins like ramen, soumen and udon which were made of wheat flour.

Soba dishes are eaten throughout the year but the most interesting of them are the ones eaten during the New Year called the toshikoshi Soba（年越し蕎麦）, made with the buckwheat or Soba Noodles（蕎麦） in dashi (bonito stock), mirin and soy sauce soup. It represents longevity and good luck and traditionally was eaten on the 12th lunar month but started being eaten on Dec 31 after the Meiji Emperor adopted the Gregorian calendar. Another soba dish, the mori soba is prepared by adding boiled soba into cold water and served with a chilled dipping sauce.

Soba（蕎麦） tastes best if made with hands rather than buying the dried noodles from Supermarkets.

?History of Soba Noodles（蕎麦）

Traces of buckwheat use are found in Neolithic sites of the Jomon Period (2000-4000 BCE)

In 722 CE, Empress Genshou passed an edict to farmers that they plant buckwheat as a measure against the then prevailing drought. But buckwheat consumption was very less and eaten occasionally as porridge.

Japanese Buddhist monk Enni (1202-1280) was the first to introduce noodles to Japan, when he returned from China.

In 1574 the workers working on repairing the main hall of the Joushouji Temple were served buckwheat noodles (Soba Kiri?（蕎麦）-そばきり).

?Edo Period

?Soba（蕎麦） transformed from being humble poor man’s food to the food of high-ranking people like the Samurai. Soba（蕎麦） became very popular that café like shops which served alcohol started selling soba as a quick bite stop. Soba was also sold in mobile food stalls called the yatai.

During the Edo period, Beriberi a kind of Vitamin B deficiency due to the highly consumed rice having less vitamin B1 or thiamine. Soba（蕎麦） was eaten to restore and prevent vitamin deficiency like beriberi as it naturally high on thiamine.

Soba is also said to contain all the aminoacids and hence is protein rich.

?Making of Soba Noodles （蕎麦切り）(Handmade)

?In wide bowl, 20 % wheat flour and 80% buckwheat flour are added. Ideally the mixture should have as little wheat flour as possible and as much of buckwheat flour. Wheat flour added to enhance the gluten content to enable the flour to be rolled and cut into strips.

The flours are sifted and placed in a wide bowl. Next water is added in small amounts slowly, so that each grain of the flours gets watered and become firmed up for being rolled and cut.

Next the flours are mixed by hand. The dough is swished around to make it resemble a number 8. After a bit of swishing and kneading by adding small amount of water makes the texture like that of beef,

As the action of swishing continues the coarse dough turns in to a smooth dough.

The next action is the kiruneri process or chrysanthemum kneading. This is a spiral rolling process to remove air from the dough. This is to ensure that the dough becomes easy to spread

The dough is spread far and flattened to stretch to make a wider flatter circle or dough.

An Edo style 3 -pin roller is used to cut the soba. The flatly stretched dough is further folded diagonally 10 to 15 times to become a square shaped dough.

The soba（蕎麦） dough is dusted with flour to prevent sticking and tearing of the flat dough.

The soba（蕎麦） is then cut with a knife with dexterous fluid movements and the soba（蕎麦） noodles are produced.

?Cooking the Soba Noodles（蕎麦）

The noodles are cooked in boiling water. Soba（蕎麦） noodles become slimy and wet when put into water and this lends itself to the smooth and silky texture of the cooked soba noodles（蕎麦）. A point to note is that soba（蕎麦） should be cooked in large vessels so that there is enough space for it move and become smooth. If cooked in smaller vessels with less water it becomes sticky.

To preserve the starch on the noodles, it is washed three times in cold water after being cooked, the starch helps the smooth texture.

??How to eat Soba（蕎麦）?

Eating of soba depends on the way it is served.

Soba （蕎麦）in Soup

Soba （蕎麦）served in a soup is eaten with chopsticks and eaten with a slurping sound. The slurping sound may be annoying or strange to foreigners but its his work!! Another reason is that a slurp enhances the flavours and makes the hot noodle cool down when you eat. The soup is drunk directly from the bowl.

Soba（蕎麦） Served with a dipping sauce

When soba（蕎麦） is served with a dipping sauce, mostly cold dipping sauce, add some green onions and wasabi into and eat with the slurping sound.

Usually with the Soba（蕎麦） served with a dipping sauce, there is a hot white cloudy water served in a teapot. This is called Sobayu（蕎麦湯） or the water in which the soba was cooked. This is added to the left-over dipping sauce and drunk. To make it suitable to your tastebuds you may adjust the amount of sobayu【蕎麦湯】.

Soba （蕎麦）dishes vary depending upon the regions and are available all over Japan. The Nagano and Yamagata prefectures are famous Soba producers.

Hiyashi Soba（冷やし蕎麦）- Cold soba（蕎麦） served with several toppings

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Wanko Soba – The soba（蕎麦） of Morioka it is served many times. The first time its plain and from the second time, its topped up with seasoning. The feature is that the chef keeps topping up your empty bowl as you eat till you indicate its enough. Average top ups for women is 30-40 times and for men its 50-60 times!!

Ita Soba

Speciality of Yamagata Prefecture.

The noodles are cut wider and laid on the ita or a board. It’s made of unpolished soba flour and smells stronger.

Matcha Soba (Green Tea Soba)

This is famous in Uji near Kyoto which is famous for Green Tea. The fine green tea powder or match is added with the buckwheat flour giving it a green colour. Eaten in the usual manner of eating soba as hot or cold noodles.

Okinawa Soba

This soba uses the name soba but is made of wheat flour. Textured like half ramen and half udon. Eaten with pork broth with simmering pork, green onions, and simmered ginger.

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