Do you know or have you ever tried the delicious soba? This traditional Japanese noodle is made from buckwheat and can be served hot or cold. In this article, we will talk a little about this delicious Japanese noodle that has a long history and influence in various dishes of Japan.
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What is Soba Noodles?
The name soba (蕎麦) literally means buckwheat, but this term ends up being used for noodles with other ingredients in the dough. This noodle is easily found anywhere in Japan at a low price.
As the pasta made entirely of wheat is fragile, some restaurants use wheat flour in its composition. Some Japanese noodles use the term soba, but they are not made from buckwheat like in the case of yakisoba, chukasoba, and okinawasoba.
Noodles are made by grinding cereals, obtaining a dough that is then kneaded, transferred to a wooden board, rolled out with a rolling pin, and then cut with a special kitchen knife called a sobakiri-bōchō.
The noodles are kneaded with water, resulting in a dark dough, which is then cut into strands. Usually, soba dishes are accompanied by a broth called Tsuyu and generally some ingredients like green onion and tempura flakes.
Some of the characteristics of soba are its crunchy sensation, the way the noodles and sauce mix and meet on the tongue, and its smell.
The Origin and History of Soba
The soba arrived in Japan along with Buddhism. It was simply a dough of buckwheat or buckwheat that was consumed in different ways by the religious. Until the soba cut like noodles became popular in the Edo Period (1600-1867).
The exact date is not known, but some records from 1614 show the word sobakiri (cut) in a monk's diary. Other records report the date of 1574.
Where and how to eat Soba?
Currently, this dish can be found in specialized restaurants where you can see the chef preparing the noodles, or in fast-food restaurants specialized in soba and udon. In reality, it is easy to find soba in practically any place or variety of restaurants in Japan.
In some train stations you will find several soba restaurants, some you must eat standing at the counter. Just take your ticket from the machine and place your order, usually a plate of soba costs between 500 and 1500 yen.
We cannot forget to enjoy this delight with the famous practice of making noise when sucking the pasta, this helps to strengthen the flavor and not burn the mouth. The broth is drunk directly from the bowl, eliminating the need for a spoon.
Soba can also be served cold (zaru soba) on its own with a dipping sauce. It is recommended to mix some of the green onions and wasabi into the dipping sauce. Then take a few strands of noodles, dip in and eat.
Different types of Soba
Soba is as popular as ramen and udon. It can be served in many ways and with different ingredients providing infinite variety. Soba can be served separately as in a kind and soup.
We can start by mentioning zarusoba, which consists of cold noodles served alone and should be dipped in a sauce during the meal. The hot version without any accompaniment is called kakesoba, and it comes already immersed in a soup with ingredients similar to the dipping sauce of the cold version.
Some end up carrying the name of their main ingredient. When it is accompanied with tenpura it is called tenpurasoba, another example is sansaisoba, which is served with sansai, which are cooked wild vegetables. Others take names of animals or elements that have a strong influence on Japanese religion. Let's see some of these below:
Main types of soba
- Kitsunesoba [狐そば] - It comes with pieces of aburaage (thin sheets of fried tofu);
- Tanukisoba [たぬきそば] - It usually comes with crispy pieces of fried tenpura batter;
- Nanbansoba [南蛮そば] - The word nanban refers to the broth that has leeks in it;
- Kare nanban - Noodles with curry;
- Kamo nanban - Duck meat;
- Ten zaru [てんざる] - Chilled soba served with tempura on a separate plate;
- Bukkakesoba [ぶっかけそば] - Cold served with broth over the noodles;
- Morisoba [盛り蕎麦] - A cold soba that is served on a braided bamboo plate;
- Sansai Soba [山菜蕎麦] - Soba with wild mountain vegetables, this soba is very healthy and low in calories;
- Tsukimi Soba [月見蕎麦] - Soba with the addition of a raw egg with a red yolk that looks like a full moon;
- Tororo Soba [とろろ蕎麦] - A Soba with a yam topping with a sticky texture;
- Niku Soba [肉蕎麦] - Soba topped with pork or beef, resembling lamen;
- Kare Soba [カレ蕎麦] - Soba with kare sauce and usually a tonkatsu;
- Kamo Soba [鴨蕎麦] - A soba with fried duck meat;
- Nameko Soba i[なめこ蕎麦] - Soba with sauces containing Nameko mushrooms and other types of mushrooms;
It is worth remembering that pasta can accompany other ingredients not mentioned and can have cold versions. There are several dishes and regional types of this Japanese noodles.
Some restaurants top up your bowl again until you feel full. Soba is part of the daily life of the entire Japanese population, I ate it myself every day. Is that you? Ever experienced? We appreciate the comments and shares.