What is “Soba”?
“Soba” (そば, buckwheat noodle) is like a ramen noodle, but it is different from a ramen.
It is made from buckwheat, and the color is, yes buckwheat color, between gray and brown.
“Soba” is served either type, chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a noodle soup like a ramen.
Soba was invented in Edo period of Japan, It’s Shogun period lasted from around 1603 to 1867.
Now, Soba becomes a kind of “fast food” but Soba world is so deep.
Sometimes, you may see a chef creating Soba inside Soba restaurant by their hands. Enough experience is required to create Good Soba.
Hot Soba
Hot Soba is served in a bowl of hot noodle soup (Soba tsuyu, つゆ). Soba tsuyu is made of some of mixed flavor, in general, with fish byion and soy source base.
Appearance is like ramen, but the taste is milder than a ramen.
Mainly, a kind of side dishes such as Tempura are put in Hot Soba. I like “Kakiage Soba” as above phot, which has Mix vegetable Tempura on it. Please see other kinds of Hot soba below!!
Cold Soba
Cold soba is generally served being put on bamboo tray (zaru、ざる) with a cup of the dipping sauce (Soba tsuyu) on the side. Cold Soba tsuyu is a stronger mixture of dashi than Hot soba soup. Diner picks up a small portion of soba by chopsticks from the bamboo tray, then dips it in the Cold Soba tsuyu, and eat it.
Cold Soba is mainly called as “Zaru Soba”. If you can enjoy the exact Soba texture or feeling in your mouth, I recommend you to eat Cold Soba.
Special event “Toshi-koshi Soba”
Traditionally, Japanese eats Soba on New Year’s Eve night in most areas of Japan, to celebrate what we successfully survived a last year and have a new year.
It’s called “Toshikoshi soba” (Eating Soba from one year to another).
As seen, Soba is a noodle like a string. Japanese see it “a string of a life”, it is better to eat a longest noodle to live long life in the future!
Soba Restaurant and Experienced chef
Please see the skill of the Experienced chef, and Japanese fast food Soba restaurant and super chef!!
How to cook Soba
A certain Soba restaurant managed by super chef!
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