Japan – Soba Noodles

by Zayna Khan

Soba noodles is a kind of noodles made up from ”BUCKWHEAT”. These noodles are very thin and served in many used in many dishes of Japanese cuisine.

SOBA, BUCKWHEAT

Buckwheat is a common plant, cultivate for the use of grains and seeds. These seeds are refined into the flour by grinding it into a fine powder. Buckwheat referred to as cereal seeds grains.

The word buckwheat comes from the Triangular seeds of its grain. It resembled the Beech seed of beech tree that are very larger seeds.

In Japan, Soba noodles are made from these Buckwheat seeds flour that are very thin and dried formed noodles.

In Korea, Naengmyeon is the noodles type made up from buckwheat.

Composition of soba noodles

Soba noodles assumed to be very healthy and have good balance of nutrients like :

• 71 % starch
• 18 % crude protein
• Minerals like Iron, zinc etc.
• 3% of Fats

It has essential amino acids, Polysaccharied, antitoxins that must be easily digested and good for health nutrients and supplements.

There are many different dishes made up from Soba noodles, even the cold servings and hot servings dishes.

Dishes made up from Soba noodles

Cold dishes

• Hadaka soba ( cold boiled soba noodles )
• Hiyashi soba ( cold seasoned soba noodles )
• Soba salad ( cold soba vegetable salad )
• Zaru soba ( Nori seaweed seasoned soba noodles )
• Soba Makki ( vinegar rice with soba noodles )
• Mari soba ( chilled noodles served on the flat basket)

Hot dishes

• Kake Soba ( hot soba with sliced kamaboko )
• Nishin soba ( soba with dried fish )
• Sansai soba ( vegetable soba with bamboo shoots )
• Tororo soba ( soba with Japanese yam )
• Tempura Soba
• Nameko soba ( soba with mushrooms )
• Tanuki soba ( Japanese raccoon dog soba )

Occasional dish of Japan

This special dish has worth eating on the occasions of Japan. It is the tradition of Japan to serve and eat soba noodles on Japanese new year’s eve. TOSHIKOSHI SOBA is a dish made up of soba noodles. The word Toshi-Koshi means ”FROM ONE YEAR TO ANOTHER”. Because this is the tradition of Japan to eat this dish every new year’s eve, people think that eating this dish will have to wait till next new year’s eve. So the name of the dish is called TOSHIKOSHI SOBA means AFTER A YEAR.

There is also a Japanese tradition to serve this Soba noodles to New Neighbours.

There are many different flavors of soba noodles sold out in japan.

FLAVORS OF SOBA NOODLES IN JAPAN

CHA SOBA ( green tea flavored soba )

TOWARI SOBA ( original withou addinf flavors )

YOMOGI SOBA ( Mugwort flavored soba )

NI HICHI SOBA ( wheat and buckwheat mixed noodles )

JINENJO SOBA ( yam flour and buckwheat )

ORIGIN : Japanese cuisine

SERVINGS : 5 to 7 person

COOKING TIME : 30 MINUTES

COURSE : main dish

INGREDIENTS OF SOBA NOODLES

SAUCE

• Sesame oil = 2 tablespoons
• Soya sauce = 1 cup
• Rice vinegar = 1 cup
• Sugar = 4 tablespoons
• Rock salt = a pinch
• White sesame seeds = 2 teaspoons
• red pepper flakes = 1 teaspoon
• honey = 2 tablespoons

METHOD OF COOKING

Take a mixing bowl and add all the sauce/ dressing ingredients into it. Mix them together so they infused with each other.

OTHER SOBA NOODLES INGREDIENTS

• Soba buckwheat noodles = 1 packet
• Carrot = 1/2 cup
• spring onions = 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds roasted = 2 tablespoons

METHOD OF COOKING

• Take a cooking pot and add the prepared sauce into it.
• Bring it to a boil until it starts simmering.
• On another pot boil the soba noodles for 5 to 7 minutes.
• When they cooked, add these noodles into the cooking sauce.
• Now after adding noodles, add spring onions, carrots and toss it again and again.
• The crunchiness of the vegetables remains intact and mixed with noodles.
• While serving, add sesame seeds over the noodles

From this point soba noodles are ready to serve. But some people love to add grilled chicken toppings, fried prawn to enhance the taste.

PRAWN TOPPING

INGREDIENTS

• Prawns = 1/2 lbs
• Salt = 1/2 teaspoons
• Garlic paste = 1 tablespoons
• Black pepper = 1 teaspoons
• Oil = 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice = 4 tablespoons

COOKING METHOD

Marinate prawns with all the ingredients for 10 to 20 minutes. Now heat uo the grill and start cooking the prawns over grill pan. When they cooked properly, Just add prwans over the top of the noodles.

ENJOY THE FEAST!