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No one in the world loves noodles or prepares them in so many different ways as the people in Japan. Soba (buckwheat noodles), udon (made from wheat flour), ramen (Chinese vermicelli noodles), and spaghetti are all popular in Japan. Soba, in particular, is a representative Japanese food that has been a part of the Japanese diet since the Nara period (710-784).
Soba noodles are made from the flour of buckwheat (Polygonum fagopyrum), a sturdy annual herbaceous plant that thrives in the poor soil and cold climate of the mountains. Unlike most grains, it can be harvested in just two to three months, is easy to digest, and is very nutritious. Buckwheat has long been an important substitute staple in the Japanese diet, especially valued in times of poor rice harvests and famine.
Recent research has confirmed soba’s standing as a health food. It has been found that the rutin in buckwheat seeds helps to lower blood pressure and is good for the pancreas, and that buckwheat polyphenol stimulates the memory cells of the brain.
Buckwheat is believed to be a native plant of East Asia, introduced into Japan from China via the Korean Peninsula. Today, buckwheat is cultivated around the world, not just in Asia. Unlike wheat, however, buckwheat seeds are encased in a hard shell and are difficult to grind into fine flour. As a result, in Western countries buckwheat has been primarily mixed with water, eggs, or yam to make a coarse dough that is boiled as dumplings or fried, such as in French buckwheat pancakes.
The Japanese also eat buckwheat dough, for example as soba-gaki, coarse buckwheat flour mixed with hot water and kneaded into dumplings, or soba dango, skewered and steamed buckwheat dough balls. Where the Japanese uniquely differ is in their creation of, and extreme love for, buckwheat noodles, better known simply as soba. |
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| Juwari soba noodles are made from just water and buckwheat flour without any thickener. This preserves the essential aroma and subtly sweet flavor of the soba. Purists eat juwari soba either plain, without any broth, or with just a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. |
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