Soba

Soba ( or , "buckwheat") are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour, with varying amounts of wheat flour mixed in.

It has an ashen brown color, and a slightly grainy texture. Dried soba noodles are sold in stores, along with men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy.

The amino acid balance of the protein in buckwheat, and therefore in soba, is well matched to the needs of humans and can complement the amino acid deficiencies of other staples such as rice and wheat (see protein combining). The tradition of eating soba among ordinary people arose in the Edo period.

Etymology

thumb|Mori soba, served cold with dipping sauce and [[Allium fistulosum|negi]]

The word means "buckwheat" (Fagopyrum esculentum). The full name for buckwheat noodles is , but soba is commonly used for short.

Historically, soba noodles were called Nihon-soba, Wa-soba, or Yamato-soba, all of which mean "Japanese soba". This was meant to distinguish soba from wheat noodles of Chinese origin, such as ramen, sōmen, or udon.

In more recent times, soba can refer to noodles in general, regardless of origin or composition. For example, ramen was traditionally called or , both meaning "Chinese noodles", though the word shina is now considered offensive. Soba can be used to refer to wheat noodles, as in aburasoba or yakisoba. In Okinawa, soba generally refers to Okinawa soba, also made from wheat flour.

History

thumb|Stele commemorating the introduction of soba and [[udon noodles at Jōten-ji temple. Enni, the temple's founder, is traditionally believed to have brought noodlemaking back to Japan from China.]]

Background

Traces of buckwheat have been found at Neolithic sites in Japan, dating to 4000–2000 BCE, during the Jōmon period.

Buckwheat cultivation was first recorded in the Shoku Nihongi, in an imperial edict of 722 CE issued by Empress Genshō, instructing farmers to plant buckwheat in response to drought and famine. Another edict of 839 CE declared that buckwheat should be sown in August, and harvested in October, because the crop grows quickly in poor soil. However, buckwheat did not seem to be widely cultivated, and was only sporadically eaten as porridge.

In the 8th century, noodle-type foods of Chinese origin appeared in Japan. Later, the monk Enni (1202–1280) is traditionally credited for introducing noodles to Japan after returning from China. More mentions of soba noodles follow throughout the early 1600s.

Edo period

thumb|Print depicting Sunaba, a popular soba restaurant from [[Osaka. By Takehara Shunchōsai, 1796–1798]]

Modern soba originates from the Edo period (1603–1868), centered around the city of Edo (modern Tokyo). The earliest references to soba are associated with Buddhist monasteries and tea ceremonies.

The 1643 cookbook Ryōri Monogatari (料理物語) is the first to contain a recipe for making soba. After the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657, soba shops became increasingly common in Tokyo.

At first, soba was considered a low-class food, but its reputation improved by the 18th century, when it began to be eaten by samurai and other high status peoples.

One estimate states that every city block had one or more restaurants serving soba. These soba establishments, many also serving sake, functioned much like modern cafes where locals would stop for a casual meal. In 1860, a meeting in Tokyo concerning the price of buckwheat was attended by 3,726 shops, indicating the popularity of soba.

At the time, much of the city's population was susceptible to beriberi, due to high consumption of white rice, which is low in thiamine. Soba, which is high in thiamine, was regularly eaten to prevent beriberi.

<gallery widths="130px" heights="130px" mode="packed">

File:Machikado-ya Tenzaru Teishoku 20220529-02.jpg|Zaru soba is an early form of soba, because soba was originally steamed on bamboo trays called zaru.

Three children eating, Japan LCCN2001705662.jpg|Three children eating soba, 1890–1923

Fukuyama soba restaurant 1771.jpg|Soba delivery in Fukiya-chō, Tokyo. Print by Kitao Shigemasa, 1771

Japanese Edo Soba Yatai 03.jpg|Replica of a yatai (food stall) from the Edo period

</gallery>

Modern

thumb|Soba shop near [[Suidōbashi Station, Tokyo]]

Soba continues to be popular in modern times. Restaurants dedicated to soba include Sunaba, Chōju-an, Ōmura-an, Shōgetsu-an, Masuda-ya, and Maruka, some of which are yagō, or traditional establishments whose names have passed down over time. Some restaurants serve soba and udon together, since both are prepared and eaten in a similar manner.

Railway stations often sell soba, as it is a popular and inexpensive fast food. They are frequently purchased by busy salarymen. Soba continues to be sold at yatai food stalls.

There are regional differences in the consumption of soba. A common perception is that soba is more popular in the Kantō region (eastern Japan), while udon is more popular in the Kansai region (western Japan), though there are exceptions.

Soba is traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve in most areas of Japan. This soba is called toshikoshi soba ("year-crossing soba"). In the Tokyo area, there is also a tradition of giving out soba to new neighbors after a house move (hikkoshi soba), although this practice is now rare. Modern soba is usually made from a mix of 80% buckwheat flour, and 20% wheat flour.

Fresh soba, often served at restaurants, are generally cooked immediately after slicing, when the noodles are still moist and pliable. Store bought soba are dried and straight, and come in bundles.

Types

thumb|Cold zaru soba topped with [[nori]]

Like many Japanese noodles, soba noodles are often served drained and chilled in the summer, and hot in the winter with a soy-based dashi broth. Extra toppings can be added to both hot and cold soba. Toppings are chosen to reflect the seasons and to balance with other ingredients. Most toppings are added without much cooking, although some are deep-fried. Most of these dishes may also be prepared with udon.

Cold soba

Chilled soba is often served on a sieve-like bamboo tray called a zaru, sometimes garnished with bits of dried nori seaweed, with a dipping sauce known as soba tsuyu on the side. The tsuyu is made of a strong mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce (also called ) and mirin. Using chopsticks, the diner picks up a small amount of soba from the tray and dips it in the cold tsuyu before eating it. Wasabi and sliced negi are often mixed into the tsuyu. Many people think that the best way to experience the unique texture of hand-made soba noodles is to eat them cold, since letting them soak in hot broth changes their consistency. After the noodles are eaten, many people enjoy drinking the water in which the noodles were cooked (sobayu ), mixed with the leftover tsuyu.

• Hadaka soba (naked soba 裸蕎麦): Cold soba served on its own.
• Hiyashi soba (): Cold soba served with various toppings sprinkled on top, after which the broth is poured on by the diner. It may include:
• tororo: puree of yamaimo (a Japanese yam with a mucilaginous texture)
• oroshi: grated daikon radish
• nattō: sticky fermented soybeans
• okura: fresh sliced okra
• Mori soba (): Basic chilled soba noodles served on a flat basket or a plate.
• : Topped with duck meat and negi.
• (in Kantō) or Tanuki soba ("raccoon dog soba", in Kansai): Topped with aburaage (deep-fried tofu).
• : Hot soba (or udon) noodles in curry flavored broth Soba that is made with newly harvested buckwheat is called shin-soba. It is sweeter and more flavorful than regular soba.

Nagano Prefecture is famous for a variety of soba called , because the region's volcanic soil and temperature extremes are suited for growing buckwheat. From the Kurohime and Togakushi highlands in the north to the Kaida highlands in the south, and the prefecture boasts the second-highest production of soba in Japan. Many facilities integrate cultivation, milling and cutting, and provide soba cutting courses for customers, a major leisure activity in Nagano. Only noodles containing 40% or more buckwheat flour can carry the name.

By location

• Etanbetsu soba: named after the central region of Hokkaido (around Asahikawa city)
• Izumo soba: named after Izumo in Shimane
• Izushi soba: named after Izushi in Hyōgo
• Shinshu soba or Shinano soba: named after the old names of Nagano Prefecture

By ingredients

• Cha soba: flavored with green tea powder It is eaten all-year long at street markets or in special restaurants called "sobarias". , the recipe has deviated from Okinawa style to suit Brazilian local preferences.

Delivery

thumb|Soba noodle deliveryman carrying stacked bowls in Tokyo, 1935

Food delivery services called originally served wealthy daimyō (lords) in the 1700s. Until the late Shōwa period (1926–1989), stacks of soba bowls were carried on the shoulders of deliverymen on bicycles. Soba contains all nine essential amino acids, including lysine, which common wheat does not contain.

Soba contains a type of polysaccharide that is easily digested. Soba noodles also contain antioxidants, including rutin and quercetin, and essential nutrients including choline, thiamine and riboflavin.