Soba

It’s easy to make wheat noodles: flour soaked in water sticks together easily because it’s full of gluten. Buckwheat flour (the origin of soba) is different: despite its name, buckwheat contains no gluten at all.

Working the flour into a consistent dough therefore requires a great deal of technique and patience. But it’s worth the effort… When properly kneaded, this dough produces noodles with a nutty flavour and a texture that’s both firm and tender, known in Japan as “soba”.

Soba and its many varieties

There are many types of soba. Towari soba is made exclusively from buckwheat flour and water, while Nagano soba contains varying amounts of wheat flour.

Some local varieties add a little flour from local vegetables, especially yams. You’ll also find colourful varieties with “trendy” flavours that will make purists howl: green tea, sakura petals, yuzu…

Enjoy them hot or cold!

Like their sisters in the triplet of essential Japanese noodles (somen and udon), they can be served in many different ways. Hot, with duck, sweet potato puree, fried meat croquettes…

But above all, cold, in dashi or tsuyu, because a hot broth always softens the wonderful texture of well-cooked soba. What is more, these noodles are very low in calories (99 calories per 100 grams) and excellent for your health: buckwheat is rich in proteins and antioxidants that promote cardiovascular health.