“Soba(buckwheat)” is an indispensable food for Japanese people, and is also loved as New Year’s Eve soba. Not only in Japan, but also overseas, soba is attracting attention from health-conscious people because of the nutrients it contains and the fact that soba flour is gluten-free, and it is now easily available in supermarkets overseas. However, soba is still unfamiliar to many people. In particular, many people may not be familiar with the different types of Japanese noodles or how to eat them. In this article, we will introduce the appeal of soba, including its menu, how to eat it, and its nutrients.
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Nutritious and healthy food

You may think that soba can make you fat because it is a carbohydrate, or that its simple appearance means that its nutrition is limited. But actually, soba is a highly nutritious food. Let’s take a look at the nutrition contained in soba, why health-conscious people are interested in it, and its benefits.

High quality protein

Soba contains a large amount of vegetable protein, which is said to be comparable to that of milk. It is water-soluble and easily digested, making it easy to eat without putting a burden on the stomach. The protein in soba is of very high quality and is rich in “essential amino acids,” which cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from food.

Starch as an energy source

The starch in soba can be easily digested and absorbed by heating it for a short period of time, and is also a source of energy.

Rich in Vitamins B1 and B2

Soba is rich in vitamins B1 and B2. Vitamin B1 promotes recovery from fatigue, calms mental irritation, and also helps to relieve loss of appetite. In addition, when eaten with green onions as a condiment, the allyl compound in the green onions promotes the absorption of vitamin B1, doubling the effect. In addition, vitamin B2 helps to keep the skin and mucous membranes in good condition and healthy, so it has a beautiful effect on the skin.

Rutin, an antioxidant

Soba also contains rutin, also known as “vitamin P”, which is a nutrient found only in soba among grains , and is one of the antioxidants that help prevent arteriosclerosis, lowered immune function, aging, and cancer.

Rich in dietary fiber

Soba is a food that also contains a lot of dietary fiber. The fiber content of soba is 2.5 to 3 times higher than that of polished rice. In addition to relieving constipation, dietary fiber helps to regulate the intestinal environment and slow down the rise in blood sugar levels. As you can see above, soba contains a lot of nutrients. It is often said that soba is the best food for weight loss because it is a low GI food, which means that the absorption of sugar is reduced by the rich dietary fiber, and the rise in blood sugar levels after eating is slowed down. Moreover, the rich vitamins supports the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and promotes metabolism.

How to eat soba

You may be surprised to know that Japanese people make a slurping sound when eating noodles. The reason for slurping noodles is to eat long noodles with chopsticks or to enjoy the feeling that it is good going down ,and the flavor of the dipping soup. People from the countries where eating with sound is not common may be confused, but when eating soba in Japan, you may want to sip it like the Japanese do.

Types of soba

Did you know that there are many soba menus? Here are some classic menus.

Su-soba

Su-soba is a dish which only the soba noodles are served in the soup. In the eastern part of Japan, such as Tokyo, Su-soba is often referred to as “Kake-soba”. If you want to enjoy the original flavor of the noodles and the soup, or if you want to save money, this is a good choice.

Tempura Soba

Tempura Soba is soba with tempura. The main topping of the tempura is shrimp. The one with thinly sliced vegetable tempura is called “Kakiage soba” and is less expensive than the one with shrimp.

Chikara-soba

Chikara-soba is a soba dish with grilled rice cakes. Chikara-soba with soup has grilled rice cakes on top. The best time to eat it is when the rice cake has soaked in the soup and become soft.

Kitsune soba

Kitsune-soba is a type of soba noodles topped with fried tofu simmered in a sweet and salty soy sauce-based seasoning. In the early 19th century, when soba became a common food, soba with fried tofu and green onions = kitsune soba” appeared on the menu of most soba restaurants.

Tanuki-soba

Tanuki-soba is a type of soba dishes with “agedama” or “tenkasu” (the batter left over after frying tempura). The cold version is also called “Hiyashi-Tanuki”.

Niku(meat)-Soba

Niku-Soba is recommended for those who want to eat enough. As the name suggests, it is made with sweetly seasoned meat on top of soba. The variation of meat is beef, pork and chicken. The light flavored soba and the richly seasoned meat are a perfect match.

Local soba noodles from all over Japan

From north to south, each region in Japan has its own unique soba menu called “Gotochi Soba”(local soba).

Aomori Prefecture / Tsugaru soba

Tsugaru Soba is a type of soba noodle made with soba flour and a mixture of ground soybeans. The dough is then left to mature for about half a day. It becomes soft and chewy texture. You can also enjoy the slight sweetness of soybeans.

Niigata Prefecture / Hegi soba

This soba is made by adding seaweed to the soba noodles. It is served in a bowl called “Hegi”.

Fukushima Prefecture: Tachi soba

This is a local dish from Hinoemata Village in Fukushima Prefecture. It is characterized by its noodles that are flatter and thicker than regular soba. It is much chewier and more filling than regular soba.

Fukushima Prefecture / Takato soba

This soba is eaten in an unusual way, using a single long green onion instead of chopsticks. The dipping sauce is also unique, with a spicy flavor made from spicy radish. Originally, this soba was eaten at celebratory occasions to bring good luck, as it means “to live as long and thin as a green onion”.

Iwate Prefecture / Wanko soba

This is a way of eating soba that originated in the city of Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, where people eat soba in small bowls, refilling many bowls. A sever stands next to the customer and serves the next bowl of noodles as soon as the bowl is empty.

Nagano Prefecture / Toji soba

In this soba dish, a small portion of soba is placed in a basket called a toji-kago, which looks like a ladle with a hole in it, dipped in a pot of hot sauce, and boiled. This hot soba is perfect for the cold winter season. The soup contains vegetables and mushrooms, and is full of nutrition.

Shimane Prefecture / Izumo soba

This soba is eaten in the Izumo region. The soba is made by stone-grinding the soba seeds with their husks, and the noodles are fragrant and dark. The noodles are served with dipping sauce.

Yamaguchi Prefecture / Kawara soba

Soba noodles served on a hot kawara (roof tile) topped with brown soba noodles, sweet and salty beef, broiled egg, green onions, grated radish mixed with red pepper, and dried seaweed. It is eaten while dipping it in hot dipping sauce.

Nagasaki Prefecture / Taishu soba

This soba is made from soba seeds produced in Tsushima, a remote island in Nagasaki Prefecture. It is more flavorful and tasteful than regular soba.

Kagoshima Prefecture / Satsuma Soba

This soba is made with soba flour and jinenjo (yam) as a binder. It is sometimes topped with Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish paste), a specialty of Kagoshima.

Okinawa Prefecture / Okinawa soba

It is a noodle dish originating from Okinawa Prefecture, and is made with wheat flour instead of soba flour. The noodles are usually topped with simmered pork by soy sauce with awamori called “Rafute”, a local dish in Okinawa.

A chain store where you can easily eat soba

In Japan, there are soba noodle shops all over the country. Among them, there are soba chain shops that are easily accessible, inexpensive, and easy to eat while traveling. (1) Fuji Soba (2) Yudetaro (3) Komoro soba (4) Hakone soba All of them are reasonably priced, with kake-soba starting from 300 yen, and are often located inside train stations, making them very convenient when you get hungry or want to cut down on food costs during your trip.

buckwheat allergy

Soba is a healthy food rich in vitamin B2 and dietary fiber, but in rare cases, the protein contained in soba flour can cause allergies. In countries where it is not customary to eat soba(buckwheat), such as Japan, allergies to buckwheat are not widely known, and many people complain of feeling ill after eating soba for the first time in Japan. If you are allergic to buckwheat, within 10 minutes of eating it, you may experience; ・Pain in the mouth ・Swelling around the mouth ・Itchy the throat etc. As more time passes, stomach ache, nausea, and diarrhea may occur, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock may occur. If you notice any problems around your mouth immediately after eating soba, spit it all out if possible, or drink a lot of water, and see what happens.

Let’s eat soba

Soba has been a favorite food of the common people in Japan since ancient times, and its appeal can be said to be that you can eat it with your favorite condiments while making a slurping sound. There are no formal manners like in Kaiseki cuisine, so have fun eating it!