Soba

Soba (Japanese荞麦orそば) are thin brown-gray boiled noodles made ​​from buckwheat and are part of Japanese cuisine. The soba noodles themselves are hot or cold and separately served to taste of the broth to a bowl, an O -wan. The broth is served in a cup with various side dishes and spices cold or warm depending on the season. Kake Soba (かけそば) is one of the most common variants and consists of a broth ( dashi ), mirin (rice wine), shoyu ( soy sauce Japanese ) garnished with chopped spring onions. Often these will be refined according to taste with wasabi and / or freshly grated ginger. Often, various side dishes are available, such as deep-fried tofu ( tofu Kitsune ), shrimp in batter ( tempura ), raw egg ( Tsukimi ) and other various preparations. Traditionally the pasta water, which is considered very healthy in Japan, not disposed of after pouring the noodles, but canceled and mixed after supper with the remaining broth in the cup and drank.

Soba are offered in a variety of variations and qualities ( low-priced versions also contain wheat flour). Of the normal small night clubs to special soba restaurants that offer little else. In particular, at railway stations in Japan, it is also to have low in fast food restaurants. There are however also prepared at home Soba. Above all, the year is Toshikoshisoba (Japanese年越し 蕎麦orとしこし そば) traditionally the last dish that comes to the table in the old year and should be eaten before the start of the new order in the coming year to be financially happy. Even with other cuts in life that bring a change with it, soba be considered as a symbolic meal. As symbolically applies the shape of the noodles: The long form should indicate long life. Apart from this the importance of Soba noodles are very popular because they are both easy on the stomach and easy to prepare. Stores sell even compacted instant broth and pre-cooked and re getrockenete noodles, which makes the preparation even easier and faster. The most famous soba come from Nagano and are called Sinano Soba. Other famous Japanese noodles are udon, ramen and somen.

Soba is also known in the United States, where Kake Soba and Zaru Soba (ざるそば, cooled noodles with nori ) are sold in most Japanese restaurants and sushi shops.

Other meanings

Soba actually means " buckwheat ". The term is metonymically used to refer to some noodle dishes of Chinese and Japanese origin that do not contain buckwheat but wheat flour, such as chuka soba ( " Chinese soba", another name for Ramen ), yakisoba ( fried noodles ) and Okinawa Soba ( a noodle soup with udon noodles similar ).