Japanese Food Tips

Zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles) is boiled buckwheat noodles which are usually drained and then placed under cold running water when prepared at home, and served on a zaru (bamboo colander) with dipping sauce. Soba specialty restaurants generally use handmade fresh buckwheat noodles. It was introduced in books as soba in the 1750s during the Edo period. It was served on a zaru (bamboo colander) to drain water, hence the name “zaru soba. ” It is said that the modern soba covered with chopped nori seaweed came to be called zaru soba in the late 1860s or later, and soba without chopped nori is called “mori soba. ” The dipping sauce is a thick soy sauce broth, and wasabi (grated horseradish) and/or chopped negi (long green onion) are usually added as condiments. Water left after boiling buckwheat noodles (soba-yu) is cloudy white and contains a lot of nutrients. Some soba specialty restaurants also serve it. If you are in Japan, you should enjoy zaru soba there. In Japan, it is said that the best way to eat soba is to make noise when eating it. It is thought that it’s more delicious if you slurp it. We have a recipe for zaru soba on our recipe site. Please refer to that also.