Noodles

Men Ruí

Appears in
At Home with Japanese Cooking
At Home with Japanese Cooking

By Elizabeth Andoh

Published 1986

  • About
Throughout the Orient, noodles are enjoyed as a snack or light meal. Lacking the prestige of rice, they are nevertheless consumed in large quantities. The Japanese eat a variety of noodles, hot and cold in soups and with dipping sauces.

Soba is the name both of a thin, beige-colored noodle and of the grain (similar to buckwheat) from which these noodles are made. Firm and slightly coarse in texture, cooked soba are usually served chilled and garnished with dark strips of crisp nori (roasted laver). A sweetened soy sauce for dipping and condiments such as wasabi (fiery green horseradish), grated fresh ginger and chopped scallions accompany the noodles. Occasionally, soba will be served hot in a garnished soup and seasoned with a blend of crushed hot spices known as shichimi togarashi.