Soba Noodles

Appears in

Published 2021

About

These dried, thin, grey-brown Japanese noodles come in two types: those made with buckwheat flour, which are gluten-free; and those made with a combination of wheat and buckwheat, which are slightly more robust when cooked. I’ve also spotted a version made with green tea powder, though the tea seems to add colour, rather than much in the way of flavour.

When cooking soba, follow the instructions on the pack to avoid the noodles overcooking and becoming sticky or even falling apart. When draining, follow the Japanese practice of reserving some of the cooking water. This is called sobayu and is sometimes added to the broth or dipping sauce, or drunk as a soup. Refresh cooked noodles under cold running water to cool them quickly and get rid of excess starch, which can make them sticky and slimy. Soba can be served warm or cold in noodle salads or broths, or with a soy-based dipping sauce. They can be briefly stir-fried, but it’s not ideal as they have a tendency to fall apart. If you want to reheat them, put them in a colander and pour over a just-boiled kettleful of water — that should just be enough to warm them up.