Soba.. more than just a noodle

Soba, buckwheat noodles, are enormously popular in Japan. In fact they are probably one of the top three eaten foods in restaurants along with sushi/sashimi and curry rice.

The soba plant isn't a wheat variety it is quite a different thing. It grows well in cold areas and those with poor soils so you will often find it in the mountains and northern areas. Very popular in Russia it is the basis for blinis, Russian pancakes. Also in Brittany it is called "black wheat" or  "Sarrasin" and used to make pancakes. "Sarrasin" because buckwheat came to France through Spain during the Moorish imvasions.

Making noodles out of soba flour is no simple matter. The great soba restaurants make their own noodles fresh each day. It is a very exacting process that takes years to learn.

Near our house there is one of the best three soba restaurants we have ever eaten in. Katsura Taguma is a master soba maker and his little restaurant is a joy. Beautiful inside, fine pottery ware and of course excellent soba.


He and his wife have become friends of ours and this morning I was invited bright and early to watch him make the day's noodles.




Katsura spent eight years perfecting his craft and apart for one day a week's rest, makes one to two batches of noodles each day. This as well as doing the preparation for the restaurant and all the cooking. It is a labour of love and requires extraordinary skill and dedication.

80% soba flour is mixed with 20% wheat flour. This is necessary to make the noodles bind together well. Occasionally a noodle master will offer you 100% soba flour noodles, but these are very difficult to make and are really only for special occasions.

For about 20 minutes the mixure is kneaded with fresh water in a special large lacquer bowl. the wooden lacquer bowl is imprtant as it is insulating and helps keep the temperature constant.




The dough is then carefully rolled out and refolded using a series of long wooden rollers.

 The large square, flat sheet is then folded many times on itself.

A layer of soba flour in sprinkled onto a board and then the cutting process begins.

The noodles are evenly and very carefully cut to 2mm width and wind up being incredibly even.

This batch made about sixty servings. If he sells out at lunch he then makes another batch for the dinner service. Each batch takes about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish.