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What the heck are ... soba noodles?
 OK,
so what’s the deal with Soba noodles, you ask? If you look underneath
the pile of goodies on your plate when you order Tapino’s Charred
rare Tuna Tataki, you will find a little disk of compressed greyish-brownish
spagetti-like stuff that is particularly yummy, if somewhat unattractive.
Those are “Soba” noodles, as opposed to “egg noodles”,
“Udon noodles”, “flat noodles”, or “chicken
noodles” (you have eaten “chicken noodle” soup before,
haven’t you?). We buy our Soba noodles dry, cook them up in water,
drain them, add a few secret ingredients, and form them into little round
hockey-puck cakes. They have a flavor distinctly different from other
noodles, are a bit chewy, very healthfull, and we think they are absolutly
wonderfull!
“Soba” is the Japanese word for the “buckwheat”
plant. However, soba is more commonly used to refer to the traditional
Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. Because noodles made out of
pure buckwheat have no gluten to bind them together, they easily fall
apart when boiled. Therefore, the buckwheat flour is usually mixed with
some wheat flour – a good source of gluten. Under Japanese agricultural
regulations, the noodles must contain at least 30% buckwheat in order
to be called “soba”. But, noodles with a higher buckwheat content
are seen as being of higher quality and more desirable. The most famous
Japanese soba noodles come from Nagano. Soba from Nagano is called “Ni-hachi”
(two-eight) soba, consisting of two parts wheat and eight parts buckwheat.
Why don’t they just call it “Ichi-yottsu” (one-four)?
Didn’t they learn about simplifying ratios in junior high math class?
The traditional raw noodles are made by making a very stiff dough out
of buckwheat flour, wheat flour, and water, kneading it vigorusly for
a very long time, and then rolling it out into flat sheets before slicing
off noodle strands using a special knife. The quality of these hand-made
noodles is highly dependent on the skill of the maker, especially for
soba noodles with high buckwheat content.
We suspect that, like most everything else you can buy in a package, the
dry Soba noodles we buy for use at Tapino are mass produced by a machine
in a factory, somewhere far away, untouched by human hands. Hey! They
only become “gourmet” after we fiddle around with them in
the kitchen and add the secret ingredients!
The history and folk-lore about soba noodles is long and complex. Yes,
of course, I can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about them!
 Common
buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a plant in the genus Fagopyrum, in
the family Polygonaceae. With its congeners tartary buckwheat (F. tartaricum
Gaertn) and perennial buckwheat (F. cymosum L.), it is usually thought
of as a cereal, though unlike all other cereal grains (wheat, rye, corn,
oats, barley, rice, triticale, cheerios, etc.), buckwheat is not a true
grass. Buckwheat is thus, not even related to wheat. The buckwheat plant’s
closest relatives are sorrel, dock, and rhubarb. Its seeds, which are
what buckwheat flour is made from, botanically speaking, are a fruit,
not a grain at all. See! I told you that I was going to tell you more
than you ever wanted to know!!
The name "buckwheat" or "beech wheat" comes from its
triangular seeds, which on a small scale, resemble the much larger seeds
of the beech nut from the beech tree - and the fact that it is used like
wheat. Voila’, beech + wheat = buckwheat. Sounds logical to me!
Common buckwheat was domesticated and first cultivated in southwest Asia
– Persia / Iraq / turkey, possibly around 6000 BC, and from there
spread westwards to Europe and eastwards to Central Asia and then into
Tibet and China. It is documented in Europe in the Balkans by at least
the Middle Neolithic era (circa 4000 BC) and the oldest known remains
in China date to 2600 BC. However, buckwheat pollen is present in Japan
as early as 4000 BC suggesting either that domestication of this plant
occurred earlier than has been documented, or, it spread more rapidly
than previously acknowledged. It is the world's highest elevation domesticated
crop, being cultivated in Yunnan Provence on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau
and on the Plateau itself.
Buckwheat is a short season crop that does well on poor, somewhat acidic
soils, but the soil must be well drained. Too much fertilizer, especially
nitrogen, will greatly reduce yields. In hot climates, it can only be
grown by sowing late in the season, so that it will bloom in cooler weather.
Because fast-growing buckwheat can shoot from seed to mature kernel in
75 days on even the poorest of soils and under the harshest growing conditions,
for centuries it has been a reliable, nourishing food plant in Japan with
a remarkable reputation as being a life-saver in times of famine.
In the western world, in more recent years, word has been spreading that
buckwheat is a super healthy food; one especially well-suited for people
who have grain allergies. Buckwheat contains rutin, a medicinal compound,
useful for treating vascular disorders. It contains absolutely no gluten,
and can thus be eaten by people who suffer from wheat allergies –
usually a reaction to gluten. Be careful, however, all commercial soba noodles contain some wheat flour
to bind them together, and therefore contain gluten. Buckwheat is nutritious
and offers a good source of protein. It also contains an abundance of
vitamins noted to help reduce blood cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
Buckwheat is very high in dietary fiber and also dishes up amino acids,
lipids, and minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphate, and iron. Unfortunately,
we have, as yet, been unable to identify any aphrodisiacal powers at all
for buckwheat. Damn! I was hoping maybe ... ... ... you know .... ah ...
... oh, well ... never mind.
And for folks trying to reduce or eliminate fat from their diet, the best
news of all is that these tasty noodles are one hundred percent fat-free
– at least until we start fiddling with them! Studies have shown
that adding buckwheat to the diet not only helps the body function better
(as in “fiber helps the body function better”), but also lifts
the spirits and renews vitality. Ancient Japanese writings state that
soba is beneficial at cleansing the liver, stomach, and intestines as
well as helping to relieve pain caused by arthritis and rheumatism. We
doubt that any of those claims is actually true. But, what the heck, if
it helps sell noodles!
 Anyone
who has eaten dark, flavorful, buckwheat honey will be familiar with the
earthy flavor and tempting aroma of the buckwheat plant which is also
reflected in the buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour can be purchased in
various forms – from very light flour, all the way to dark flour,
as well as fine grade and course grade cracked groats. (Isn’t that
a fun sounding word?)
Buckwheat flour has a naturally sweet, light flavor, and pleasant nutty
aroma which gives the long, thin brownish soba noodle so much of its appealing
character. The appealing character certainly doesn’t come from the
color! When making soba noodles, the best success comes from using light
buckwheat flour which is available at larger supermarkets, Asian grocery,
or health food stores. One of the oldest Japanese secrets for making a
top quality soba noodle is to use the freshest flour available.
As any noodle lover knows, the world of noodles is a big one with almost
every country having a traditional noodle deeply rooted in its history
and culture.
Italy is known for its long pastas like spaghetti and linguini, Germany
is noted for spatzle, and Hungary for its pinched noodles (csipetke),
India is famed for a snacking noodle called Wai-Wai and nothing says China
like chow mien. In Japan, its either soba or udon noodles. 
In Japan, soba noodles are served in a variety of situations. They are
a popular, inexpensive, fast food at train stations throughout Japan,
they are served by small streetside “noodle shops” and by
exclusive and expensive specialty restaurants, and they are also made
at home. Markets sell both fresh soba noodles and dried noodles along
with men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy.
There are dozens of different noodle products served up all over Japan.
However, soba is traditionally the noodle of choice around Tokyo. This
tradition originates from the Edo period when the population of Edo (Tokyo),
being considerably wealthier than the rural poor, were more susceptible
to beri beri due to their high consumption of expensive “milled
white rice” which is low in thiamine. The Edoians made up for this
by regularly eating thamine-rich soba (buckwheat) noodles. Every neighbourhood
had at least one or two soba establishments, many also serving sake, which
functioned much like modern “pub grills” where locals would
drop by casually for a drink and a snack and to socialize.
Soba is virtually always eaten with chopsticks everywhere except at Tapino,
where there is not a chopstick to be had. In Japan, it is traditionally
considered polite to slurp the noodles noisily. This is especially common
with hot noodles, as drawing up the noodles quickly into the mouth acts
to cool them down. We frown on loud slurping at Tapino!
Like many Japanese noodles, soba noodles are often served drained and
chilled in the summer, and hot in the winter with a soy-based dashi broth.
Extra toppings can be added onto both hot and cold soba. Toppings are
chosen to reflect the seasons and to balance with other ingredients. Most
toppings are added without much cooking, although some are deep-fried.
Cold chilled soba noodles are often served on a sieve-like bamboo tray
called a zaru, sometimes garnished with bits of dried nori seaweed, with
a dipping sauce known as soba tsuyu on the side. The tsuyu is made of
a strong mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce and mirin. Using chopsticks,
the diner picks up a small amount of soba from the tray and swirls it
in the cold tsuyu before eating it. Wasabi, scallions, and grated ginger are often mixed into the tsuyu. At Tapino, you eat them
with a fork, you don’t swirl them, and you eat them the way we fix
them – there ain’t no tsuyu sauce.
Hot soba noodles are also often served as a noodle soup in a bowl of hot
tsuyu. The hot tsuyu in this instance is thinner than that used as a dipping
sauce for chilled soba. Popular garnishes are sliced scallion and shichimi
toragashi (mixed chilli powder)
Soba is traditionally eaten on New Years Eve in most areas of Japan, a
tradition which survives to this day. In the Tokyo area, there is also
a tradition of giving out soba to new neighbours after the move into your
neighborhood.
You can buy many different brands of commercially prepared soba noodles
which are usually sold in dried forms at most stores that carry Asian
foods, but absolutely nothing measures up to making your own soba noodles
at home (yeah, right!) and serving them super fresh in the same manner
as Japanese cooks have been doing for hundreds of years.
Do you wanna try cooking up a batch of Soba?
Sure you do!
Here’s how to go about it:
To Cook Soba Noodles
(Fresh or dried): 
As with any pasta, use plenty of water for cooking. A general rule of
thumb is to use 4 quarts of water per 1 pound of fresh noodles or 6 oz
or dried noodles. Bring water to a rolling boil. Add noodles while stirring
gently back and forth with a long wooden spoon. When the starch begins
to dissolve, the water will turn milky. As the water reaches a second
boil, it will start to foam and rise quickly to the top. Be ready to lower
the heat to keep it from running over. 
Once heat is lowered, simmer for 1 minute. A properly cooked soba noodle
should be tender, firm, and chewy. Set strainer over another large pot
and pour noodles into strainer catching the cooking liquid known as soba-yu.
This liquid contains valuable nutrients, and can be used in the broth,
or saved for another day's soup.
Empty the noodles from the strainer into a large bowl of cold water, and
rinse well. This step firms up the noodles, and washes off excess starch.
Rinse well. If you are serving the noodles cold, rinse in ice water, drain
well, and chill until serving time. If serving noodles hot, they can be
reheated by dipping into hot water or broth for about a minute.
Make your own Soba
Noodles from Scratch 
The rewards of making your own soba noodles are many. For one thing, they
are economical, easy, and downright fun (depends on your definition of
“fun”) to make. Making soba noodles, a process the Japanese
call “Te-uchi”, which means “beating the buckwheat",
insures that you are feeding your family the freshest noodles.
The downside to making them yourself is that it is one hell of a lot of
work, it makes a horrible mess, and you might cut yourself. And, if it
turns out that you don’t actually like soba noodles, what do you
do with all the leftovers? Your best option is to try out the ones that
you can get at Tapino! Yep, that’s the best answer. Trust me, I
know about these things!
The term "beating the buckwheat" has nothing to do with racial
violence in old “Little Rascals” movies! It refers to the
fact that buckwheat has no gluten, and does not stretch or bind easily.
It must be beaten and kneaded well with the hands to coax it to take on
a viscosity that has almost magical powers. As the flour is worked, its
water-soluble proteins slowly break down and the dough begins to bind
— a stage often referred to by soba experts as 'blossoming of the
dough'. We call it “opening the bag” at Tapino.
 When
it comes to making soba noodles, take comfort in knowing that even if
the first couple of batches aren't perfectly uniform in shape and size,
they will still be quite edible (unless you really screwed up) and your
effort and money will not have been wasted. Once you get the hang of rolling
and cutting the noodles, they will be picture-perfect and delicious every
time. Yeah, right.
This recipe makes about 2-1/2 pounds of noodles, with 1-1/4 pounds of
fresh noodles required to serve 4. You can spread excess noodles on a
cutting board, or drape noodles over a stick to air dry. You might even
try giving them a ride in your clothes dryer on the “delicate”
cycle. Who knows, it might be worth a try. When all the moisture is gone,
store noodles in an airtight container to give them a long shelf life.
They are very fragile, and break easily, so handle carefully.
You can freeze freshly made noodles for future use by packaging them  in
zip-lock bags. You can also put the surplus noodles in a sealed container,
and set them in the fridge where they will keep very well for up to a
week. If you get really, really good at this noodle making thing, ...
and you have a health department permit for your kitchen, you might consider
bringing your surplus hand-made soba noodles down to Tapino and bartering
them for wine or something. We are always on the lookout for opportunities
to buy products directly from farmers and producers. We would even be
willing to pay a premium, if you can prove that you also grew your own
buckwheat, organic of course, and milled it into flour yourself!
Ingredients:
• 6 cups of light buckwheat flour
• 2 cups unbleached wheat “bread flour”
• 2 cups hot water
Directions:
• In large mixing bowl, blend flours. While mixing the flour together
in a circular motion with your hand, slowly stir in 1-3/4 cups of hot
water in a continuous manner, stirring constantly to avoid lumps from
forming.
• Using hands, mix until all flour is moistened. Using both hands,
grasp the damp flour between your finger tips, pressing flour between
your palms and letting it drop back into the bowl. Work the flour in this
manner until it feels like little pebbles.
• Grab a handful of flour with both hands, and squeeze tightly.
You will feel the flour starting to take on body. Break the handfuls of
dough apart, let them drop back into the bowl, and then form another two
handfuls. Work the flour, for about 2 or 3 minutes in the above fashion,
repeating until the flour begins to get sticky. This is what is called
'blossoming' the dough.
• Add the remaining water, and continue working the dough by20 grabbing
with your hands, rubbing, and dropping it back into the bowl. You will
notice the pebbles expanding. Work the dough until it can be formed into
one big smooth ball. 
• Continue kneading until smooth, and elastic, rolling the dough
ball around inside the bowl to drive out hidden air pockets.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, and form into balls. Place
in another bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Sprinkle a large work surface
with buckwheat flour, and roll out a ball of dough until it is about 1/8
inch thick, making its length about twice as long as its width.
• Lay the sheet of dough on a countertop that has been lightly sprinkled
with buckwheat flour.
• Roll out remaining balls of dough, sprinkling each sheet lightly
with buckwheat flour before layering on top of each other. 
• Transfer the layers to a cutting board, and cut the layers in
half, restacking neatly. Fold in half. I now calculate that you have a
pile that is 24 layers tall.
• To cut noodles, place one hand on dough as a guide, and using
sharp knife, cut into thin noodles about 1/8 inch wide. Strive to work
the knife in a smooth, continuous slice for uniform noodles. Strive not
to get bits and pieces of your fingers mixed in with the fresh noodles.
• When the noodles are sliced, separate gently with your hands.
They are now ready for cooking.
• You, on the other hand, are now tired and dirty and ready for
a nice nap, a visit from a professional house cleaner, and then dinner
out tonight at Tapino!
YAKI SOBA NOODLES
Ingredients: Serves 4 or 5
• 1 1/2 lb. meat (beef or pork), cut into small chunks; stir fry
meat works well
• 1 lg. green bell pepper
• 1 med. head cabbage
• 6 oz dry soba noodles
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 6 green onions or 2 med. yellow onions
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
• Cut meat into small chunks and cook in oil; stir fry.
• Remove meat and set aside. Make sure enough oil is left to stir
fry cabbage, pepper and onions.
• Cut cabbage into chunks, cut pepper and onions into strips.
• Cook cabbage; remove from skillet.
• Cook onions and peppers together.
• In large sauce pan cook noodles, drain.
• Mix noodles, meat, vegetables and sauce.
• Serve hot, in bowls
JAPANESE NOODLE, SHRIMP, AND
CUCUMBER SALAD
Ingredients:
• 2/3 c. rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
SALAD:
• 1 lb. fresh bean sprouts
• 14 oz. dried soba noodles
• 1/4 c. oriental sesame oil
• 2 lbs. cooked bay shrimp
• 3 lg. cucumbers, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• 6 green onions, sliced
• Red cabbage leaves
Directions:
For Dressing:
• Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, oil, sugar, and mustard in
small bowl.
• Season with cayenne pepper.
• Cover and leave at room temperature.(Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
For Salad:
• Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water 30 seconds.
• Drain and refresh in cold water. Drain.
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil.
• Add noodles and boil until tender, stirring occasionally, about
3 minutes.
• Drain noodles. Refresh in cold water. Drain and place in large
bowl.
• Add sesame oil and toss to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate bean sprouts and noodles separately.(Can
be prepared up to 6 hours ahead.)
• Add bean sprouts, shrimp, cucumbers, and onions to noodles.
• Drizzle with dressing. Toss gently to combine.
• Line platter with cabbage leaves and mound salad in center.
CURRIED YAKI SOBA NOODLES WITH
MEAT
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. of any of the following: boneless chicken thighs, shrimp,
scallops, pork, veal, beef or fish (cut into strips)
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. sake (or sherry)
• 1/4 tsp. black ground pepper
• 5 tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 lg. onion, thinly sliced
• 2 lg. cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. gingerroot, minced
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/4 lb. snow peas
• 1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 lb. fresh Soba noodles, cooked according to pkg. directions
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. fresh coriander leaves OR 2 minced scallions
Directions:
• In a medium bowl marinate meat or fish with soy sauce, sake (or
sherry), and black pepper for 10 minutes.
• In wok or large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Add onion, garlic, gingerroot; cook 1 minute.
• Add pepper strips, snow peas and mushrooms; cook until crisp-tender
(about 1 minute).
• Remove mixture from wok. Wipe wok (or pan) dry if moist and reheat
on high heat.
• Stir-fry meat or fish for 30 seconds,
• reduce heat slightly and add curry powder.
• Stir-fry until spice blend is aromatic and meat or fish is cooked.
• Add vegetable mixture and cooked noodles and combine.
• Mix in soy sauce, coriander leaves (or green onions) and salt,
if desired.
• Go to Tapino and try the seared Tuna Tataki with soba noodles
instead.
Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Notes: Soba (Japanese buckwheat) noodles and powdered
wasabi are available in the Asian food section of well-stocked supermarkets
as well as in Asian markets; bonito flakes are available in Asian markets.
Ingredients: Makes 6 servings
• 1 pound fresh soba noodles 
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon powdered wasabi
• 1/2 cup minced green onions
• 1/4 cup dried bonito flakes (optional)
Directions:
• In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water
to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender to bite, 3 to 6 minutes.
• Drain noodles and rinse gently under cold running water until
cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame
oil, and wasabi.
• Pour about half the dressing into a small bowl and reserve.
• Add noodles to the large bowl; mix to coat.
• Cover and chill until cold, about 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
• Just before serving, add reserved dressing to noodles and mix
to coat.
• Sprinkle salad with green onions and bonito flakes, if using (Bonito
flakes are strong “fishy” tasting – many Americans don’t
like the flavor). 
Home-Made Buckwheat Pancakes
Directions:
• Take about a pound of packaged dry Soba noodles and give them
a ride in your electric blender until you have pounded them into a fine
powder
• Dump the noodle powder into a bowl and add in a couple of eggs,
about a half cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, a pinch of baking powder,
and enough buttermilk to make a very heavy liquid - almost paste.
• Ladle this glop out onto a hot griddle and make yourself a batch
of genuine buckwheat-buttermilk pancakes.
I have never actually tried this. It just came to me in
a flash of insight. But, it seems to make sense if you realize that the
soba noodles are nothing more than uncooked buckwheat and wheat flour.
Try it and let me know if it works! If it does, tell everyone that you
learned about it at Tapino. If it flops, keep it to yourself!
Chicken and Soba Noodle Soup
Ingredients: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil 
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared hot chile sauce with garlic
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (8-ounce) chicken breast halves, skinned
• 2 ounces dry uncooked soba noodles
• 4 cups shredded bok choy
• 1 cup (1/2-inch) slices green onions
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Directions:
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add carrot, celery, and chopped onion; cook 5 minutes or until
tender, stirring frequently.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, ginger, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring
constantly.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, water, soy sauce, chile sauce, broth, and
chicken.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.
• Remove chicken from pan; cool slightly. Remove chicken from bones.
Shred meat with 2 forks; discard bones.
• Add chicken to pan; bring to a boil.
• Add soba; cook 5 minutes.
• Stir in bok choy; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.
• Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, green onions, basil, and pepper; cook
2 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in lime juice.
• Serve hot in bowls
Shrimp Soba Noodle Soup
Ingredients: Makes 2 servings
• 8 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 ounces dry soba noodles
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, to taste
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant dashi stock
• 2 scallions, sliced
Directions:
• cook soba in boiling water for 4-5 minutes until done.
• meanwhile heat stock, soy, mirin, sugar, dashi to boil in a saucepan.
• add shrimp, cook for 2 minutes until cooked through. 
• drain soba, divide between 2 bowls pour shrimp and soup over noodles,
top with scallions, serve.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients: Makes 2 servings (or one really, really
large serving)
• One can Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup
• One can water
Directions:
• Dump contents of soup can into sauce pan
• Dump water into sauce pan
• Heat and stir until hot
• Eat from pan, standing over kitchen sink
Soba Noodle cake
Directions: (Serves 1 as an appetizer, or 4 as a taste,
or one small child as an entrée!)
• Drive down to Tapino and try ours
• It is served hiding underneath the Charred Tuna Tataki
• It has been drizzled with Yuzu sesame dressing. Yummmmmmm!!
• Serve up with good wine and good friends, as the beginning of
a fun evening of dining
Bon Appetite’
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