soba

Soba are Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour. Traditional soba can be made with 100% buckwheat flour, known as juwari soba, or with a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour, commonly in an about 80/20 ratio called hachi-wari. The dough is rolled and cut into thin strands and can be dried for shelf stability or sold fresh.

Soba can be served hot in a dashi-based broth called kake soba or cold, with a soy-based dipping sauce called tsuyu. Common cold preparations include zaru soba and mori soba. Toppings and condiments vary, including chopped scallions, grated daikon, wasabi, shredded nori, and tempura.

Culturally, soba is a traditional staple across Japan and features regional specialties; Nagano (Shinshu) and Hokkaido are well known for soba production. In Japanese tradition, soba is eaten on New Year’s Eve as toshi-koshi soba, believed to bring longevity and cleansing of the past year.

Because buckwheat flour is gluten-free, soba made with only buckwheat is naturally gluten-free; however, most commercially produced soba contain some wheat flour to aid elasticity and texture, so labeling should be checked for gluten-free suitability.