SOBA or Japanese Soba Noodle is a really traditional food of Japan.  I don’t know when Soba noodle’s history began in Japan but it’s fact that Soba is probably the food with the longest history among Japanese food.

Soba is a very delicate food. Soba noodle is made of Soba Powder and Water, sometimes flour is added to make it adhesive.

Soba has herb like aroma and the taste is really simple. It’s a vegetarianfood like noodle. Contained energy is low and it has no fat. As a healthy food, Soba is one of the top choices.

Soba is made as above. Good Soba is made by human hands, not by machine, to cut the noodles. This is called Teuchi-Soba ( human hand cut soba).  If it’s cut by machines, Soba usually loses its natural taste.  Maybe you should compare the machine-cut soba and teuchi soba.  You will soon understand how Teuchi Soba tastes better.

Most of the process is done by human, so the Soba chef is regarded as professional chef with high technique. To become such, it takes time.  That’s why Soba professionals are often old people, rather than the younger.

For example, when I was young, I didn’t understand the taste of Soba. Gradually as I grew old, my tongue became sensitive enough to see the Soba’s flavor. Now I like Soba very much and I can tell good one and bad one at one look, or one bite.

There are 2 ways of Soba tasting.

Firstly, it’s called Zarusoba or Morisoba.  Zarusoba is a cold Soba on the mesh after washed by water. Seaweed is topped on the soba.  Soba sauce is specially made for the cold soba.  Morisoba is almost the same, but one different point is that Morisoba doesn’t have seaweed.  Often tempura come together with Soba, and then it’s called Tenzaru Soba. ( Ten means Tempura, Zaru means mesh)

Next, there is hot soba style.  Soba is put in a bowl with soup. This is also popular, and also sometimes comes with Tempura, which is called Tempura Soba or Tensoba.

You can order whichever you like at soba restaurants. For Japanese, it’s often said that Soba lovers like cold soba better because cold soba gives more soba flavor and soba taste directly to eaters’ tongue.

If you go to Japan, you will find traditional Soba restaurants. Most of them are old Japanese style building. They all have long history.  Price is a little higher than newer places but as a experience, we recommend you try the traditional Soba place at least once. 

There are many newly built Soba restaurants in Japan, too.  Probably they also give us good Soba because there can’t be many bad soba places in Japan.  As a note, near the train stations, you often find a Soba Stand. That’s Soba eating place without seats. So everything is quick there.  Price is cheapest there, but taste is not as good as traditional restaurants, of course.  I don’t recommend this stand if you are the first time soba eater.

You can see the Teuchi Soba professional work below.