Soba Noodle Soup

1. Soba:

     [Buckwheat Noodles]   7 ounces is about 2-1/3 standard 75 gram bundles. these noodles come two ways, 100% Buckwheat and Buckwheat with Wheat Flower. Those with Wheat Flower are best for this salad, unless you want Vegan or Gluten Free. The 100% take more care in cooking and tend to break up. For details, see our Soba Noodles page.

2. Hon Dashi

     (hon means "true"). This instant soup base is made from shaved dried bonito fish and is easily available in any market serving a Japanese or Korean community. It is very widely used in Japan today. Alternatively you can make your own dashi in various ways, including vegetarian (usually made from mushroom soaking liquid and kelp). For details, see our recipes page Dashi.

3. Mirin:

     This is traditionally a very sweet Sake (Hon Mirin), but most commercial products are faked up. Our recipe Mirin - Non Traditional is very easy to make at home and closer to traditional than most commercial products.

4. Proportions:

     I use a 12 ounce (1-1/2 cup) bowl which is fairly substantial. Note that Japanese soup bowls are narrower and deeper than European soup bowls. For the 12oz size use 3/4 cup of Noodles and 1 cup of Dashi. If the soup isn't a major item you can use a 1 cup bowl, 1/2 cup of noodles and 2/3 cup Dashi.

5. Enjoying:

     In Japan, chopsticks would be use to pick up some noodles, which will trail down. After the mouth gets hold of them they are simply sucked up, guided by the chopsticks. This can be done quite silently, but in Japan it's traditional to be noisy to express your delight. The broth is simply sipped holding the bowl up. If you or your guests are not good with chopsticks, you can supply salad forks for fetching the noodles. You can also provide spoons if your etiquette does not permit drinking from the bowl. I would use Chinese type ceramic spoons.
6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

Toppings

• Scallions:

    Slice crosswise very thin, green and white.

• Wakame:

    This is a very commonly available seaweed, dried in plastic bags or salted found in the refrigerated section of Asian markets. The salted as it tastes fresher and is more crunchy. Soak dried Wakame in warm water for 20 minutes. Just rinse well if salted. For details see our Wakame page.

• Fish Cake

    Japanese Cake comes in several forms. You want one of the two unfried forms. Artificial Crab Meat is pretty much the same thing. For details see our Surimi & Surimi Products.

• Tofu:

    Cut into smallish dice, usually Soft Tofu.

• Tofu, Crisp Fired:

    pan fried. Cut into small dice before frying.

• Tofu, Deep Fried:

  cut into strips or smallish dice.

• Choy Leaves & tender stems:

    especially Yu Choy and Gai Lan. This should be steamed tender before using.

• Sesame Seeds Toasted:

  See our recipe Toasted Sesame Seeds.

• Mushrooms:

    If fresh Shiitakes, soak them as if dried and wring them out, it greatly changes the texture. Cut into strips.

• Eggs:

  lengthwise cut halves of boiled eggs, yolk side up, preferably with soft half-cooked yolks.

• Ginger, Red Pickled:

    cut into narrow strips if not purchased that way.

• Carrot Sticks:

    cut into short thin strips and simmered crisp tender before using. Thin disks cut into a flower pattern with a tiny cookie cuter are also used.

• Nagaimo:

    [Mountain Yam]   Grated.

• Spinach:

    torn leaves or small lengths of tender stems. Steam lightly before use.

• Shichimi Togarashi:

  [Japanese Seven Spice] just a dash on top, it's got a lot of Chili heat.

• Komatsuna:

    a Japanese turnip green, extremely hard to find in North America, or elsewhere outside Japan. Steam lightly before use.

• Whatever comes to mind

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