Soba means buckwheat (蕎麦) in Japanese and soba noodles are delicately presented on a bamboo mat within a wooden box called a zaru (笊), at least that is how it was served to me in a Japanese restaurant. I love soba noodles especially when they are cold and mixed with thinly shredded crispy nori, which gives the dish a fresh flavor from the sea; cold soba noodles are perfect to eat on a steaming hot summer day. 😉

Soba contains all eight essential amino acids, including lysine (not found in wheat), making it a powerful substitute for people who are on a gluten-free diet or who are allergic to soy. Pure soba noodles are not widely available and as commercial soba noodles are a mix of buckwheat and wheat flour, you will have to check the label if you have allergies.

If, like me, you struggle to use chop sticks you can always try to wrap a bunch of noodles around it and eat it! 😛

Kitchen Gadgets: Pot

Ingredients

• 200g fresh soba noodles
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chilli oil
• paprika powder to taste
• 1 nori sheet
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• ⅓ cucumber

Instructions

1. Use scissors to cut the nori sheet into very thin shreds. Set aside.
2. Prepare a bowl of icy cold water, set aside.
3. Pour enough water into the pot and boil the soba noodles on high heat for 3 minutes, then turn down to medium heat and continue cooking for 1 minute. 4. 4. Scoop out the noodles and immerse them immediately into the icy water. While the noodles are cooking, slice the tomatoes and cucumber.
4. To prepare the sauce mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chilli oil together.
5. Top the noodles with the sauce and nori shreds and sprinkle on some paprika. Enjoy!