Zaru Soba Recipe

Zaru Soba is cold buckwheat noodles with dipping sauce, and it is a cool summer noodle dish in Japan. Zaru means a colander or a strainer in Japanese, and cold Soba noodles are usually served on a slotted bamboo mat that lets water drip through. Zarusoba is the great dish to beat brutal summer heat over there.

Soba has fewer calories and more nutrients such as Vitamin B, various minerals, and fiber. Soba doesn’t contain any gluten. Recent gluten free diet fever may be contributing to the popularity of Soba noodles.

Not only is Soba healthy, but it tastes great, of course. It has a wheaty, nutty, wholesome flavor. It can be wonderful in hot soup too. Hot Soba is for anytime, but there is a special dish eaten on New Year’s Eve, Toshikoshi Soba. Because Soba noodles have no gluten, they can be cut more easily than other noodles. It is believed that eating Soba will cut misfortune of the previous year and bring good luck in the next year.

Ingredients
200g dried Soba noodles
1/2 cup Men-Tsuyu (120ml)
2/3 cup cold water (160ml)
shredded Roasted Seaweed (Nori)
2 green onions, sliced thinly
wasabi

Instructions
In rolling boiling water in a big pot, add dried Soba noodles and stir. After coming back to a boil, cook for 3-4 minutes (follow the instructions on the package). Strain and cool Soba under running water a bit. Chill in ice water for a couple of minutes. Then strain again.Mix Men-Tsuyu and cold water, and divide into dipping bowls. Place Soba on plates and top with shredded Roasted Seaweed. Serve with Men-tsuyu, green onions, and wasabi.

Somen (Cold Noodle) Recipe

Somen are Japanese dried vermicelli noodles eaten cold during summer. Like cold Soba (buckwheat noodle), you dip Somen in the soy sauce-based sauce (men-tsuyu) along with grated ginger and chopped green onions.
Ingredients
2 bunches dried Somen noodle
ice water
1 green onion, thinly sliced
ginger root, grated
1/4 cup Men-Tsuyu (dipping sauce)
1/2 cup water
Instructions
Boil water and add Somen to the boiling water.
Cook for a minute and strain.
Wash Somen in running water, rubbing.
Put ice water in a serving bowl and add Somen.
Mix Men-Tsuyu and water, and serve the sauce along with onion and ginger.