Oodles of Noodles: A Soba Odessey

Buckwheat, the pseudocereal, the wolf in sheeps' clothing of the Poaceae world, was first documented over 4,000 years ago. It really isn't a wheat at all, but a herb plant with triangular seeds, and it is its grain-like usage that earned the buckwheat its erroneous name. Rich in B vitamins, essential amino-acids and Rutin, buckwheat boasts all the good stuff that strengthens capillaries and helps fight cancer and high blood pressure. It is also high in fibre and is the main ingredient in Soba, the legendary Japanese noodle; Nagano, the area where Hakuba is part of, boasts the most famous soba in all of Japan-Shinshu soba.

So in the name of research, I got in my car today and drove around Hakuba town, counting the number of "hand-made soba" shops, and shops selling soba-related items. My guess? Over 20, which is a lot, for a town of 9,000. Also spotted were a number of healthy, rosy- cheeked, edema-free old men and women, obvious beneficiaries of a diet rich in soba, grilled fish and Nagano apples.

The famous noodle is prepared in a variety of ways, the most basic being chilled and served on a flat plat or basket. The soba is usually topped with seaweed (nori) and dipped in a sweet soy (tsuyu) mixed with wasabi and spring onions. When the noodles have been eaten, one then has the option to drink the liquid the soba was cooked in, mixed with the tsuyu (not one of my favourite things). Hot soba, popular in the winter months, is served in a broth and with various toppings (mushrooms, raw egg, mountain vegetables). A particular one to note is the mountain yam, which can only be described as 'slimy'.

Zaru soba and Hot soba, both served with Tempura (deep-fried battered vegetables and prawns).

I stopped at one of the shops selling soba and soba paraphernalia and got myself a packet of the good stuff: dried, Shinshu soba. Here it is in recipe I adapted from 101 Cookbooks, perfect for a warm spring day:

Cold Soba Noodles with Ginger and Tofu

serves 4

400gm dried soba
45gm spring onion, chopped into rings
large handful coriander, chopped roughly
1 lebanese cucumber, sliced thinly

2 tblspn finely minced ginger

4 tblspn soy sauce

2 tblspn rice vinegar

2 tblspn sesame oil

1 heaped tblspn brown sugar

1 heaped tblspn paprika

juice of 1 lemon

150gm firm tofu

toasted white sesame seeds

Boil Soba according to instructions on packet, then drain and refresh with cold water. Slice tofu to 1 inch thickness, then fry in a non-stick pan until both sides are brown. Remove, cool, and cut into cubes. Mix ginger, soy, vinegar, oil, sugar, paprika and lemon juice in a bowl, then toss in noodles, cucumber, coriander and spring onions. Add tofu and top with sesame seeds.