Perfect guide about Soba in Oishida
Soba is buckwheat noodle which is really famous in Yamagata-pre. Soba restaurant is so many that I don't know how many they are in Yamagata. There are 15 Soba restaurants in Oishida town and all of them are very popular. However they are less used by foreign travelers.
Don't you like cold noodle?
Less chewy than Udon noodle??
I recommend to eat Soba in Oishida, it is totally different with Soba in urban city.
Oishida's Soba is rustic style. Its noodle is thicker and chewier and stronger flavor.
Hope you know what is real Soba like and enjoy our special Soba noodle!!
Ita-Soba
(Buckwheat noodle on the wooden board)
This is originally Yamagata style. Yamagata locals used to eat Soba in spare time at agricultural work. Then Soba was served on the big wooden board and locals shared it. Eating Soba was a kind of tool for communicating with others. For avoiding to loose this connection, Soba has been served on the wooden board, not on the bamboo strainer which is considered that the connection is dropping down from the hole.
Buckwheat species
There are many buckwheat species in Japan. Oishida has endemic species called "Raigo-ji Zairai". It was originally came from Kyushu area. After the process of selective breeding, Raigo-ji Zairai was getting bigger and it had stronger flavor.
Raigo-ji Zairai is suitable for cultivating in Oishida. There are large temperature gap between day and night here. The whole town is usually covered heavy mist in the morning. Once we tried to grow it in other places, but it was not grown very well. That's why Soba made from Raigo-ji Zairai is special gourmet in Oishida!
Special care for grinding
First flour
When buckwheat is grounded by stone grinder, white powder which is the center part of buckwheat comes out at first. First flour is mainly protein and its flavor is very soft. The Soba noodle using it is very smoothly to eat.
It is called "Sarashina" Soba noodle
Second flour
Next germ is grounded. Light green-yellow flour is called (Niban-ko)second flour. This flour is very nutritious.
Third flour
The flour which is surface of buckwheat after removing its chaff. It contain all of smell component. That's why third flour has strongest flavor, though it is not smoothly, a little crumbly.
All grounded flour
It is called "Hikigurumi", it don't separate at all, all of buckwheat is grounded into flour. Most Soba noodle restaurant in Oishida use this flour!
What is "Two-Eight" Soba?
You might usually hear"Ni-Hachi(2-8) Soba noodle" in Soba restaurant. What is it on earth??
It represent the percentage of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. We often use 3 kinds of word about Soba.
NI-hachi(2-8) Soba
Soba with 20% of wheat flour and 80% of buckwheat flour
Toichi(one-other) Soba
Soba with10% of wheat flour and 90% of buckwheat flour
Juwari(10 divide) Soba
Soba with 100% buckwheat flour
Higher percentage buckwheat flour is, stronger flavor it has and higher skill the chef mastered because it is really difficult to knead 100% buckwheat dough.
When you eat Soba noodle in Yamagata-pref, definitely use chili powder on the table and order fried squid
When we eat soba noodle, we often order Tempra in Japan. Assorted Tempra usually includes shrimps, seasonable veggies. However Yamagata locals like to eat Soba noodle with Tempra of squid's legs. This is Yamagata style!
You may notice chili powder on the table. It is original in here.Locals like to powder on Soba directly.
Cold soup chicken noodle
Ordinary Soba is eaten as dipping style cold Soba or hot soup style Soba in Japan. But Yamagata has one more cold soup style Soba. it is usually added chicken as garnishing. Even though Yamagata-pref is located north east area in Japan, but it is totally hot on summer. Then we usually eat noodle since it eat smoothly if we don't have appetite.Chicken flavor is mixed in the broth, it is much more tasty!!
Buckwheat dumpling
It is really simple dish. Ordinary buckwheat flour with hot water only. But Soba restaurant in Oishida serve several kinds of buckwheat dumpling such as fried or with chestnut source. Its flavor is stronger than noodle, so it is really popular among Soba lovers.
When you order dipping style cold Soba noodle, restaurant provide Soba soup at last. This is a hot water boiled Soba. Nutrition of buckwheat is soluble in water. So when Soba noodle was boiled, its nutrition went away. That's why we pour the hot water to dipping broth as your favorite thickness for making up the nutrition. If you order soup style Soba noodle, it doesn't serve, please keep in mind!!
