I only recently found out that soba noodles are not usually made with 100% buckwheat flour anymore. A friend living in Japan, who shares some of the same obsessive food interests as me, informed me of this misleading detail. I’m not sure if it’s to cut costs or if many people prefer a noodle with some wheat flour, but in any case, it’s a bit more difficult to find the real stuff. He said he was similarly surprised to find out that warabi mochi is almost never made with warabi anymore — but instead made with potato starch. He of course spent time tracking down both real soba and warabi mochi and I was able to benefit from his sleuthing while I was in Japan. When I returned home, my mom mailed me some from her beloved Japanese grocery store and I was also able to find the 100% buckwheat soba online. I was reminded of the first time I found out that there are chocolate products that aren’t considered true chocolate and pints that look like ice cream but have “frozen dairy dessert” in small print. I prefer to know up front about these things. Maybe there’s not a huge difference in taste but isn’t there anything to be said about authenticity? Especially for those with gluten sensitivity, there aren’t many noodles out there made without wheat flour, and buckwheat is a good alternative.
Summer soba always makes an appearance at my house during these hot months. It’s refreshing, light and doesn’t feel as heavy as many noodle dishes. I find the nuttiness of buckwheat quite delightful.
Traditionally, soba noodles are eaten cold with a shoyu-based dipping sauce. But they are quite amenable to hot soups or even saucy recipes. I made a Korean-style sauce and added pork, a natural accompaniment. I think thick-sliced braised pork belly would be good, too, but I prefer the thin-sliced meat for a very quick meal. This can be on the table in 20 minutes.
Quick Pork Soba
Ingredients:
• 200 grams soba noodles
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Oil for the pan
• 3/4 pound thin-sliced pork belly (sukiyaki or shabu shabu cut)
• Salt
• Green onion
• Cilantro
• Sesame seeds
Directions:
Boil the soba noodles according to package directions and rinse them in cold water.
In a small bowl combine the gochujang, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add about a tablespoon of avocado or vegetable oil. When hot, add the pork belly and a few pinches of salt. Stir and quickly cook. It should cook through in a minute if it is thin-sliced.
Add the sauce and the noodles and toss until the noodles are just heated and coated.
Mince green onion and cilantro to top the noodles for serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds as desired.
Serves 2-3.
Mariko Jackson writes about family and food. Email her at thelittlefoodie@gmail.com.
