So you want to buy soba, those slippery, slurpable noodles you’ve been dreaming of eating in soups for days. You’ve hyped yourself up: You’re wearing your good sweatpants, the ones with the good elastic. You’ve got Lizzo bumping in your ears, reminding you that can do anything. You didn’t even have to take a DNA test to know that you are 100 percent that cook.*
(*You know the lyric.)
You head to the grocery store, saunter over to the noodle aisle, and then you realize you’re not exactly sure where to start. Don’t worry. We’ve got you.
First, know the basics. What are soba noodles? Soba is a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour and water, and sometimes a bit of whole-wheat flour to keep the noodles from deteriorating. Making soba by hand is an intensely complicated process that artisans spend years studying. But while the absolute best soba is made in small batches and sold fresh, soba for your weeknight life is readily available at the grocery store.
Then, know what to look for. Generally speaking, buckwheat flour should always be one of the first ingredients on the label, and the list should be relatively short. You’re looking for a high ratio of buckwheat flour to whole-wheat flour: Ideally, the noodles will contain around 70–80 percent buckwheat (this is the nihachi-style). Anything containing a higher percentage of buckwheat is prone to falling apart during the cooking process. But too little buckwheat means your noodles will be prone to gumminess and bloating (and they won’t be as nutty-tasting).
This ratio of buckwheat to whole-wheat flour can vary widely depending on the brand and variety. But a good rule of thumb is that the larger the percentage of buckwheat in the soba, the darker gray-brown the color will be.
Soba noodles play nicely with creamy sauces and crispy leaves.
