COLD GREEN TEA SOBA (CHASOBA)

William Parker
ccSCOOP Food Editor

In the cold winter months, there are few things are soul satisfying as anything made with dashi, the beautiful Japanese broth of bonito flakes which finds its way into miso soup as well as this classic soba.

It’s easy to assemble. You just may to be careful not to overcook dried soba. (What’s al dente in Japanese?) The aforementioned miso soup and sake are wonderful with this.

Serves 3 to 4

What You’ll Need:

Medium-sized pot for boiling the soba
Small grater or microplane
Pitcher of very cold water

7.5 ounce package of green tea soba (chasoba ujimadori)*
1 bottle soup base for soba*
½ sheet toasted nori (seaweed)**
daikon (Japanese radish)***
1 small bunch scallions
2 tablespoons wasabi powder (Japanese mustard)

Soba plates and bamboo mats for serving (optional)****

1. Put a pot of water on to boil for the soba.
2. Meanwhile, wash, dry, and slice the scallions (green part as well as white) into thin rounds. Set aside.
3. Add water—a little at a time—to the wasabi powder to make a thick paste that can be formed like dough. Separate into 3 or 4 parts—one for each serving. Set aside.
4. Grate daikon very finely. (It should be almost slushy.) Assemble into small mounds—one for each serving. Set aside.
5. Pour soup base for soba into 3 or 4 small bowls.
6. With scissors, cut nori into narrow strips.
7. Cook soba in gently boiling water, being careful not to overcook. Drain in colander, then refresh with very cold water until soba feels cool to the touch. Drain thoroughly.
8. Divide soba among 3 or 4 plates and top with strips of nori. Provide each diner with a portion of the wasabi, the daikon, and the scallions.
9. Diners mix the wasabi, daikon, and scallions—to personal taste—in the soup base. Using chopsticks or a fork, diners should dip the noodles into the soup base as they eat.

All products needed for green tea soba are available in Asian markets in Albany:

Lee’s Market
1170 Central Avenue
518 459-5250

Kim’s Oriental Shoppe
1649 Central Avenue
518 869-9981

*Green tea soba, soup base, and wasabi are also available from amazon.com.

**Toasted nori is available from Pacific Mercantile.

***Daikon is a fresh vegetable and is not available online. It can be purchased at Asian markets and some supermarkets. Substituting regular radishes is not advisable since the taste would be too harsh.

**** Although not necessary for serving cold soba, faux lacquer plates and bamboo mats are available here