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Mitoku’s Sobu Noodles – Made of Buckwheat, Not Whole Wheat
The Macro Plate is rice, beans, steamed vegetables and sea vegetables with carrot-ginger dressing, but I like to substitute the rice with soba noodles. Seeing as how I have become such a fan of soba noodles as of late, I thought that I would start making them at home.
Easier Said Than Done
In my search for soba noodles at my local organic market, it was very difficult to find organic soba noodles that did not contain wheat. Most contained whole wheat and buckwheat. I wanted buckwheat soba noodles with nothing else added.
Finally, I was able to find Mitoku’s wheat-free buckwheat noodles. Mitoko is a very popular Japanese brand that caters mostly to macrobiotic eaters.
Buckwheat is Different Than Whole Wheat
It is widely believed that buckwheat is the same as whole wheat but this is not true.
Buckwheat is not a cereal grain but is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel. Many people, who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens, opt to eat buckwheat.
The health benefits of buckwheat are numerous. It is excellent for the cardiovascular system and is a great source of protein, manganese, magnesium and dietary fiber.
Furthermore, buckwheat contains two important flavonoids that contribute significantly to good health — rutin and quercitin.
The Taste
Making soba noodles is incredibly easy.
You bring water to a boil, add the soba noodles, bring the water to a boil again and then shock the boiling water with cold water. You repeat the shocking process with cold water 1-2 more times.
I was very surprised to find out that the Mitoku soba noodles had such a rich and grainy taste. The texture was much thicker than what I had been eating at Souen. My guess is that Souen serves soba noodles that have both whole wheat AND buckwheat, thereby giving it a softer texture and closer to that of pasta.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the Mitoku soba noodles and will definitely be buying them again.
