There’s no better way to cool down from the summer heat than a refreshing, chilled bowl of hiyashi soba! On my recent trip to Japan, I vividly remembered the refreshing burst of flavours of Hiyashi Soba after sightseeing in 40-degree weather. Also known as Hiyashi Chuka, this is a popular summer food in Japan, commonly consumed in Okinawa, Osaka and Kyoto. Other variations include the use of chilled ramen or udon Noodles.

Soba noodles are made from buckwheat which is considered a seed rather than a grain. Soba Noodles can be made from 100% pure buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat flour and regular wheat flour. Buckwheat contains all 9 essential amino acids which are building blocks for proteins in the body. This means that it’s a complete source of protein for both vegetarians and vegans. Many grains may be lacking in some of these essential amino acids.

Hiyashi soba is somewhat similar to korean bibimbap since there’s a colourful mixture of vegetables over the top. There are no hard rules for the toppings, but the common ones include cucumber, grated yam (tororo) or grated radish (daikon oroshi), tomatoes, carrots, artificial crabstick, shredded egg or chicken. Typically, hiyashi soba is served with a soy-based dressing on the side. This would be poured all over the noodles just before eating. For a twist of some spicy Korean flavours, you can consider adding 1 teaspoon of gochujang (Korean chilli paste) to toss with the noodles.

Hiyashi Soba

Serves: 3                  Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients And Preparation:

For noodles:

• 2 x 90g bunch soba noodles (pure buckwheat flour is best)

1. Boil noodles till al dente
2. Soak in iced water to cool and achieve ‘bouncy’ texture
3. Divide into bowls

For shredded egg crepe:

• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A few drops of soy sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons of cooking oil (eg. canola or olive)

1. Beat egg mixture
2. Fry on a large non-stick pan to achieve a thin layer of egg crepe
3. Slice into thin shreds
4. Assemble on soba noodles

For vegetable toppings:

• 1 telegraphic cucumber, julienned
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 30 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 pack shimeji mushrooms, boiled

Assemble all toppings on top of soba noodles

For sauce dressing:

• 5 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon black vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 0.5 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine all ingredients and serve it on the side of soba noodles. Add seaweed strips and sesame seeds to garnish. Pour dressing all over noodles just before consuming.

Nutritional Facts:

Per serving: 323  calories; 11g fat; 49g carbohydrates; 16g protein

Carbohydrate Servings: 3