#01 NOODLES

Japanese noodles were made originally as a snack? 

In today’s Japan, we can find all sorts of noodles, each varying in thickness, ingredients, and preparation. Their origin can be traced as far back as the Nara Period about 1,300 years ago. However, the noodles during that time were not as long and thin as those eaten today but were rather like twisted crackers made from dough by mixing wheat and rice flours with salt water. The original form of noodles imported from China was called Sakubei (索餅) (saku (索) meaning a thick rope, and bei (餅) meaning cake made from wheat and rice flours) and is believed by some to be the origin of somen. 
The words somen, udon, and kishimen appeared in a novice textbook called Teikin Orai from the late 14th century. These noodles were eaten mostly by Zen monks as a light snack between meals. Owing to the diffusion of millstones that could efficiently grind grains into flour, udon became a staple among common people in the early Edo period, during which Edo (the old name for Tokyo) was called “The Town of Udon.” The noodle dishes offered at roadside stands and shops along the old Tokaido road and Nakasendo road at that time were mostly udon and somen rather than soba. Since soy sauce was not yet commonly available in those days, noodles were served with miso-based soup or dipping sauce, and koshi (firmness and elasticity) was not considered an important quality of udon as it is today.

Was soba a late bloomer? 

Soba is one of the mostly distinctly Japanese dishes today. Soba (buckwheat) seeds and pollen have been found in Jomon period ruins, suggesting that it has been cultivated and consumed in Japan since at least a few thousand years ago. However, its first appearance in literature was in the Nara period, during which buckwheat grains were eaten as porridge due to the nonexistence of noodle making techniques. In those days, soba porridge was not a delicacy but was considered more like an emergency food during famine, as buckwheat can grow in soils of low fertility and be harvested a few times a year. It therefore was seldom eaten by aristocrats. In later years, stone-ground buckwheat flour became available and was made into dumplings called soba-gaki but not yet into a noodle form close to what we know today until the early Edo period in the 17th century. Early soba noodles were crumbly, as there was no concept of adding a binder (wheat flour) at the time. Most soba noodles were therefore steamed on bamboo trays called seiro instead of being boiled in water. This is why some soba dishes are still called XXX seiro today. With the introduction of a technique using wheat flour as a binder in the early 18th century, boiled soba noodles, which are much less crumbly and more flavorful than steamed noodles, attracted a huge following among the Edokko (people born and raised in old Tokyo). Soba shops mushroomed, replacing udon shops in the town of Edo, where soba became an everyday food for the commoners.
The customs of toshikoshi soba (eating soba on New Year’s Eve for good luck) and hikkoshi soba (eating or giving soba to neighbors after moving to a new place) are said to have been born during this period.

Noodles continue to evolve across Japan 

Over centuries, Japanese people have built a love affair with noodles, which were introduced to the Japanese diet in the Nara period and have since undergone numerous transformations. In addition to udon and soba, pasta and ramen entered Japan in the late 19th century and early 20th century, respectively, followed by the invention of instant noodles shortly after WWII. Frozen noodles have even gained popularity in recent years. Loved by young and old alike, noodles in Japan continue to evolve. Original regional noodle dishes called gotochi men are being invented and taking root in many parts of the country. Men (noodle) tourism—a tour to look for and discover new noodle dishes—could be as fun and exciting as visiting old temples and scenic nature spots.