1.
soba; buckwheat noodles
Thin noodles made from buckwheat flour, served either chilled with a dipping sauce or in hot broth. One of the most iconic Japanese noodle dishes.
お昼に蕎麦を食べた。
I had soba for lunch.
夏はやっぱり冷たい蕎麦がおいしい。
Cold soba really is delicious in summer.
年越し蕎麦を食べて新年を迎えるのが日本の伝統だ。
It is a Japanese tradition to eat toshikoshi soba to ring in the new year.
Distinct from そば (beside, near). This word refers specifically to buckwheat noodles. The kanji 蕎麦 is often written in hiragana on menus.
COMMON TYPES:
- ざる蕎麦 (chilled soba on a bamboo tray)
- かけ蕎麦 (soba in hot broth)
- 天ぷら蕎麦 (soba with tempura)
- 年越し蕎麦 (New Year's Eve soba)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 蕎麦を茹でる (to boil soba)
- 蕎麦をすする (to slurp soba)
- 蕎麦を打つ (to make soba by hand)
CULTURAL NOTE:
年越し蕎麦 is eaten on New Year's Eve, symbolizing longevity and cutting off the hardships of the past year. 蕎麦屋 (soba restaurants) are a staple of Japanese dining culture.