1.
buckwheat flour
Flour ground from buckwheat seeds. The primary ingredient for making soba noodles and galettes. Important in Japanese cuisine and relevant for allergy awareness.
そば粉でそばを打つ。
To make soba noodles from buckwheat flour.
十割そばは、そば粉だけで作られている。
Juwari soba is made entirely from buckwheat flour.
そば粉のアレルギーがあるので、そば屋では注意が必要だ。
I have a buckwheat allergy, so I need to be careful at soba restaurants.
Compound of そば (buckwheat; also written 蕎麦) + 粉 (flour; powder). Buckwheat flour is the essential ingredient for 蕎麦 noodles, one of Japan's most iconic foods.
SOBA NOODLE RATIOS:
Soba noodles are classified by their buckwheat flour content:
- 十割そば: 100% buckwheat flour (no wheat)
- 八割そば (二八そば): 80% buckwheat, 20% wheat flour
- The higher the buckwheat ratio, the more fragrant but fragile the noodles
ALLERGY NOTE:
Buckwheat is one of Japan's designated allergens (特定原材料). Buckwheat allergy can be severe, so products containing そば粉 must be labeled.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- そば粉を挽く: to mill buckwheat
- そば粉を練る: to knead buckwheat dough
- そば粉のガレット: buckwheat galette (French crepe)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 小麦粉: wheat flour — the most common flour in cooking
- 米粉: rice flour — used for rice noodles and sweets