Eden Selected, 100% Whole Buckwheat Soba, 8-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)

by Eden

Product Features

• Rich and warming food
• Hand cut and air dried noodles
• Protein and essential amino acids
• Vitamin C and other health benefits
• Used to make sushi and other tasty dishes

Product Description

Eden 100% Buckwheat Soba is a rich and warming food, made in Japan using ancient, traditional methods. It is a delicious and convenient way to enjoy the flavor and exceptional health benefit of buckwheat. Soba is Japanese for buckwheat. In Japan, 100 Percent Buckwheat Soba is called 'kiko uchi' meaning 'pure soba'. Whole buckwheat is small batch stone ground into flour then added to a slow moving mixer with pure water to form dough that ensures the best texture and flavor. A series of rollers gradually presses the dough into thin sheets. Another roller cuts the sheets of dough into long strands that are hung on poles in a drying room with fans and allowed to dry for about 40 hours. The noodles are hand cut to length and allowed to finish air drying before packaging. Buckwheat's protein is superior to that of many cereal grains, providing all amino acids including the essential ones. Buckwheat is Nature's best source of rutin, a beneficial vitamin C complex flavonoid. Cooked soba is delicious wrapped in toasted nori to make noodle sushi.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 6.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012AOJ04
• UPC: 024182201550
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,668 in Grocery & Gourmet Food (See Top 100 in Grocery & Gourmet Food)
  • #3 in Grocery & Gourmet Food > Noodles > Soba

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cooking instructions not on package????, October 5, 2009

By 

Michael G. Lustig (NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eden Selected, 100% Whole Buckwheat Soba, 8-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12) (Grocery)

For those of us who want to cook these noodles using traditional Japanese cooking techniques; here are the instructions:

Traditional Cooking Instructions for Japanese Noodles: You can boil the noodles as you would any other pasta or you can use the traditional Japanese style of cooking noodles, which takes a little longer but is well worth the effort. This method is referred to as the shocking method, cold water is added to boiling water several times during the cooking process, creating a more firm, tastier noodle. For this method, place 2 quarts of cold water in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Remove the cover, add the noodles and stir to prevent sticking. As soon as the water comes to a boil again, add enough cold water to stop the water from boiling (about 1/2 to 2/3 cup). Bring to a boil again, and add cold water again. Repeat one or two additional times until the noodles are done. Periodically check the noodles by removing a strand and biting or cutting it in half. If the center of the noodle strand is white and the outside is darker, the noodles are not done. When the center of the noodle is the same color as the outside, and the noodles are firm yet tender to the bite they are done. Rinse Japanese noodles under cold water to prevent clumping.

I'm not sure why Eden doesn't include the instructions on the package but they are on their website.

Yes, I put a little peanut oil in the water and do the cool/boil 3 times over the 8 minute cooking time. I made my own Tsuyu sauce because it's much less expensive than the prepared suace and easy enough to do. The recipe is simple:

3 cups dashi (bonito and konbu (kelp))
1 cup dark soy
1 cup mirin (or sake with 3/4 cup sugar)

It lasts for months in the refrigerator.

Enjoy...

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works for me--if you add olive oil to the water! And rinse!, January 11, 2009

By 

Cassiopeia (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eden Selected, 100% Whole Buckwheat Soba, 8-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12) (Grocery)

Originally, I felt the same way the other reviewer did about these, but then my boyfriend told me to add about a tablespoon of oil to the water (maybe a little more) as they were cooking and they weren't all clumpy and sticky anymore. They work great for me as I can't eat gluten and brown rice pasta seems to raise my blood sugar more than I'd like. The corn in quinoa pasta is out for me too! Allergies. This is a perfect alternative so I'd highly recommend it. It tastes good in stir fries and with tomato sauce!

Update: Oddly, I did the oil thing and they still got clumpy this past time. We discovered if you rinse them with water while they are in the strainer, as soon as you take them out of the pot, they separate and are perfectly normal again. Hope this helps!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars just rinse with cold water and it unclumps, August 5, 2009

By 

JWoolman (Indiana USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eden Selected, 100% Whole Buckwheat Soba, 8-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12) (Grocery)

As another poster said, the trick is to just rinse with cold water after cooking. Then the noodles separate and are very tasty.

For one serving: I just break the noodles in half (or smaller pieces, just take a bunch and break all at once) to fit into about 1 cup or so of hot water (heated in the microwave), then heat on high uncovered for about 4 min, check to see if it needs a little more zap time (or just leave it for a few more minutes in the hot water). I have a low power microwave (500 W), you will need to experiment. Then rinse with cold water in a collander, and add whatever you want. Then you can warm it up again for a hot dish.

The same technique can be used for any kind of pasta, just don't try pure semolina wheat - it disintegrates. A mix with durum wheat or any whole grain pasta of any kind works well. Be careful not to overcook corn pasta, though. Some rice pastas are short-cooking, but Pastariso or Lundgren rice pastas cook longer like any wheat/kamut/spelt pasta. Corn and rice pasta need the cold rinse approach, others might not.