TOKYO -- The year's end is approaching. Many families will eat "toshikoshi soba" noodles on Dec. 31, a traditional New Year's Eve custom in Japan. Why do people here eat soba buckwheat noodles to see out the old year?

       "I think Edo people's year-end activities have certainly become firm customs in our lives today," said Yoshinori Horii, 60, the ninth-generation master of soba restaurant Sarashina Horii in Tokyo's Azabu Juban district. It is one of the capital's finest establishments, with a history of over 230 years.

       "Sarashina" soba noodles, top, and "mori" soba noodles, bottom, are seen at Sarashina Horii, a restaurant in Tokyo's Minato Ward, on Nov. 25, 2020. (Mainichi/Emi Naito) =Click/tap photo for more images.

       When we visited, chefs were in the middle of preparing dishes. They used electric-powered millstones to grind buckwheat -- whose hulls have been removed -- into powder, and added beaten eggs and water before mixing it with both hands. The dough continued to be kneaded rhythmically, and after being shaped into one round ball, it was flattened and rolled out before finally being cut into thin noodle strips.

       Since the Edo period (1603-1867), the rule has apparently been to cut a roughly 3-centimeter-wide sheet of dough into 23 strips. One strip of soba is about 1.3 millimeters wide. Buckwheat flour is not as sticky as wheat flour and tends to break easily when making it into noodles, and the task requires great craftsmanship.

       While thicker udon noodles are widely appreciated in west Japan's Kansai region, soba noodles have been loved by the people of Edo since the Tokugawa shogunate's establishment in 1603. The suburbs were home to many producers, and the city had as many as 3,700 soba eateries in the Edo period's latter half all competing to create their own distinctive taste. Tokugawa shogunate price controls meant one plain bowl of soba noodles in broth cost the equivalent of around 200 to 300 yen, roughly 2 to 3 dollars. Soba noodles were simple dishes accessible to local people.

       A cook rolls out dough at soba restaurant Sarashina Horii in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Nov. 25, 2020. (Mainichi/Emi Naito) =Click/tap photo for more images.

       In the Edo period, merchants mainly sold goods on credit, allowing customers to pay for purchases later. At the end of the month, shops visited customers to receive payment, and the final day of the year was especially hectic for establishments everywhere. Employees who hustled around to collect money would return to their shops exhausted and famished. Shops would treat the workers to noodles ordered from soba eateries because they could be eaten quickly in the little time people had.

       Though they may seem very simple, soba noodles are rich in protein and vitamin B1. They have a fulfilling taste when dipped in broth, and combining it with eggs, duck, "kamaboko" fish cakes, tempura and other food enhances the meal's flavor and nutritional value.

       "The fact that soba noodles can be shoveled down during the busy New Year's Eve period may have matched Edo people's hasty nature. I think that along with this, soba noodles' long, thin shape symbolizing long life led to the dish spreading across the country," said Horii.

       Yoshinori Horii, the ninth-generation head of soba restaurant Sarashina Horii, is seen in the kitchen in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Nov. 25, 2020. (Mainichi/Emi Naito) =Click/tap photo for more images.

       During the autumn soba harvest season, signs for "fresh soba" are hung in front of the establishment. Japanese people's food culture has been nurtured by integrating seasonal tastes, changes in people's lives and other aspects while making these into enjoyable activities.

       "New Year's Eve soba noodles are one example," said Horii. "The coronavirus made it a tough year, but I'd like us to welcome the New Year with hopes for a better one." Horii then stepped back into the kitchen.

       (Japanese original by Tadahiko Mori, The Mainichi Staff Writer)

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       Types of soba Sarashina Horii has four types of soba: "Sarashina soba," which has a distinct white color and is made using only the central parts of buckwheat, giving the noodles a soft texture and refined taste; standard "Mori soba" made from buckwheat and wheat flour at an 8:2 ratio and are marked with a pleasant soba fragrance while also being easy to eat; "Futouchi soba," which are dark, thick noodles with a chewy texture made from 100% buckwheat flour with the hulls included; and "Kawari soba" covered in seasonal flavoring. Pumpkin is added to dishes around the winter solstice, which falls on Dec. 22, 2021.

       Soba broth The restaurant's broth is a rich brown, characteristic of thick Edo soy sauce's color. Thin, sweet broth is added to "Sarashina soba," while a spicy-flavored thick broth is added to the shop's "Mori" and "Futouchi" sobas. At the end of the meal, cooking water is added to the broth, and it can be drunk as soup. "Each eatery has its own unique taste of broth, and old places in particular have distinctive-tasting broth," Horii said.

       Soba history

       A sheet of soba dough cut into thin strips is seen at restaurant Sarashina Horii in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Nov. 25, 2020. (Mainichi/Emi Naito) =Click/tap photo for more images.

       According to Horii, until the Muromachi period (1336-1573), buckwheat was eaten in "sobagaki" dumplings and steamed cakes, instead of as noodles. Among material found at a temple in the village of Okuwa, Nagano Prefecture, were records from 1574 describing being treated to "cut soba." This is said to be the beginning of the soba noodles commonly eaten today. Horii speculates that monks banned from eating rice as part of ascetic practices and desperate for delicious meals came up with eating soba as noodles.

       Soba around the world Buckwheat is consumed around the world. Its top three producers are in descending order: Russia, China and Ukraine. It is used in various recipes, including in porridges in Russia and Ukraine, and in crepes and pastas in Europe. In China, buckwheat is used to make noodles, gyoza and wonton dumpling wrappers, as well as steamed buns. Naengmyeon cold noodles, a Korean specialty, also use buckwheat flour.

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       Sarashina Horii A textile merchant serving the Hoshina feudal clan began the soba eatery in 1789. There were many daimyo residences around the Azabu area at the time, and the eatery was frequented by lords. Sarashina Horii continues to pass on the taste of Edo noodles to this day.

       Its address is: 3-11-4, Motoazabu, Minato Ward, Tokyo.

       Website: https://www.sarashina-horii.com/en/

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       Sarashina Horii is also featured as part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Edo Tokyo Kirari project which, based on the concept "old meets new," profiles brands at the link: https://en.edotokyokirari.jp/news/food/japan-culinary-academy-tokyo-committee/

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       Enchanting Edo The "Enchanting Edo" series highlights Japanese traditions, crafts, artisanal techniques and culture dating back several hundred years. The stories offer a glimpse into old shops in Japan's capital, which are all searching for ways to protect long-established skills and talent while also keeping them alive in the modern day.

       The original Japanese versions of the articles, accessible via the link under the right of the headline, include "furigana" phonetic characters to assist in reading all the texts' kanji characters. The user-friendly text primarily targets elementary school children in Japan, but can also be used by non-Japanese readers learning intermediate-level Japanese. We encourage any readers interested in Japanese culture, language, or both to make full use of our series.

       In Photos: Japan's soba noodles, a centuries-long love affair

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