Soba-gaki. Like Japanese peasants, in old times.

Let’s make soba-gaki.

-So, dear reader, this is soba-gaki. Soba-gaki, my readers…
-Hi readers, nice to meet you…

My Japanese readers knew the beast. Well, it’s a buckwheat flour paste. Like gnocchi or kneppe.

Wheat was introduced in Japan quite recently, and until post-war times, it was available in limited quantity. Culture is possible only Hokkaido, the “newest” part of the country, conquered late 19th century. Soba (buckwheat) can be grown easily in all mountainous villages. It was abundant.
So the Japanese peasants were eating very often the soba noodles that are still very popular. And in Winter, the soba gaki, that fell out of fashion. Or is it the contrary ? As it’s no longer an everyday food, it is now retro and totally hip !

That’s how you make it. You add 200 ml of hot water to 100 grams of buckwheat flour. In a pan, on low heat, and you stir… you must be strong.
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Ugly me ? No simple. It’s possible to shape it perfectly with wet hands. For today I didn’t need.
Here, you can see nice ones, served in different savory and sweet dishes.
Texture is… original. Taste is buckwheaty. You have to try.

I cut slices and thrown into a soup.

With shungiku, tsukune (duck meat balls), kabocha pumpkin, mushrooms, tofu, ginger, in a dashi and soy sauce broth.

That makes a meal ideal to fight chilly weather, ready in about 10 minutes (if you make soup and soba gaki simultaneously).

Cal 674.6 F21.6g C85.8g P46.2g