Founded in 1941, Hakubaku aspires to be the preeminent “Kokumotsu” (Grain) Company. This embodies their ideal for delivering healthy, nutrient-rich grains to their customers worldwide. Deeply involved with the 5 grains: Barley, Rice, Millet, Wheat, and Soba (Buckwheat) Hakubaku continues to push the boundaries of the staple foods frontier.
Rich Dark Soba Noodles Made of Pure Mountain Water
Hakubaku’s soba hails from the Kaida Highlands in Japan (Nagano Prefecture). The Kaida Highlands are well known for using the best water for noodle production in Japan. Particularly dark and aromatic variety of buckwheat is used and it is stone-milled with some of its shells in three different thickness. The result is a chewy, full-bodied texture soba with rich flavors. These noodles are great for zaru soba (cold soba with dipping sauce) meal or for a shime (finishing course) - the perfect way to punctuate your donabe dinner.
High Buckwheat Content/ No Salt Added - Enjoy Traditional Soba-Yu
If you order a zaru soba (cold soba) at a soba restaurant in Japan, you will also be served its hot cooking water called Soba-Yu at the end of the meal. The cooking water is not only a tasty treat but it contains high level of rutin, a health beneficial component, released from soba. So, this is something Japanese people have been enjoying as a part of a soba meal traditionally. Because this Kuro Soba by Hakubaku contains higher amount of buckwheat (about 50%) and no salt is added, while most of conventional dry soba noodles contain close to minimum amount of buckwheat and salt is added, you can also enjoy a tasty soba-yu when you cook the soba. So, don't discard the soba cooking water, and enjoy the tasty treat.
How to Enjoy Soba-Yu
Make sure to cook the soba in enough water (suggested water amount for boiling is 1.2-qt - 1.5-qt (1.2 L - 1.5 L) per 3 oz/ 90 g of noodles). Filtered water is suggested. About 1 minute before the soba is cooked, scoop some cooking water with a ladle and keep in a pot or a carafe. That's Soba-Yu. Keep it hot or reheat if necessary. The typical way of enjoying Soba-Yu is pour it into remaining dipping sauce to sip after finishing cold soba, or just enjoy on its own like a tea.
*Contains wheat flour. Please see the Details tab for the full ingredients list.
Mrs. Donabe's Recipe Suggestions
Soba with Hot Mushroom Dipping Broth
Cold Soba with Black Vinegar Dipping Sauce
Cold Soba with Salmon Roe and Grated Daikon
Shiso Chicken Meatball and Grated Daikon Hot Pot
Egg Drop Soba
Cold Noodle with Soy Dipping Sauce
Cold Soba with Smoked Shrimp and Sesame Soy Sauce
