Japanese cold buckwheat noodles with dip

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 600 g noodles (soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles)
• 4 spring onions
• 1 nori sheet
• possibly wasabi paste, Japanese, green, from the tube or powder
• 1 ½ cup(s) water
• 0.33 cup(s) sake, alternatively white wine or mild sherry
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 0.33 cup(s) Soy sauce, Japanese
• 0.33 tsp Dashi, Japanese instant fish broth

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Zarusoba

Briefly bring all the ingredients for the sauce to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Cool in a water bath and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Finely slice the spring onions. If using nori, cut the nori into thin strips with scissors. Cook the soba in plenty of boiling water according to the package instructions, then transfer to a sieve and refresh with ice-cold water. Rinse thoroughly and drain. Place the noodles in 4 plates (sprinkle nori strips over the top if desired), and divide the sauce between 4 dipping bowls. Everyone mixes spring onions and wasabi (careful, it’s hot!) into the dipping sauce to taste and briefly dips the noodles (chopstick by chopstick or fork by fork) into the sauce. A typical summer dish in Japan. And in true Japanese style, you’ll naturally audibly slurp while eating soba.