Buckwheat: Sustainable and Healthy Japanese Soba Dishes + Drinks

This ancient grain takes it's origin from Southeast Asia, but buckwheat products can be found these days in kitchens all over the world. Japan is the leading consumer in buckwheat, and I have my theories about how it plays a huge part in the health of Japanese people.

Two bowls of soba noodles with mushrooms and chili oil are on a wooden tray. Accompanied by grilled veggies, lemon slices, and small salads with purple flowers.

Buckwheat, or "Soba" has been used for centuries in Japan and the most commonly eaten product is Soba Noodles. Korea, China, Russia and Ukraine also grow and eat buckwheat, though it is arguably not as strongly rooted in their culture as for the Japanese. One of my first introductions to cooking with buckwheat was making buckwheat crepe "galette" (a French technique), and as a dessert for the famous buckwheat-hazelnut tart at Wildair in NYC. I have created many of my own buckwheat recipes since then, many of which are dessert based (buckwheat shortbread, buckwheat brittle) but those are not the stories I want to tell right now.

In my most recent trip to Japan, I have also come to love soba cha (roasted buckwheat tea) and soba shochu (Japanese alcoholic beverage, drank on the rocks like a whiskey). I've been on the buckwheat train lately and just have to share my findings.

Illustration of buckwheat plant with green leaves and pink flowers. Roots visible. Text: "Buckwheat, Polygonum fagopyrum, Polygonæ." Page 118.

What is buckwheat?

As a plant in the knotweed family, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) can grow in acidic soils with low fertility, which makes it an optimal plant to invest in. The plant has short germination and maturation periods, making it quick and easy to grow. It is often grown as a cover crop to help soil erosion, thriving with little water usage. While in the past it has been grown for animals, this hearty plant has been a rapidly growing market for human consumption and health reasons. The market closed in 2024 at 1.57 billion dollars, and is expected to keep growing strongly.

A Health Food (and potential super food?)

Buckwheat is certainly a healthy choice, well balanced with vitamins, minerals starches and fibers. It's high protein content and amino acids make for the perfect lunch-time pick-me-up without feeling heavy and full of carbs. Buckwheat’s very high fiber content supports a healthy gut microbiome, which (we all should know) is essential for overall health and well-being. Iron and potassium are high on the list along with manganese and niacin. There are conflicting reports of the actual amounts for the nutrition facts, but recent credible scientific studies are emerging about the broad health effects of eating buckwheat. It's high flavonoid content, especially rutin, has been associated with blood circulation and the prevention of blood clots, meaning it is probably pretty good for your heart and cholesterol regulation. These bioactive compounds are said to help manage diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels.

Buckwheat is valuable beyond its known nutritional value, making it a superfood worth further exploration. Quite the underrated product, to be honest.

Cooking with Buckwheat

Usually ground into a flour, this whole grain (the seed of the plant) is extremely hardy and can be saved for many years after harvest. As a flour, it is often combined with wheat flour to accommodate for a more mild flavor and to hold a dough shape together. You can often find soba noodles in the US or Canada in the Asian food section, or in quite a variety at an Asian market like H-Mart of Uwajimaya (PNW). Not all flours are milled the same, so make sure you're purchasing the right one for your recipe. If you choose to cook whole buckwheat, you can boil in water for a very easy meal. The Ukrainian buckwheat dish "kasha" is made with whole, toasted kernels simmered in water and butter, and served with fresh herbs as a side dish. (12-14 minutes should do the trick. For a tastier dish, try cooking in a broth.

Bowl of cooked buckwheat with spoon on gray surface. Brown and white grains fill the black dish, creating a warm, simple presentation. — Cooked Whole Buckwheat

BUckwheat brittle on a sheet tray — Buckwheat Brittle

The flavor of pure buckwheat flour tastes a bit mineral-y, with a pleasant nuttiness. Many recipes call for light buckwheat flour, which has a more mild flavor than dark buckwheat. It is delicious when paired with other umami and rich flavors like egg yolks, duck, katsu or tempura.

Is it gluten free? Naturally, it is gluten free, however, buckwheat is often combined with other flours that contain gluten, to hold it all together as a binder. Traditionally soba noodles are made with 100% buckwheat (juwari) but check ingredients if you have an allergy just to be sure. "Nihachi" is a mix of 80/20 buckwheat to wheat flour recipe, and is usually a good ratio for crepes or buckwheat shortbread. If you're making your own noodles at home, 100% buckwheat will be very delicate, so use a recipe with a combination or perhaps a recipe with xanthan gum to bind. I recommend Yuto's recipe if you want to try making your own at home!

Package of Japanese buckwheat flour noodles on a marble surface. The label features blue and white design with Japanese text and "OKUAIZU NARAYA." — Soba from Japan

Soba Noodles

Often eaten for lunch, served cold or hot with a dashi broth for dipping your noodles in and accompaniments like tempura, duck breast, pork katsu. At the end of your lunch at a soba shop, they will bring you a teapot filled with the "soba cha" or water that the soba was cooked in - it is delicious and filled with starches containing vitamins and minerals of the soba. Many noodle houses will hand-make their own noodles fresh every day, and you can tell by the fine quality and handmade cuts. Some train stations even have a standing-noodle bar on the train platform for a quick bite. You can find soba noodles fresh and dried at any grocery store in Japan, with specialty gift shops at train stations carrying the best locally made ones. Dried soba noodles can be found at konbini - the 7-Eleven or Lawson. They cook in only 1-3 minutes, and are made into an easy delicious meal with an instant dashi broth. Every soba shop will have it's specialties, so make sure you visit when you get the chance - and if you ever see Tanuki soba make sure you order a bowl...

Buckwheat beverages

Roasted Soba Cha ("ocha" being "tea" in Japanese) This is different than the soba cha you recieve after a meal at a noodle house. It is rich and satisfying, similar to the feeling after drinking a chai tea or hot coco (though not sweet at all). I found a package of tea bags at the gift shop by the train station in Myoko, which is a specialty of the area in Niigata and Nagano. Buckwheat tea is also often consumed in Korea, along with roasted corn tea, sunchoke tea and other roasted teas. These are naturally caffeine free and are steeped for 1-2 minutes. I love to drink mine warm with a bit of oat milk, but it is often chilled and drank over ice.

Most recently I've discovered soba shochu, an alcohol made specially in the prefecture of Miyasaki. I ordered it to drink on the rocks at a soba shop in the Haneda airport, and the nutty flavor was unlike any other barley- or potato-derived shochu that you might usually order. It is apparently difficult to find, so I have been on the lookout for more at the specialty liquor shops.

At this same soba shop where I ordered the soba shochu, I ordered a wasabi greens soba salad, which was the best lunch choice while traveling. Light shio dashi dipping sauce for the soba noodles, topped with fresh greens and wasabi tsukemono (pickles). Finished with katsuobushi (dried tuna/bonito shavings), it was a delicious light lunch. There are so many different ways you can try eating soba noodles and buckwheat in general!

Wrapping it up.

I've now been saying the word soba and writing the word soba so many time that I think I need a break from it or my mind will trick me into getting sick of it. I just keep seeing it everywhere! The hotel we just checked into has the cutest books all on plants of Hokkaido, and this print of a buckwheat plant on the wall by our room.

Itadakimasu!