Japanese Buck Wheat Noodles

Buckwheat Noodles
Soba is traditionally eaten in Japan on New Years Eve. Our soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour. They are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a form of noodle soup. It is not uncommon in Japan to refer to any thin noodle as soba in contrast to udon which are thick noodles made from wheat.
Pure buckwheat noodles can easily fall apart when boiled. To prevent this the buckwheat flour is usually mixed with binders, often wheat flour. Under the Japan Agricultural Standards regulations, the noodles have to contain at least 30% buckwheat in order to be called soba but noodles with a high buckwheat content are seen as more desirable. The buckwheat noodles that Japandon imports contain a high concentration of buckwheat.
The raw noodles are made by making a dough out of buckwheat flour and binder that are then spread out flat before slicing noodle strands off it using a special knife. The quality of noodles is highly dependent on the skill of the maker, especially for soba noodles with high buckwheat content.
Our buckwheat are only of the highest quality. The raw noodles we sell are boiled before being served hot or cold.
Health Benefits of Buckwheat
Research has linked diets that contain buckwheat to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The Yi people of China consume a diet high in buckwheat (100 grams per day, about 3.5 ounces). When nutritionists tested blood lipids of 805 Yi Chinese, they found that buckwheat intake was associated with lower total serum cholesterol, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-the form linked to cardiovascular disease), and a high ratio of HDL (health-promoting cholesterol) to total cholesterol.
Buckwheat's beneficial effects are due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants. Buckwheat's lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds.
These compounds help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively (platelets are compounds in blood that, when triggered, clump together, thus preventing excessive blood loss, and protect LDL from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease.
Buckwheat also contains almost 86 milligrams of magnesium in a one-cup serving. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and nutrient delivery while lowering blood pressure-the perfect combination for a healthy cardiovascular system.