- [Shuichi] My name is Shuichi Kotani.
I am a soba noodle chef
at Worldwide-Soba Inc.
Today, I'm going to make
this buckwheat flour
into soba noodles.
[dramatic instrumental music]
Today, I'm making 100%
buckwheat soba noodles.
I will do this in four steps:
making dough, rolling,
cutting, and plating.
First, I will make the dough.
First, I filter the buckwheat flour.
[flour rustling]
I put the buckwheat into the konebachi.
I am adding water, little by little,
because if I put
everything together at once
is would not be even or smooth.
This is mizumawashi process.
While making soba, I always close my eyes.
Because my eyes can
see only one dimension,
but my fingers can see a ten dimension.
So for the mixing process,
I use three types of motion.
First motion is like a, no,
Japanese language, no.
That is like a sand garden,
[gentle instrumental music]
and then second motion is like
a eruption of the volcano.
So third motion is like a
ocean, like a wave of ocean.
100% buckwheat soba is most
difficult noodle in the world
because buckwheat doesn't have gluten.
Gluten is like glue.
So if you cut the dough, cut the noodle,
cannot fix, and then all process
have to be done within 20 minutes.
Otherwise it start to break.
Usually in Japan, 80% buckwheat
and 20% gluten flour.
If you buy in the grocery
store dry soba noodle,
that is already mixed with
some gluten or wheat flour.
It feels ready to make dough when it feel
like usagi no unko.
Japanese say usagi no unko
is texture like rabbit poo poo.
And then now, making dough.
This process is most important.
Process is kone.
This is kone,
is I'm making like a hana, flower.
I'm imagining a flower opening up.
[dough thudding]
Buckwheat dough cannot knead it
over 100 time.
Otherwise it start to break
or texture is getting too soft.
I'm waiting for the texture is al dente,
and then after making a beautiful dough,
this process is kukuri,
looks like a acorn.
Now, making dough is done.
Next step is rolling dough.
I'm using three type of rolling pin.
The black rolling pin is a kokutan.
Kokutan is a main rolling
pin for this process,
and then other two is makibo.
Makibo is a wrapping pin.
First step, I'm using my
hand to making the dough
two centimeter before using rolling pin.
This white flour is a buckwheat too,
comes from a center of buckwheat seeds,
is uchiko.
And then I start to rolling,
spread out to 1.5 millimeter.
This is Japanese, Tokyo
style, soba noodle.
This process is very delicate process.
Soba need to be moving.
If I stop, then it start to break,
cannot stop until all done.
Doing this process, my
hand looks like a cat paw,
[wood clattering]
and then this process is tsnodashi.
Tsnodashi is making corner.
After do this, making a circle to square.
This process is nikuake.
If break the dough this process,
cannot fix.
If using 80% buckwheat flour,
you can fix, but 100% cannot fix.
This is honoshi, final rolling process,
is make sure each
section is evenly smooth,
and I check final size.
This is my life work,
so I'm always learning
more this technique.
My teacher, he's a master
of the soba noodle chef,
and he teach me three years in Tokyo,
and everyday, start to work early morning.
I remember 4:00 A.M.
because buckwheat noodle is very delicate
for the high temperature,
so early morning is kitchen is very cold.
It's better for making soba noodle.
If you want to be a
master of the soba noodle,
have to work over 10 years.
Now rolling is done.
Next step is folding and cutting.
I'm folding it three time,
making same size of soba bocho.
Soba bocho is a soba knife.
So this studio,
light is a little bit
hot to buckwheat flour.
It's easy to break, so making break.
100% buckwheat flour is for me
is very difficult to making perfect,
like a treasure hunt.
This is a manaita.
This is cutting board.
I'm making a cushion
because soba knife is straight.
Edges are very straight,
so sometimes is difficult cutting to end.
This is a komaita.
This is a cutting guide board,
and then I put the
buckwheat on the cushion.
My knife is three pound, and
then size is at one feet.
This knife is a edge one side,
but another side is scoop for the noodle,
and then grip is a sharkskin to non-slip.
This knife cost between $1,000 to $8,000.
This is from Mister Sakai.
He's a expert of the
Japanese Samurai sword.
That's why so very expensive.
[knife thudding]
Cutting process is difficult
because have to make same size evenly.
Tokyo area is a very business town,
so everybody eats quickly,
so should be a thin noodle.
My style is a Edo-kiri soba style.
Edo-kiri soba should be 1.5 millimeter.
Edo is a Tokyo style.
Most popular is Edo-kiri soba,
but Japan has many different style.
So 100% buckwheat should
be fresh for the customer.
Otherwise after three hours,
start to break in the refrigerator.
This wooden box can keep the moisture
because after making noodle,
buckwheat start to breathe
and getting watery,
so wooden box absorb water.
So cutting is done,
and then final step is plating.
So I'm cutting scallions.
Fresh scallion is too
strong for the fish broth.
I have to wash before using.
[metal clattering]
Traditional buckwheat soba noodle,
enjoy with a bonito fish
broth and then scallion
and then ground wasabi,
but today is I'm using ground ginger.
I'm boiling buckwheat soba noodle,
and boiling time is one minute.
Usually dry package soba noodle
should be boiling four
minutes, five minutes,
but fresh buckwheat soba
noodle, just one minute.
Fresh buckwheat soba
noodle have to touch soft,
have to pressure cook,
so have to put the cover.
So I'm using a zaru.
Zaru is a sifter,
and then immediately
put to cold ice water.
Ice water stop cooking, ice shock,
and then, feeling
texture, fine to al dente.
Best way to plating is lift
and separate the noodle,
is better for the buckwheat noodle.
Now, soba is done.
So this is the process
for turning buckwheat flour into soba
