# Kate-soba ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Kate-soba

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Central to Southern Tochigi Prefecture, Kanuma City

## Main Ingredients Used
Buckwheat flour, wheat flour (all-purpose), garlic chives, daikon radish

## History, Origin, and Related Events
The "Kate" in the name refers to ingredients used to increase volume. This regional cuisine was created with the purpose of increasing the volume by adding daikon and nira (garlic chives). The practice of using daikon in the winter and soft nira in the early spring to improve the flavor while increasing the volume is said to have been started by common people when food was scarce. About 40 years ago, when nira cultivation began to flourish in Kanuma City, "Nira Soba" (garlic chive buckwheat noodles) became commercialized at a soba shop and since then has been offered at many shops throughout the city. "Nira Soba" was established around Kanuma City, and "Daikon Soba" was established around Sano City. According to the results of a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tochigi prefecture is the third largest producer of soba in Japan, and it is an essential cuisine for both daily life and special events. Kanuma City and the surrounding area used to produce hemp as well. "Asa-Ato Soba" (after-hemp soba) made from the buckwheat planted to restore nutrients to the soil after the hemp harvest. The hemp production is smaller today, but buckwheat continues to be cultivated, and a large amount of nira are produced, resulting in "Kanuma Nira Soba."

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Tochigi Prefecture is a production area for nira, and it is a common practice among locals to add nira to soba to make "Nira Soba" from late autumn to early spring, and to add daikon to make "Daikon Soba" in the winter. In some regions, Daikon Soba is eaten as the traditional New Year's Toshikoshi Soba.

## How to Eat
Adding nira and daikon not only increases the volume, but the flavor of the soba is enhanced as well. For Daikon Soba, the daikon is cut into 10 cm lengths, peeled, then sliced into straight strips using a mandolin slicer. The sliced daikon is boiled in water first, then soba noodles are added and boiled together. Then they are removed from the water, cooled, and placed on a flat bamboo basket. For Nira Soba, the nira and soba noodles are boiled together, chilled, then drained on a flat bamboo basket, or they can be boiled separately and then eaten with the nira as a topping for the soba noodles. If boiled separately, it is easier to adjust the firmness of the nira to your liking.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)The "Kanuma Soba Promotion Association" was established in Kanuma City in 2007. They carry out PR activities related to soba and Nira Soba through their website, social media, and events.

## Ingredients
- [Daikon Soba] Soba noodles: 350g
- [Daikon Soba] Daikon radish: 200 to 300g
- [Nira Soba] Soba noodles: 350g
- [Nira Soba] Garlic chives: 120g
- [Kaeshi sauce] Soy Sauce: 900ml
- [Kaeshi sauce] Sugar: 140g
- [Kaeshi sauce] Water: 45ml
- The finished Kaeshi sauce is 1 liter.: 
- [Soba dipping sauce] Dashi broth: 300ml
- [Soba dipping sauce] Kaeshi sauce: 90ml
- [Soba dipping sauce] Mirin (adjust to taste): 50 to 90ml

## Recipe
1. 1. [Daikon Soba]1. Cut the daikon into 10 cm long pieces, peel, then shred or thinly slice using a mandolin slicer.2. Boil plenty of water, add the daikon first and boil for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the soba noodles and boil together with the daikon for about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain the water, chill, then place on a flat bamboo basket.
2. 2. [Nira Soba]1. Boil soba noodles and nira that are cut into bite-sized pieces in plenty of hot water for about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the water, chill, then place on a flat bamboo basket.
3. 3. [Kaeshi sauce]1. Put the sugar and water into a pan and bring to a boil. 2. Add the soy sauce, then pour into a bottle or jar and leave it in a cool, dark place for about 1 week.
4. 4. [Soba dipping sauce]1. Bring dashi broth, Kaeshi sauce, and mirin to a boil, then remove from heat and let it cool. Adjust the dashi broth to your preference.

## Provider Information
provider : Tochigi Farmers Conference

![Image](Not found)