# Soba Kakke ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Soba Kakke

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Northern Parts of Iwate Prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Buckwheat flour, wheat flour, walnuts, soy sauce, mirin (=sweet rice wine)

## History, Origin, and Related Events
The northern parts of Iwate Prefecture are affected by the Yamase, a cold east wind, and the winter climate there is extremely cold. As a result, there were not so many rice paddy fields and different types of millets such as wheat and buckwheat were grown instead and ground into flour. “Soba Kakke” is a traditional dish born during the rule of the Nanbu clan.Buckwheat flour is kneaded and flattened, then cut into small triangles. The triangles of flour are boiled with daikon radish and tofu, and eaten with garlic miso. It has been a popular warm dish, served to guests and on other special occasions. In the past, “Kakke” referred to the black “Soba Kakke” made from buckwheat flour, but in recent years, the smooth texture of white “Mugi Kakke” made from wheat flour has also become popular.The word “kakke” is said to originate from the word “kakera”, meaning the pieces of dough that are cut off when making soba noodles, or from the phrase “ka, ke” meaning “now, please eat” in the local dialect.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This warm dish is homemade and served to guests on special occasions.

## How to Eat
Cut the buckwheat dough and knead until soft. Flatten the dough and create triangular pieces. Cook in dashi broth with daikon radish, tofu, and shiitake mushrooms, and serve warm with garlic miso on the side. Some people like to eat the “kakke” like shabu-shabu by dipping the “kakke” in boiling water for a few seconds. Instead of garlic miso, walnut miso can also be used as a dipping sauce. Recently, people like to customize the original recipe, for example, fry the “kakke” and flavor it with salt and pepper or bake it like a pizza.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)This dish is still a popular recipe at home. Ready-made raw and dried “kakke” are manufactured by local noodle making companies and can be store bought. The dish is also served at local restaurants. In Kunohe village, there is a celebration when new buckwheat becomes available for the season. “Soba Kakke” made with this new buckwheat is served to the locals and the commerce and industry association introduces new types of menus using the original “Soba Kakke” recipe as a base. These events allow younger generations to learn about traditional dishes. In Iwate Prefecture, people and organizations that play a significant role in carrying on local traditional cuisine are recognized as "Iwate Prefecture Food Artisans". There are artisans specializing in the making of “Soba Kakke”.

## Ingredients
- [Soba kakke]: 
- Buckwheat flour: 240g
- Wheat flour: 60g
- Buckwheat flour (for dusting): As needed
- Water: 130-150ml
- [Pot]: 
- Dashi Konbu(=Kelp for making japanese soup stock): 3g
- Tofu: 300g
- Daikon radish: 200g
- [Garlic miso]: 
- Miso: 100g
- Sake: 2 tsp.
- Sugar: 2 tsp.
- Grated garlic: 25g

## Recipe
1. 1. Mix the sifted buckwheat flour and wheat flour in a kneading bowl, create a spiral and then add water into the holes of the spiral little by little.
2. 2. Stir the flour and water evenly and allow air to go inside it until the dough gradually becomes crumbly.
3. 3. Gather the dough and knead for about 15 minutes until there are no more cracks on the surface.
4. 4. Roll the dough with a rolling pin and create a square whose side is 30 cm long.
5. 5. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin, roll it out and then stretch it out. Repeat this process until a 1mm thick square shape dough is created.
6. 6. Put dusting flour on the dough and cut the dough in half horizontally. Stack one of the pieces onto the other and cut the dough vertically. Stack the pieces once again. Then cut the dough diagonally to create triangle shapes.
7. 7. Add water and konbu(=kelp) to an earthen pot. Remove the konbu(=kelp) once the water begins to boil and add parboiled daikon radish, kakke, and tofu. When the kakke triangles float to the surface, they are ready to eat. Serve them in a bowl with the daikon radish and tofu and eat with garlic miso as a dipping sauce.

## Provider Information
provider : Aiko Yanagishita, "Iwate Prefecture Food Artisan"

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