Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles) + Genmaicha Sauce

Steep Japanese Green Tea (4 Tbsp) in 3 cups of hot water for about 15 minutes. Ideally you would want to put this in some sort of tea ball or teabag. If you don’t have one you can strain out the tea leaves with a strainer once the tea has been steeped.

Once the tea is done, in a pitcher add in about Bonito Flakes (4 Tbsp) pour in the tea and let it meld for about 10-15 minutes

Add in Soy Sauce (1/2 cup), Mirin (1/2 cup), and Sake (1 tsp). If you are using a pour-able pitcher you don’t need to really strain the bonito flakes since they'll sink to the bottom.

Let the sauce chill in the fridge for about an hour.

Pick and choose the toppings you like. You don’t need to use them all. If you want to keep it simple, Scallion (1 stalk) and Dried Seaweed (1 sheet) are more than enough to add some good flavor.

In a pot, add water and set it on medium heat until the water boils. Do not add salt to the water – the dipping sauce is already very salty so we don’t want to go overboard with the salt.

Follow the directions on the packaging to cook the Soba Noodles (6.5 oz). I usually cook it for 1 minute less than it says and then taste it for done-ness so I don’t overcook it and get mushy noodles. For my batch I added the noodles into boiling water and cooked it for about 4 minutes.

Once the noodles are done, run it under cold water and rinse off all the starches. When the noodles are cool, add it into a ice bath for a few minutes.

Sesame Oil (as needed) during the ice bath is optional. It is not traditionally added but I find a hint of nuttiness adds a nice flavour. A little goes a long long way, so less is more. I would go with only adding a few drops in to a maximum of no more than 1/4 teaspoon.

Pour the dipping sauce into small cups or bowls, and if desired add Toasted White Sesame Seeds (1 Tbsp) and serve the soba noodles with Daikon Radishes (5 tsp), Wasabi Paste (1 tsp), and Fresh Ginger (2 tsp).