Pop Japan

Beat the heat the Japanese way! While most countries cool down with shaved ice or ice cream, Japan does it with zaru soba.

One of Japan's main summer dishes is cold noodles or zaru soba. Soba noodles are noodles made out of buckwheat (The best part? They're gluten free!). They are easy to find and available all year round. Zaru means basket, so zaru soba is typically served in a basket.

The soba noodles are served chilled accompanied with a light dipping sauce called tsuyu, and plenty of spicy condiments or yakumi. Simple, light, and easy to make, cool down the Japanese way with the zaru soba.

Photo by spinachdip. Licensed under Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en).

Tags: food, Japanese cuisine, cold noodles, gluten free, zaru soba, summer food, heat, summer dishes, basket, yakumi