Head into the new year with this Japanese tradition! Toshikoshi Soba, or year-crossing noodles, are enjoyed on New Years Eve to give you luck for the new year.
New Years in Japan is one of the most important holidays of the year and the traditions start before the new year hits.
New Years Eve (called Omisoka) is typically a time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the new year. One of the traditions tied to this concept is enjoy a hot bowl of Toshikoshi Soba or year-crossing noodles.
The symbolism
This hot buckwheat noodle dish is full of symbolism and good fortune.
- The long soba noodles symbolize long life
- Since soba noodles bite off easily, they also symbolize breaking free from the regrets and hardships of the past year
- Buckwheat, the main ingredient in soba noodles, can survive severe weather so soba also represents strength and resilience for the new year
- Soba brings you luck with money since in the past, goldsmiths used buckwheat flour to make gold leaf
- Kamaboko (fish cake) is a good omen since it looks like the rising sun on the horizon
- Shrimp is a symbol for long life, cause your back curls over like a shrimp when you get old
The elements of Toshikoshi Soba
The soba
Soba are thin Japanese noodles made mostly from buckwheat. They are usually served either chilled with a dipping sauce or hot as a noodle soup. Since Toshikoshi Soba is served in the winter, it’s typically served hot. It’s also quite a nutritious noodle and is one of the healthiest options out there when it comes to carbs.
The tsuyu
Tsuyu is the dipping sauce or soup that is served with Japanese noodles. You can easily use premade tsuyu which you can dilute according to the bottle and just heat up on the stove. Alternatively, you can make tsuyu extremely easily from scratch (which is how I did it in my recipe below). I love using a dashi or fish-stock based broth, but you can easily make a vegetarian dashi soup base.
The toppings
The toppings for Toshikosi Soba are often selected for symbolic reasons as well as personal preference. Kamaboko and Tempura Shrimp are often used for their symbolism. I’m also including wakame (seaweed) and green onions. If I don’t use tempura shrimp, I like adding tenkasu (tempura scraps). I also like using shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) to sprinkle on top for some spice.
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Toshikoshi Soba (New Years Eve Noodles) / 年越しそば
Ingredients
- 2 portions dried soba noodles
- 3 cups dashi
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
Toppings
- kamaboko
- wakame
- green onion chopped
- fried shrimp tempura
Instructions
- In a pot on the stove, make the tsuyu by combining the dashi, sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Heat until boiling, remove from heat, and set aside.
- In a separate pot, boil water. Once boiling, put in the soba noodles and cook according to package instructions (approximately 3-5 minutes).
- Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse in cold water.
- Place the cooked noodles in a bowl, pour the hot tsuyu on top, and then add your toppings of choice.
- Enjoy immediately while reflecting on the past year. "Yoi, Otoshi o!"
Notes
Shop this post:
Tsuyu / 本つゆ
Soba / そば
Lacquer Chopsticks
Ramen Bowl Set – Waves
Ramen Bowl Set – Stripe
Cooking Chopsticks
Soy Sauce / 醬油
Mirin / みりん
Dashi / だし
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