When I was in high school, my father was told he had high blood pressure and a high blood sugar level after a medical examination. In order to maintain his health, the doctor suggested that my family reduce the intake of sugar and fat. As a traditional Chinese family, we often ate foods high in carbohydrates during our meals, but we had to change in order to improve my father’s health. It was at that time that my mother first introduced soba noodles to our family’s table. I love cold soba noodles, not only for the refreshing taste, but also for the health values. Soba noodles are popular in many Asian cuisines, especially Japanese. Authentic soba noodles are made from 100 percent buckwheat flour. Therefore, soba noodles are one of the top choices for a healthy diet.

The ingredients for the cold soba noodles are soba noodles, edible ice, soy sauce, and dried seaweed. The whole cooking process takes fewer than 15 minutes and does not require any oil, which makes the dish even healthier. I enjoy eating cold soba noodles, especially in summer. While cooking these noodles, staying in the kitchen for a long time is not necessary. Thus, the dish is perfect for those who suffer from the high temperature of summer. I also enjoy decorating soba noodles so much. The convenience of cooking, together with the various choice of toppings, has allowed soba noodles to become my favorite during the pandemic. For instance, I can choose to make the traditional type of cold noodles with seaweed, as I did in this recipe, or I can choose to add ice cream on the top as my own creative cold soba noodle dish. But I admit, with ice cream, the cold soba noodle is less healthy.

Soba noodles, in general, as a more and more popular healthy dietary choice, also reveal the change of many people’s dietary concerns. Soba noodles originated from both the northeast and southwest of China, thousands of years ago. At that time, soba noodles were not a great choice for meals because of the yield. It was not until the Nara period in Japan that its consumption become more widespread. However, soba was not considered a great food choice because the upper-class did not have enough familiarity with buckwheat at that time. Buckwheat was considered to be a minor grain that peasants grew on a very small scale for an emergency. It was not known as a nutrition source. According to Japanese literature studies, soba noodles used to be offered during tea ceremonies by temples. In the 17th century, when Japanese food culture developed significantly, soba noodles finally became a staple food in daily life because the public started to consider them one of the healthiest foods.

From the perspective of modern science, soba noodles are also considered healthy foods. Soba noodles are high in minerals such as manganese, zinc, and phosphorous. As a result, having soba noodles is a great way to avoid modern malnutrition. Soba noodles also contain vitamin B, another important nutrient for our metabolism and cell functioning. Protein could also be found in soba noodles, which makes the dish an alternative for vegans who do not eat eggs. For instance, my grandmother, a vegan who does not like eggs and beans, appreciates soba noodles so much as a source of protein. It is said that a cup of soba noodles contains 6 grams of protein, which helps build muscles to a large extent. Buckwheat has flavonoids, such as flavonols, flavones, and anthocyanins, so soba noodles are great antioxidants. As a result, soba noodles are able to help control blood sugar and support cardiovascular health. In conclusion, soba noodles might be the healthiest noodles in the world for their high nutrition and lack of fat.

When preparing soba noodles for my project, I also prepared dinner for my family. My mother felt so touched that she ate a lot more than usual when she had the soba noodles made by me. I was surprised. Then I started to think about past years when my parents prepared soba noodles for me. I did not need to buy dry soba noodles from the grocery for my project because my mother prepares them in the kitchen in case I am hungry at midnight. Though the cold soba noodle was a simple dish, it revealed the deep love among my family members because my family has lived with it for years. Soba noodles represent love from me and my mother for my father because we all eat the noodles together with him because of his health condition. Soba noodles represent love from my parents for me because they have prepared meals for me since I was born. Soba noodles also represent love from me for my parents, starting with this project. To me, soba noodles will always be the symbol of health and love.