Nishin Soba
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 Soba refers to thin Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. It is served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup. The raw noodles are made by making a dough out of buckwheat flour and binder, and spreading it out flat before slicing noodle strands off using a special knife.
The quality of noodles is highly dependent on the skill of the maker, especially for soba noodles with high buckwheat content. The raw noodles are boiled before being served hot or cold. Traditionally, soba is the noodle of choice for Tokyoites. But today, soba is popular nationwide, including Kyoto.
Smoked herring was a valuable source of protein for Kyoto residents in the days when fresh seafood was hard to come by. The best way to taste soba is Zaru-soba (basic chilled soba noodles served on a flat basket or plate topped with shredded nori seaweed).
At night on December 31, the Japanese have a custom of eating soba noodles, and nishin-soba is the popular choice for the people of Kyoto.
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