Soba
/ˈsoʊ.bə/noun
A type of thin Japanese noodle made primarily from buckwheat flour, or the buckwheat itself.
Did you know?Soba is a native Japanese word for buckwheat, and the noodle name came from that plant—proof that everyday food words can preserve ancient agricultural history.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Jpn
そば (soba)
“buckwheat; later, buckwheat noodles”
Edo Period
Jpn
そば切り (soba-kiri)
“buckwheat noodles, literally 'buckwheat cutting'”
Modern Japanese
Jpn
そば (soba)
“buckwheat noodles; buckwheat”
Modern English
Eng
soba
“Japanese buckwheat noodles”