Please do not use your smartphone. It's important to have some time away from looking at or touching your phone. For this short time, let's focus on making something with our hands.
For about the next 30 minutes, we will be making noodles while actually practicing the techniques of adding water to this flour, kneading it, rolling it out, folding it, and cutting it.
I'm not very good at English. But you'll hear a lot of a unique Japanese language feature called "onomatopoeia" later on, so please try copying and saying the sounds with me.
It’s also interesting how the names change.
“Flour” becomes a “ball,” the “ball” becomes “dough,” and finally the “dough” becomes “noodles,” almost like a successively renamed fish as it grows.
According to the recipe, there are 70 grams buckwheat flour and 35 grams water to be added. Making soba with just these two simple ingredients-buckwheat flour and water-is what really makes japanese soba special
The Juwari-soba we are making today is pure soba made without any wheat flour. It is a very difficult noodle-making technique, but this new method using the bottle has made it easy to create. Our shop is the only place where you can learn this method. Please enjoy this new soba-making style that I invented.
★a10.小麦粉はらーめん専用に開発された北海道産の最高級のものを70g使用します。
We use 70gram of the highest-grade Hokkaido wheat flour specially developed for ramen. 【And there’s a secret in this water.】
In the water, we mix a pinch of salt and a natural powder called “KANSUI” sourced from Mongolia. It is always used in ramen, and its ingredients are sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. It gives the noodles smoothness and firmness, and it is also characterized by turning them yellow. We will use this mixed water to make the noodles.
B.水回し
b1.ボトルを手に取って下さい。中に入ってる粉を斜めにして、崖を作ること、これが重要です。
The very first step. Please pick up the bottle. Tilt the powder inside and make a cliff shape — this is important.
b2.この粉の崖を崩さないようにして、そっとテーブルの上に置き、蓋を開けて、水を全部投入します。
Gently place it on the table without breaking the "powder cliff," open the lid, and pour in all of the water.
b3.水を全部投入しますよー
Please pour in all the water.
b4.次にそっと蓋をして、ボトルを斜めにして叩き、粉を水の方に落とし込みます。
Next, gently put the lid on, tilt the bottle at an angle, and tap it to let the powder fall down into the water.
Alright! From here, give the bottle a good vertical shake just like this—
you’ve got to shake it with energy!
If you don’t shake it vigorously, it won’t turn out delicious!
Stir the mixture well, including the bottom, by moving the spatula in large circles. At the same time, use the spatula to press it firmly into a single dough ball.
Please clean out the inside of the bottle completely. This reflects the Japanese mottainai mindset, which signifies showing respect to the farmers who harvested it, and accepting the gravity of taking the lives of animals and plants for our food.
As you knead the dough like this, it becomes smooth and you start to feel a real attachment to it, don't you? — It’s so cute... but we’re going to eat it later!
Next, we will shape it into a square. We will use this template sheet. Try to shape the dough on top of this sheet using only your palms. Make sure it doesn't spill over the edges!
c8.出来上がったら、テーブル前方に移動させて、目の前を空けて下さい。
Once it's done, please move it to the front of the table and clear the space in front of you.
D.延し
d1.次にこの専用型の内枠に当てはめて、きれいな長方形を作りましょう。
Next, fit the dough into this special frame to shape it into a neat rectangle.
d3.これをひっくり返して内枠に嵌め、台紙を剥がします。
Flip this over, fit it into the inner frame, and peel off the backing sheet.
d4.指と手のひら、そしてミニローラーを縦横斜めと全てを駆使してフラットに仕上げますよ！
Use your fingers, palms, and the mini roller in every direction—vertically, horizontally, and diagonally—to make it perfectly flat!
Next, place these colorful guides on both sides of the dough to create a 'rail.' Please make sure to keep the rolling pin moving on top of these rails at all times.
e2.ガイドと生地の間は指1本分のスペースを空けておきます。
Keep one finger of space here.
e3.このシステムテーブルには引き出しが付いています。少し開けて麺棒を取り出して握って見ましょう。
This system table has a drawer. Please open it a little, take out the rolling pin, and try holding it.
e4.それでは猫ちゃんの手（Now make a kitty paw）をして下さいね。パーじゃなく、親指を上にしたグーでハンドルを握り、前後ろ前後ろと上手に動かしてみて下さい。
Instead of holding the handle with an open hand, — grip it with a thumbs-up fist and try moving it smoothly back and forth, — back and forth.
The guides on both sides are 1.5 mm thick. That means you need to roll the dough until it reaches the same thickness. Take a look at the dough around you as well and use it as a reference.
★e6.速く動かすと返って伸びないんです。ウェイトを掛けながら前と後ろにじっくりと動かしてね。
If you move it too quickly, it actually won’t stretch well. Apply some weight and move it slowly back and forth.
Alright, this is finally the highlight! — We’re going to cut the dough! — Open the drawer once again and take out the cutting tools. Please take out the cutting board, the clear cutting guide, and the big, heavy noodle-cutting knife.
f3.この中で包丁を左手で使いたい方がいたら手を挙げてください。
If anyone here would like to use the knife with their left hand, please raise your hand.
f4.さ！まずは道具の名前を覚えましょう！
日本語を学びますよ！
Okay! Let’s start by learning the tool names — in Japanese!
f5.まな板の端から3本指の位置にガイドをセットします。右利きは右端、左利きは左端ね。
Set the guide three finger-widths from the edge of the cutting board. If you're right-handed, place it on the right edge; if you're left-handed, place it on the left edge.
f6.カッティングガイドの取っ手に真ん中二本指を入れて、3ポイントで抑えます。
Place the middle two fingers in the cutting guide handle and hold it at three points.
f7.次に包丁の持ち方です。なるべくセンター辺りを握り、脇に人指し指を添えて下さい。
Next, for holding the knife, grip it around the center as much as possible, and place your index finger along the side.
f8.それでは包丁をガイド脇にぴたっとくっつけて心を落ち着かせて下さい。切る手順を説明します。
Now, place the knife snugly against the guide and take a moment to calm yourself.
I’ll explain the cutting steps.
f9.では、わたくし専用のメガビッグ包丁を使って解説します。ちょっとマネしてみて下さい。
Now, I will demonstrate using my personal mega-big knife. Please try to follow along.
First, in Step 1, tilt the knife slightly and push the guide to the side.
In Step 2, lift the knife vertically along the side of the guide.
In Step 3, let the weight of the knife do the work as you slice downward.
In other words, what you are doing here is pushing the guide with the knife as you cut your way sideways.
This is practice for the sensation of controlling the guide by pushing it with the knife.
The trick is to keep the guide and the knife stuck together like magnets at all times.
Everyone, at this rate you'll end up making udon noodles!
The cut size should be 2mm, which is the same thickness as the blade of your knife.
Please keep that in mind and adjust your cuts to make them as thin as possible.
Now, let’s prepare for the real thing!
To place the noodle dough, pile up some powder on only half of the cutting board.
Go for a "Mega" amount of powder, please!
f14.右利きの場合は、右半分で。左利きの場合は、左半分ですよー！
If you are right-handed, use the right half. If you are left-handed, use the left half!
f15.まな板半分にパウダーの布団を作ります。
Create a bed of powder on half of the cutting board.
f16.必ず麺生地を両手で水平に持ち、折り目を上にして、まな板のメガパウダーの上にそっと置きます。
Be sure to hold the noodle dough horizontally with both hands, with the fold facing up, and gently place it on top of the "Mega" powder on the cutting board.
Then, place the guide on top of the noodle dough and align it perfectly with the edge. If you don't set it so the dough is completely hidden, your first noodle will come out too thick.
f18.ガイドを置く手に力は不要ですよ。なるべく軽く押さえれば、楽に斬り進められますよ。
You don't need any strength in the hand holding the guide. If you press down as lightly as possible, you’ll be able to cut through smoothly and easily.
f19.それでは皆さん、ちょっと手を止めて待っててね。わたしが5本だけサンプルを斬ります。
Alright everyone, please stop your hands and wait a moment. I will cut just five sample noodles.
Alright everyone, please try cutting just five noodles as thin as you can in your own way. After you cut five, I will grade them.
f21.では、斬り始めてくださいねー
Alright, please start cutting now.
★f22.ここはまるで麺づくりのトップガンみたいだ！すばらしい包丁使いだ、マーヴェリックたち。
This place is like Top Gun for noodle making! — Excellent knife skills, Mavericks!
f23.ガイドを置く手に力は不要ですよ。なるべく軽く押さえれば、楽に斬り進められますよ。
You don't need any strength in the hand holding the guide. If you press down as lightly as possible, you’ll be able to cut through smoothly and easily.
f24.そばシェフでも稼げますよ。
You can make money as a Soba chef.
★f25.早速本国に帰ったら、らーめん屋をオープンする資金調達に動く必要性があるぞ！
As soon as you get back home, you'll need to start raising funds to open your own ramen shop!
Now! This is the final showtime! —
Use this part of the knife to scoop up the noodles and neatly place them into the container! Try it using both hands skillfully.
★f27.3人で1ケースに入れてね。テーブルカラーを覚えておいてね。ワンチームです。
Please put the noodles into one container per group of three. Remember your table color. You're one team.
f27.では、このケースを持ってね、お写真撮って回りますよー！
Now, hold this case! I’ll be coming around to take some photos of everyone.
Everyone, you've made wonderful noodles! — These are truly one-of-a-kind noodles that you'll only ever encounter once in your lifetime! — Now, it's time to clean up.
Please clean the tools you used and put them back in the drawer. Having the mindset to respect the ingredients and tools is also a fundamental part of Japanese beauty.
Now, please return your apron and dispose of your gloves in the trash bin.
Our staff will boil your noodles to perfection, so please have a seat at the dining table and wait for a moment.
Alright, I’m going to hand out cloths now so we can clean the tables. This workshop table will become your dining table, so please wipe away all the powder thoroughly.
We’d be delighted if you could leave us a review as a memory of your trip!
You’ll find QR codes for Google Maps and TripAdvisor posted here — we’d really appreciate your support!
Now, our staff will boil the noodles for you. In the meantime, please grab your favorite drink and have a toast! Once the noodles are ready, we will call out your table color, so please come and pick them up.