A recipe note: Mozuku soba

I love seaweed of any sort, but mozuku really hits the spot - if you’ve never had it before, it’s a vinegared seaweed that you can just drink really or serve with rice. I’ve recently got really into having the fresh variety you can buy in the fridge section and making my own concoction to marinate it in (ponzu and mentsuyu, a tip from my aunt, for the best tasting).

We had a big debate the other night about the noodle hierarchy. I would actually put somen first (great in summer when you lack appetite from the 800% humidity, great in winter with broth and a poached egg), udon next up for the best chew (kishimen also gets a big shout out here), soba, then ramen (it’s a once a year craving for me).

Anyway, here’s a summer recipe for mozuku somen that I made many months ago so I’m incredibly pale (triggered as I love being tanned haha)

Slice cucumber thinly and umeboshi should be mashed up (or use paste from a tube).

Mix mozuku with mentsuyu and chicken stock with a bit of water to thin it out, then add the cucumber and umeboshi. Mix together and set aside.

Add toasted sesame oil and crush sesame seeds.

Boil somen for a couple of minutes (soba works well here too) and rinse with cold water to prevent any starchiness.

Mix noodles with sauce and serve. Top with shiso.