10 Best Soba Noodles Ever

Looking for the best soba noodles?

There are some brands that do it better than others, which is why I’ve compiled this list of the best soba noodles you can enjoy at home!

It’s important to choose soba noodles carefully, because different brands have different qualities, from the texture of the noodles to the flavor to even how long they keep in your pantry.

Best Soba Noodles

Try them all!

Juwari Soba Noodles (100% Buckwheat)

100% buckwheat soba noodles are called juwari soba (十割そば). Juwari noodles are more full-flavored, nuttier in taste, and grainy in texture.

Juwari soba suits a low carb diet. These soba noodles are also naturally gluten-free. 100% buckwheat soba is a little bit more expensive.

1. MUSO Organic 100% Buckwheat Soba

MUSO From Japan buckwheat soba noodles are gluten-free and made with organic buckwheat flour only, no salt added. They are specially crafted in Japan with the finest traditional skills to produce one of the best authentic juwari (100% buckwheat) soba noodles.

Pros

  • Absolutely delicious, authentic flavor and texture
  • Organic buckwheat

Cons

  • Pricey

Related: 7 Spiciest Instant Ramen Noodles In The World (2023)

2. Eden Organic 100% Buckwheat Soba

The most authentic juwari soba — are noodles made with only buckwheat flour and water, the former being the only ingredient listed on the label. Eden’s organic buckwheat soba has an earthy and nutty taste. The texture is grainier than other soba on the market, due to the absence of wheat gluten and other binders.

Pros

  • Authentic nutty and earthy soba taste
  • Highest quality 100% soba noodles available in the US market
  • Organic and naturally gluten-free

Cons

  • Noodles comes apart somewhat while cooking, due to missing wheat gluten binders
  • Grainy, less chewy texture
  • Pricey

Did you know?

One reason why wheat flour is often added to soba noodles is that buckwheat by itself may result in fragile noodles.

3. Kajino Juwari Buckwheat Soba Noodles

Juwari Soba Noodles are made from 100% buckwheat flour, which means they are gluten-free. Juwari soba is considered the most traditional soba noodle. Made in Hokkaido this premium brand of soba noodles contains only water and buckwheat flour, with no additives.

Pros

  • Authentic Japanese soba flavor
  • Very smooth
  • 100% buckwheat and gluten free

Cons

  • Pricey

4. Karakida Juwari Soba Noodles

This premium brand of soba noodles uses only water and buckwheat flour, with no additives, so you can enjoy the delicious nutty and earthy flavor of soba.

Eat these soba noodles right away, before they get mushy, so you enjoy the flavor and texture. 

Hachi Wari Soba Noodles (80% Buckwheat Soba)

Soba noodles made with 80% buckwheat and 20% wheat flour are called hachi wari soba (八割そば). Hachi-wari means 80% in Japanese.

Over 300 years ago, when soba noodles were made with just buckwheat flour, they were prone to easily breaking apart. The gluten in wheat flour makes it easier for the noodle dough to hold together.

5. Hakubaku Organic Soba Noodles

These organic soba noodles come together in no time, add sesame seeds for extra crunch.

You can jazz it up with anything from frozen gyoza to bok choy or snap peas.

Or add whatever vegetables you have on hand for cold soba noodles.

Toss them in a homemade dressing made with lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup for a refreshing meal on a warm summer day.

6. Hime Buckwheat Soba Noodles

These Amazon best-selling soba noodles are made from premium buckwheat flour grown in Japan. You can’t go wrong with this staple soba noodle. They cook quickly, for chewier noodles cook a minute or two less. You get good quality and quantity for a good price with these noodles.

7. King Soba Buckwheat Noodles

A great choice for anyone looking for organic and kosher soba noodles. These noodles have a terrific taste and texture, and are delicious served in a Japanese style vegetable soup flavored with soy sauce and miso. Alternatively serve with lightly stir fried vegetables and strips of meat or tofu for a more substantial meal.

8. Wei Chuan Organic Korean Buckwheat Soba Noodles

Certified organic buckwheat noodles are one of the most nourishing fast foods on earth. These soba noodles are high in protein, fiber and minerals like magnesium.

Instant Soba Noodles

Instant soba noodles are the most accessible food since they are easy to make, fast, tasty, and cheap. 

In Japan, you can find different classes of instant soba noodles in konbini (convenience stores) and supermarkets.

Many brands are also available online.

Related: Konbini: The Definitive Guide To Japanese Convenience Stores 

9. Nissin Donbei Tempura Soba

This is the most beloved instant soba noodle in Japan. The delicate broth, crispy tempura, and chewy noodles are the real winners here. The konbu (seaweed) flavor is popular in Japan, partly due to the bonito stock with sansho pepper. Top with some bacon or and egg for extra protein.

Pros

  • Chewy, sturdy noodles
  • Quick, easy, and affordable

Cons

  • Not 100% buckwheat soba

10. Nissin Donbei Kamo Dashi Soba

Nothing beats a classic! There’s plenty of variety when it comes Nissin’s instant noodles.

This donbei kamo dashi soba seasoned with duck fat is way better than eating out. It has a green onion kick that you won’t be able to resist. If you’ve ever wanted to try kamo dashi soba in Tokyo, this is the next best thing!

11. Boiling Point Wok Soba Noodles

These premium, instant soba noodles are legitimately perfect. Choose your own soba adventure. Add Boiling Point’s soup base. Then throw in veggies, a runny soft-boiled egg on top, meatballs, sprinkle on more sesame seeds.

Use whatever you have!

12. Nissin Kanda Matsuya Tori-Nanban Soba

These instant soba noodles feature bits of seasoned chicken and green onions as main toppings. “Tori (鶏)” means chicken in Japanese and “Nanban (南ばん) refers to green onions. The soba noodles have an amazing flavor, and are really good, naturally, you’ll be going back to this one on a regular basis. 

13. Maruchan – Midori No Tanuki Instant Soba Bowl

Maruchan is one of the most well known Japanese instant noodles.

Midori No Tanuki is buckwheat noodles in a hot broth topped with a large piece of deep-fried shrimp Tempura.

The broth is soy sauce-based, umami-packed, and slurp-ready! You can jazz it up with anything from shredded nori to sesame seeds.

14. Blue Dragon Dried Soba Noodles

Explore authentic and simple soba noodles. Made from just 4 ingredients: wheat flour, buckwheat flour, water, and salt. NON-GMO project verified, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and vegetarian. They are ready in 4 minutes and they pair well with any broth

15. New Touch Nadai Fuji Soba Beni-Shoga Ten Soba

One thing is for sure, you will surely enjoy eating this instant soba noodle whether it is for an afternoon snack or light dinner. This one’s not too pricey and absolutely delightful.

16. Organic Planet Organic Soba Noodles

These hearty soba noodles are made with a blend of organic buckwheat and sifted organic wheat to provide a smooth, velvety texture and quick cooking experience. They are produced by the traditional roll and cut method, not extruded like other modern pastas. The noodles are rolled in six-foot long sheets and then cut and left to dry. Use these traditional soba noodles in place of ramen, udon, cho mein, or fettucine. INGREDIENTS: Organic buckwheat, organic sifted wheat flower, sea salt.

17. Hakubaku Mochimugi Soba Noodle with Barley

This is a must eat instant soba noodle. These authentic, smooth noodles are delicious either hot or cold. They’re chewy and delicious because they’re made with mochi barley.

18. Lotus Foods Organic Buckwheat & Brown Soba Rice Noodle

Lotus Foods is excited to bring Asia’s most popular noodles to American kitchens, now all gluten-free, and made with organic and whole grain rice. We combine organic buckwheat seed that gives such valued taste and nutrition— with organic whole grain brown rice to create a beloved yet gluten-free Japanese-style soba noodle. With its rich and nutty taste, Serve chilled with a dipping sauce, in a hot broth, or in any pasta or stir-fry.

19. Myojo Okinawa Soba Japanese Style Noodles

You’ll be blown away with how good these instant Okinawa soba noodles are. They’re hard to find in U.S. supermarkets, however they are available online through Pacific Mercantile Company. Kick it up a notch by topping with sesame seeds, scallions, sprouts, or your favorite soba noodle garnishes.

20. Maruchan Yakisoba Spicy Chicken Flavor

If you’re tired of your usual instant soba routine, mix things up with. Maruchan’s yakisoba fire noodles clock in at 8706 Scoville units, which makes them one of the spiciest instant noodles on the market.

Soba Fact: Although it contains the word soba, yakisoba is actually stir-fried wheat flour noodles, not buckwheat. 

Types of Soba Noodles

There are different varieties of soba noodles in Japan, but the primary differences are the ratio of buckwheat flour.

  • Juwari Soba (十割そば) is made of 100% buckwheat flour. Ju-wari soba has a strong buckwheat aroma and flavor, and it can be hard to prepare because of the grainy texture.
  • Hachi Wari Soba (八割そば) is made from 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour. Hachi-wari means 80% in Japanese. The noodle is much smoother and it has an al dente texture. However, the buckwheat aroma is less pronounced than Ju-wari.
  • Instant ‘Soba’ – These noodles contain more wheat flour than buckwheat. Adding wheat flour, which contains gluten, makes the noodles more durable, as well as less expensive to produce.

These high-quality, Japanese noodles are made from buckwheat and wheat flour, and they go really well with any number of different sauces, depending on where you get them and what the chef has in mind for them.

Soba Noodles FAQs

What are soba noodles?

Soba is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a noodle soup. In Japan, soba noodles can be found in “fast food” places to expensive specialty restaurants.

What do soba noodles taste like?

Japanese soba noodle have a distinctively nutty and earthy flavor. They’re hearty and slightly chewy. In the summertime, soba noodles are refreshing when served chilled with a dipping sauce or cold broth.

Is buckwheat a type of wheat?

Despite the name, buckwheat is not wheat. It’s technically a seed that’s harvested from a flowering plant related to rhubarb. Buckwheat is gluten-free and rich in fiber and several minerals.

When were soba noodles invented

Soba noodles are part of Japan’s washoku (traditional) cuisine and have been eaten in their current incarnation (as noodles) since the Edo era from 1603 to 1868.

What are the benefits of eating buckwheat?

Buckwheat is a highly nutritious whole grain that many people consider to be a superfood. Among its health benefits, buckwheat may improve heart health, promote weight loss, and help manage diabetes. Buckwheat is a good source of protein, fiber, and energy.

Is buckwheat a type of wheat?

Despite its name, buckwheat is not a type of wheat — in fact it’s not technically a grain at all! Buckwheat is one of the six pseudo grains that are not part of the Poaceae cereal family but are considered grains due to their similar uses from a culinary and nutritional perspective.

What are some authentic soba noodle flavors?

You might have seen packages of green or pink soba noodles in Japanese grocery stores.

  • Green Tea Soba (Cha Soba, 茶そば) – The noodles are flavored with a small amount of green tea powder to give a subtle green tea taste and green color.
  • Ume Plum Soba (Ume Soba, 梅そば) – The noodles are flavored with Japanese ume plum and have a slight pink color.

What is zaru soba?

Zaru Soba is a chilled soba noodle served with soy sauce-based dipping sauce called Tsuyu (つゆ). The word zaru means “a strainer” in Japanese and the name of the dish was derived from the way the noodles are served over a bamboo strainer during the Edo Period.

What is yakisoba?

Yakisoba noodles are the same noodles used in ramen, a popular Japanese noodle soup. In some areas of Japan (mainly the Fukuoka Prefecture), yakisoba features thick, chewy udon noodles instead of wheat noodles (in a dish called yaki udon).

Is buckwheat gluten free?

Buckwheat is a naturally gluten-free food that is related to the rhubarb plant. It’s a versatile grain that can be steamed and eaten in place of rice, or the whole seeds can be ground into a fine flour.

When were instant noodles invented?

Instant noodles rose to fame about 60 years ago in Japan after the 2nd World War to feed the starving Japanese population. Instant noodles were launched by Momofuku Ando under the label name ‘Chickin Ramen.’ Over the years, instant noodles became a worldwide favorite comfort meal.

What are the types of Japanese noodles?

  • Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour, roughly as thick as spaghetti, and prepared in various hot and cold dishes.
  • Ramen noodles are made from wheat, are much thinner and longer than udon.
  • Udon are thick Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. They are thicker than soba noodles, white and chewier.
  • Somen noodles are long, thin Japanese noodles. These slim white noodles are made from wheat flour, and stretched, rather than cut.
  • Hiyamugi are very thin dried Japanese noodles made of wheat. They are slightly thicker than somen.
  • Shirataki noodles are long, white noodles. They are often called miracle noodles or konjac noodles.
  • Harusame noodles are round or flat, thin rods that are generally 5 to 7 inches in length. They are also found as long, thin delicate noodles gathered in tight bundles. 

What is a sobalier?

“Sobaliers” are soba noodle experts.

Is soba healthier than pasta?

Soba noodles have less calories more fiber and more protein than traditional pasta.

What are chuka soba noodles?

In Japanese, “chuka” is the word for Chinese. Chuka soba noodles are the Japanese version of Chinese egg noodles. These slightly yellow-color curly noodles are made simply with wheat flour, water, salt and yellow food coloring. These are the noodles commonly used in Yakisoba noodles.

Japanese instant noodles are very popular generally because it’s easy to eat and can be eaten anywhere. Just add hot water or microwave. All the seasoning coms in packets in the cup/box. Japanese instant ramen are also popular due to the number of options to choose from.