Cold Soba Noodles

OK, so probably at least some of you out there have seen soba noodles in the grocery store (Japanese buckwheat noodles).  I absolutely love them, and was for the longest time just using them like any other noodle, but recently discovered in one of my newer cookbooks, Japanese Food and Cooking by Emi Kazuko, that soba are traditionally eaten cold with a dipping sauce.  So I tried it.  Can we say absolutely delicious?  Give it a try yourself!

Cold Soba Noodles  (serves 4)

Ingredients:
4 spring onions (green onion/scallion) finely chopped
1/2 nori sheet (toasted seaweed - the same stuff they wrap sushi in) shredded
14 oz. soba noodles
1 tsp. wasabi paste (optional if you don't like it)
For dipping sauce:
1 1/4 oz. bonito flake
scant 1 c. of soy sauce
scant 1 c. mirin (or use same amount of sake with some sugar added)
3 c. water

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions.  Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water (hence cold soba noodles!).  For the dipping sauce, put all sauce ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil, and cook for two minutes.  You can strain off the bonito flakes if you want, but I like to eat them with the sauce, myself.  Let the sauce cool, then sprinkle in the spring onion and add the wasabi if using.  Put the drained soba on a plate or in a bowl, sprinkle with the shredded nori, and serve separately with the dipping sauce.  To eat, pick up several noodles at a time, dip them in the sauce, and slurp up the noodles.