tensoba
{{Short description|Japanese noodle dish}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Tensoba
| image = Tempura soba 3 by adactio at E-Kagen in Brighton.jpg
| image_size = 250px
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| country = Japan
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| type = Japanese noodles
| served =
| main_ingredient = Noodles (soba), tempura
| variations =
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}}
Tensoba, or tempura soba, is a Japanese dish of soba noodles and tempura.{{Cite web |title=NanoJapan program |url=https://nanojapan.rice.edu/nanojapanIREU_guide_recommendations.shtml#FoodinJapan}}
Overview
There are two varieties of tensoba: one is served with a hot broth of {{Transliteration|ja|dashi}} and soy sauce; the other is served with cooled soba and dipped in {{Transliteration|ja|tsukejiru}} ({{Lit|dipping sauce}}), either chilled or hot and usually strongly flavored. The dipping variety is also called {{Transliteration|ja|tenzaru-soba}} or {{Transliteration|ja|ten-seiro}}, depending on the soba shop or stand.
Like {{Transliteration|ja|tendon}}, tensoba uses many kind of vegetable or seafood tempura, or {{Transliteration|ja|kakiage}} ({{lit|scratch tempura}}, using a mixture of vegetable or seafood bits).
History
Tensoba originated during the mid-Edo-period. It was first eaten as a hot broth soba with {{Transliteration|ja|kakiage}}, using the adductor muscles of surf clams. At that time, shrimp-tempura soba was more expensive than other ingredients. So, shrimp-tempura-soba is also called {{Transliteration|ja|jo-tempura soba}} ({{Lit|upper class tempura-soba}}) or {{Transliteration|ja|ebiten-soba}}.
Regional variety
There are some regional varieties for tensoba toppings. In Kanto and Kyushu, the soba shops often use {{Transliteration|ja|satsuma age}} (fried fish cake) or {{Transliteration|ja|chikuwa}} for tempura. These two fish cakes are sometimes batter-fried.