Quick Yakisoba

Yakisoba is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish that has its roots in Chinese cuisine. The word “yakisoba” itself is a combination of two Japanese words: “yaki,” meaning grilled or fried, and “soba,” which refers to buckwheat noodles. Despite the name, yakisoba noodles are typically made from wheat flour rather than buckwheat. The history of yakisoba can be traced back to the early 20th century. It is believed that Chinese immigrants in Japan introduced stir-frying techniques, and yakisoba emerged as a popular street food during festivals and events. The dish gained further popularity after World War II when food shortages led to the introduction of wheat-based noodles as a more accessible alternative to traditional soba noodles.

In my household, my husband and I try to cook a variation of meals that hail from all over the world, as we love our meals to be as different and interesting as they can be. However, there are just some days when we are not in the mood to bring our A-game to the kitchen, and on those days, we would like to keep it as simple as it can be. The other day, I was craving Japanese food and really wanted to make something, but was not in the mood to cook AT ALL. Then, this recipe came to the rescue—I had 15 minutes to cook and 15 minutes to clean, hardly any mess at the end, and we had warm delicious bowls of Yakisoba noodles ready for lunch. If you have days like us or just busy days in general, then keep this recipe on your rotation, and you won’t regret it.