Toshikoshi soba is an old tradition dating back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). It all started at a Buddhist temple on New Year’s Eve, when the poor ones were offered soba mochi, cakes made with buckwheat flour.
Legend has it that those who had partaken of the buckwheat treats saw their luck improving greatly the following year. It did not take long before people took on eating soba for good luck, a custom that came to be known as toshikoshi soba, the “year-crossing noodle”. Originally, toshikoshi soba was part of the assortment of dishes of the Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, but it soon spread to the aristocrats, the samurai and the commoners across Japan.
There are several theories on why soba noodles are a staple in every New Year’s Eve dinner.