Watch and Hear the Peaceful Process of Making Soba with Master Tatsuru Rai

Within Japan’s famous culinary and noodle culture, there is arguably no dish simpler than a bowl of soba. Largely devoid to the more complex cooking rituals as some of its noodle counterparts, the craft of making soba is one of simplicity and as this video shows, tranquility. For this year’s MAD Symposium, they invited Hokkaido-based chef and owner Tatsuru Rai of Rakuichi Soba. Earning the title of one of the world’s greatest soba houses, the traditional talk and speech-based event saw Rai and his wife Midori take a less conventional approach. Instead they elected to simply recreate Rai’s craft amongst the audience. His 25-minute effort, condensed into a 13-some minute video showcases the exact process alongside all the sounds and movements required for the perfect bowl of soba.