Udon (うどん or饂飩) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used inJapanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup askake udon with a mild broth calledkakejiru made fromdashi,soy sauce, andmirin. It is usually topped with thinly choppedscallions. Other common toppings includeprawntempura,kakiage (mixed tempura fritter),abura-age (sweet, deep-friedtofu pouches),kamaboko (sliced fish cake), andshichimi spice added to taste.
Standard broth differs by region. Dark(koikuchi) soy sauce is added in eastern Japan, while light(usukuchi) soy sauce is added in the west.Instant noodles are often sold in two (or more) versions accordingly.[1]
More unusual variants include stir-friedyaki udon and curry udon made withJapanese curry. It is often used inshabu shabu or Japanese hot pot.
Udon noodles are boiled in a pot of hot water. Depending on the type of udon, the way it is served is different as well. Udon noodles are usually served chilled in the summer and hot in the winter. In the Edo period, the thicker wheat noodle was generally called udon, and served with a hot broth callednurumugi (温麦). The thinner, chilled variety was calledhiyamugi (冷麦).
Cold udon, or udon salad, is usually[citation needed] mixed with egg omelette slices, shredded chicken and fresh vegetables, such as cucumber and radish. Toppings of udon soup are chosen to reflect the seasons.[citation needed] Most toppings are added without much cooking, although deep-friedtempura is sometimes added. Many of these dishes may also be prepared withsoba.
Kamaage udon: served in a communal hot-pot with hot water, and accompanied by a hotdipping sauce ofdashisukiyaki.
Karē nanban orkarē udon ("curry udon"): modern udon served in a spicycurry-flavoured broth, which may also include meat or vegetables. The termnanban is a reference to theNanban trade which had influencedJapanese culture for a century before being banned in 1639 by theEdo Shogunate.[2]Biei, Hokkaido is famous for a unique curry udon.[3]
Kitsune udon: ("fox udon"): topped withaburaage (sweet, deep-friedtofu pouches).[4] Thekitsune fox spirits are said to enjoyaburaage. Originated inOsaka.
Maruten udon: topped with maruten, deep-fried large fish cake
Nabeyaki udon: a sort of udonhot-pot, with seafood and vegetables cooked in anabe, or metal pot. The most common ingredients are tempura shrimp with mushrooms and an egg cracked on top.
Oboro udon: dashi broth with kombu flakes.
Oyako udon: chicken and egg, with sliced onion in a sweetened dashi soup over udon. It has a sweet savory flavor.
Sansai udon: udon with wild edible mountain vegetables.
Su udon: seekake udon
Sutamina udon: ("stamina udon"): udon with various hearty ingredients, usually including meat, a raw egg, and vegetables.
Tanuki udon: (in the Kantō region)[4] orHaikara udon (in Kansai):[4] topped with tempurabatter pieces.
Tempura udon: topped with tempura, especially prawn, orkakiage, a type of mixed tempurafritter.
Tsukimi udon: ("moon-viewing udon"): topped with raw egg, which poaches in the hot soup.
Wakame udon: topped withwakame, a dark green seaweed.
Yaki udon: stir-fried udon in soy-based sauce, prepared in a similar manner toyakisoba. Originated inKitakyushu,Fukuoka Prefecture. Whileyaki udon is made with udon,yakisoba is made with steamed Chinese-styleramen, not buckwheat soba.
Bukkake udon: cold udon served with thick dashi broth.[5]
Hadaka udon (裸うどん, "nakedudon"): cold udon served on its own.
Kijōyu udon: served in a cold soup of raw (unpasteurized) soy sauce andsudachi (a type of citrus) juice, sometimes with a bit of grateddaikon radish.
Zaru udon: chilled udon noodles topped with shreddednori and served on azaru (笊/ざる, a sieve-like bamboo tray). Accompanied by a chilled dipping sauce, usually a strong mixture of dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. Eaten withwasabi or gratedginger.
There are wide variations in both thickness and shape for udon noodles.
Dango-jiru (団子汁): similar to theHohtoh, fromŌita Prefecture. Nominally a "dumpling soup", it resembles very thick, flat udon.
Gotō udon (五島うどん): a thin and firm variant from theGoto Islands. The noodles are coated incamellia oil, a natural preservative made from the seeds of camellias, which are abundant in the Goto Islands.[6]
Gōsetsu udon (豪雪うどん): a slightly translucent, chewy type fromKutchan, Hokkaido. Literally "heavy snow udon", made from the starch of potatoes. The texture is different from normal udon which is made from flour. At the foot ofMount Yōtei,Hokkaido, the biggest producing area of potatoes, "potato starch udon" was eaten as a home food for farmers from long ago. The ratio of potato starch and wheat flour was improved to make it delicious even after a long time. The origin of the name "heavy snow udon" is the foot ofMount Yōtei, a heavy snowfall area, and the appearance of the noodles which is slightly translucent like snow.[7]
Hakata udon (博多うどん): a thick and soft type fromFukuoka.
Himokawa (ひもかわ): an extreme flat and wide type fromKiryū, Gunma.
Hōtō (rarely餺飥, commonlyほうとう): a type of miso soup fromYamanashi Prefecture with a flat and wide type udon and vegetables, particularlykabocha. One of the significant differences between usual udon and Hōtō udon is salt. When Hōtō udon is made, salt is not added to the noodle dough.
Kishimen (棊子麺, or more commonlyきし麺): a flat type with wavy edges, a regional specialty fromNagoya.[8]
Mimi udon (耳うどん, literally "ear udon"): a lucky preserved food inKuzu, Tochigi. It looks similar to ears.
Miso-nikomi udon: a local dish ofNagoya, a hard udon simmered in redmiso soup. The soup generally contains chicken, a floating cracked raw egg that is stirred in by the eater, kamaboko, vegetables and tubers. The noodles are extremely firm in order to stand up to the prolonged simmering in the soup; additionally, the noodles do not contain salt, so as to avoid over-salting from the salt in the miso.
Kazo udon (加須うどん): produced inKazo, Saitama, a place of active wheat production. Its very orthodox hand-kneading process characterizes Kazo udon noodles.
Fukaya Nibōtō (深谷煮ぼうとう): a type ofhotoh fromFukaya, Saitama. Boiled noodles using plenty of Fukaya green onions characterize Fuyaya Niboto udon.
Konosu kawahaba udon (こうのす川幅うどん): originated ofKōnosu, Saitama in 2009. it is characterized by its width that is as wide as eight centimeters.
Niiza ninjin udon (新座にんじんうどん): originated ofNiiza, Saitama in 2002. The noodles are kneaded withcarrot and are characterized by their vivid orange color.
Sara udon (皿うどん): a specialty ofNagasaki Prefecture. Literally "plate udon," consisting of thinner udon that aredeep fried and served with any of a number of toppings.
In Korea, authentic Japanese udon dishes are served in numerous Japanese restaurants, while the Korean-style udon noodle soups are served inbunsikjip (snack bars) andpojangmacha (street stalls). Both types are calledudong (우동), which is the transliteration of the Japanese wordudon (うどん).[9] In Korea, the wordudong refers to noodle dishes (typically noodle soup), while the noodles themselves are calledudong-myeon (우동면; "udong noodles") and considered a type ofgarak-guksu (가락국수; "thick noodles").[9] Common ingredients forudong noodle soup includecrowndaisy greens andeomuk (fish cakes), neither of which are very common in Japanese udon dishes.
There is a dish calledudong inPalau, originated from the former Japanese administration.[10] The broth is soy sauce–based like Japanese udon. However, as there were many immigrants fromOkinawa, it uses less broth likeOkinawa soba.[citation needed] Most notably, the noodle is that ofspaghetti,[11] as it is easier to acquire there.
Cebuano:odong orudong ofDavao Region andVisayas is inspired by the Japanese udon,[14][15] although they share no resemblance in modern times.Odong are wheat based yellow thick Chinese noodles (pancit),[16] similar to Okinawa soba.[17] A typicalodong bowl is prepared with canned sardine and tomato sauce.[18] Other dishes such as layering with greens are also popular.[15] During the early 1900s, there was a large community of Japanese laborers in Davao,[19] half of themOkinawans.[20] In this period, the Japanese manufacturedodong.[19]
Kagawa prefecture is well known throughout Japan for itssanuki udon (讃岐うどん). It is promoted to other regions of Japan through themed mascots, souvenirs and movies.[21]
^"Kaigai ikunara kōdenēto – Parao"海外行くならこーでねーと! – パラオ [(TV show) What sightseeing organizers recommend – Palau (aired on November 24th, 2012)].TV Tokyo (in Japanese). 2012-11-24. 裏スポット【第4位】ロックアイランドカフェ（おもしろ日本食）(Interesting places ranking number 4 – strange Japanese foods).Archived from the original on 2017-08-25. Retrieved2021-07-12.(rough translation)Palau udon actually uses spaghetti instead of udon
^Jensen, John T. (2017-01-07) [1977]."qudoong".Yapese Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2021-07-16. Retrieved2021-07-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Tayag, Claude."26 top Filipino iconic dishes".The Philippine Star. 4.Pansit. Archived fromthe original on 2013-07-24.the most popular noodle dishes loved by the locals:...Udóng in Davao (This website enforces periodical auto-refresh with a few-minutes interval, even when archived.)
^"Honba okinawa soba no teigi"本場沖縄そばの定義 [Definition of authenticOkinawa soba].Okinawa Noodle Manufacturing Co-op (in Japanese).Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved2021-07-12. (Unlike udon, Okinawa soba containskansui agent.)
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