Noodles are a staple ofJapanese cuisine. They are often served chilled with dipping sauces, or in soups or hot dishes.[1] Noodles were introduced to Japan from China during the Song Dynasty between the Heian until the early Kamakura period.
Noodles were first introduced into Japan around 800 A.D. during theHeian period (794–1185).[2] This dish was adopted from China.
During theEdo period, specifically between the 1661 to 1672, Soba noodles became popular in restaurants in the capital city of Edo (nowTokyo). It is rumored that it became extremely popular because soba noodles can be served cold, and with all of the fires occurring, the government limited the use of fuel.[3]
Chūkamen are the noodles used inramen. They are thin,wheat-based noodles made from wheat flour, salt, water, andkansui, a form of alkaline water. The dough is risen before being rolled. Chūkamen have a firm texture and are usually pale yellow in color. The noodles may vary in shape, width, and length. They are served in a broth. The dishes ancestral to ramen were introduced by Chinese immigrants in the 1880s. The wordramen is a Japanese borrowing of theMandarin Chineselamian (拉麵, 'pulled noodles').[4][5] A common misconception is that ramen is a Japanese adaptation oflamian, but the two dishes have no direct relation, and how ramen came to adopt its name from lamian remains unclear.[6] Ramen evolved from southern Chinese noodle dishes, primarilyCantonese, as opposed to northern Chinese noodle dishes that may feature lamian.[7] Examples oframen dishes areshōyu ramen,shio ramen,miso ramen,tonkotsu ramen, andcurryramen.[8]
Shirataki are clear noodles made fromkonnyaku. These noodles are chewy or rubbery.Shirataki are used to add texture to dishes such assukiyaki andoden.
Soba is a noodle made frombuckwheat and wheat flour.Soba noodles are available dried or fresh. They may be served with hot broth or cold with dipping sauce (tsuyu). Examples ofsoba dishes arezaru soba (chilled),kake soba,tempura soba,kitsune soba, andtororo soba. Although the popular Japanese dishyakisoba includes "soba" in its name, the dish is made with Chinese-style noodles (chūkamen).[9]
Sōmen noodles are a very thin, white,wheat-based noodle. They are usually served chilled in the summertime with dipping sauces although they may be used in soups and other hot dishes.Sōmen noodles are very similar tohiyamugi andudon noodles, only they are thinner (about 1.3mm in width).Sōmen requires oil in its manufacture. During the summer months Japanese consume chilledsōmen to stay cool.[1]
Hiyamugi arewheat flour noodles similar tosōmen andudon noodles and somewhere in between the two in size. These noodles are often served in the same manner assōmen andudon noodles. While they are mostly white, there are bundles mixed with noodles of pinkish or brown hues.
Udon are the thickest of the noodles served in Japanese cuisine.Udon are white, wheat-based noodles, that are 4-6mm in width. These noodles are served chilled with a dipping sauce in the summer months, or in hot dishes and soups when the temperature is cooler.Udon dishes includekitsune udon,Nabeyaki udon,curry udon, andyaki udon. However,sara udon is made using a different kind of noodle which is crispy. There are three nationally recognized regions in Japan known for theirudon: Kagawa (Sanuki udon), Gunma (Mizusawa udon), and Akita (Inaniwa udon). These three regions contributed unique recipes ofudon, as well as different historical and cultural backgrounds of udon production and consumption. The Kagawa region is considered the "kingdom of Sanuki udon", deemed a symbol of regional identity to revitalize the regional food industry and to promote regional tourism. In the Gunma region, due to the high number of noodle shops serving udon in the surrounding cities (Mizusawa, Kiryu, and Tatebayashi), Gunma was deemed the best place where visitors can experience the best locally produced udon noodle in Japan.[10]
Harusame are glass noodles made from potato starch. These types of noodles are commonly used in hotpot dishes and salads, and used to create Japanese adaptations of Korean and Chinese noodle dishes.[11]Harusame dishes includeharusame salad, which is a cold noodle salad that features three main ingredients of julienned cucumbers, ham, and carrots. Other ingredients can includewakame seaweed, shredded egg omelette, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and more.[12]
Tokoroten are jelly-like slices made ofkanten, which comes from the gelatin of the tengusa, a native seaweed. This dish was usually a summertime dish as it was composed of about 98% water. Tokoroten dates back to 1658 when an innkeeper discarded some strips ofkanten, which dried out and could be stored and preserved. The dish is typically garnished with soy sauce as well as rice vinegar.[13]
^Kushner, Barak (2012).Slurp! : a social and culinary history of ramen – Japan's favorite noodle soup. Leiden: Global Oriental.ISBN978-90-04-22098-0.OCLC810924622.
^Solt, George (2014).The Untold History of Ramen: How Political Crisis in Japan Spawned a Global Food Craze. California Studies in Food and Culture. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.ISBN978-0-520-27756-4.
.jpg)
