Udon

↔ Varies by recipe

Udon is a thick wheat-flour noodle from Japanese cuisine, served in hot or cold preparations depending on the season and the dish. Its adaptability and the wide range of shapes, thicknesses and toppings make it one of Japan's most popular noodles.

History

According to the sources, udon as it is known today developed in Japan, although the exact date of its invention is not clear. Early versions were thicker, between 6 and 8 millimetres in diameter, and resembled a flat noodle added to miso soup.

Over time, a broth made from dashi, soy sauce and mirin became standard, and the noodle grew thinner in some areas. During the Edo period, the term udon usually referred to the thicker noodle served in hot broth, while the thinner, chilled variety went by another name. The dish spread across the country in regional forms, and today it can also be found in restaurants and kitchens outside Japan.

Culture

Udon is part of everyday Japanese life: it is eaten as a simple meal, in specialised restaurants and in quick-service outlets. Its preparation changes with the seasons, so it is usually served cold in summer and hot in winter, and the toppings tend to reflect the time of year.

The variants are numerous. Among the hot ones are kitsune udon, with sweet fried tofu, and tsukimi udon, with a raw egg that cooks in the broth. Among the cold ones, zaru udon is served on a bamboo mat with a chilled dipping sauce. By region, hakata udon from Fukuoka is soft, kishimen from Nagoya is flat and himokawa from Gunma is extremely wide. In Korea, the dish is called udong and is served in street stalls and snack bars.

Trivia

Its name in Korea. In Korea it is called udong, a transliteration of the Japanese word, and the name covers both Japanese-style dishes and Korean-style noodle soups.

Udon without salt. In Yamanashi's hōtō, the dough contains no salt, which sets it apart from ordinary udon and is linked to the miso it is cooked in.