Noodles in Japan: Udon
Noodle is familiar food to many people in the world. Noodle comes with variety, and there are different kinds of shapes, length, and are made from different flours and ingredients.
In Japan, there are 3 kinds of noodles: Udon, Soba, and Ramen.
What is Udon?
Udon is kind of noodle and usually white in color and each noodle is much thicker (maybe around 1/4" in width) than regular pastas you are familiar with in the states. It is made from wheat flour and usually served in hot soy sauce based broth. Udon can be found at International ail in the grocery store or Asian store.
You can read more on Udon at wikipedia page here.
Most common way Udon is served is with hot soy sauce based broth, but you can find more variety in Udon dishes. Bellow is some of the examples in Udon dish.
* Nabeyaki Udon,which is cooked in clay pot with vegetable and meat
* Yamakake Udon, which is topped with grated taro
* Tempura Udon, which is topped with tempura on top.
When my mother makes Tempura Udon, she topped with tempura onion & tempura (thinly sliced) carrot. At restaurant, common topping is tempura shrimp.
* Tsukimi Udon
Udon topped with raw egg. Hot broth poaches an egg.
* Curry Udon, which is Udon served in curry sauce.
How can you make Udon?
I came across "how to" video on Udon at youtube. If you like to try out Udon dish with your homemade Udon, try and see how it comes out. If you are a blog subscriber or reading from facebook,please click here to watch the video.
In the video at the end, the video suggest topping but, some of them are not traditional topping such as Basil, Parsley. They are the two I have never used as topping or never seen topped with, and Chili powder is probably pointing to Shichmi (seven spice mixture in Japan.) and definitely not chili powder you will use for making "Chili".
Easiest Udon dish is, you can make Dashi broth and add cooked Udon and add topping and serve.
How do you make dashi?
You can make 2 ways. One way is to buy a powdered Dashi called "Hon Dashi",which you just add powder to water. The other way is to make your own Dashi from scratch. If you make dashi from scratch there are a couple of ways to make it, but most basic way is as followings.
Add about 5 inch long Konbu (kelp) into 900ml water, and heat it up. Then, when kelp is coming to top,take the kelp out from water and add Katsuo Bushi (Bonito flakes), and when boil,turn off the heat,let it sit a little till bonito flakes sink down to bottom and, to the bowl with sieve and cheese cloth, pour it over to take the chunk out from kelp bonito flake water aka Dashi and you have Dashi broth.
So, if you make basic Udon dish, make Dashi broth first. Then, to about 300ml Dashi, add about 1tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 tbs of Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), and add cooked Udon, and add whatever topping you like such as chopped green onion, tempura etc and there you have it.
Sometimes it is nice change to have different kinds of Noodle. Try it out and make Noodle with your family. Noodle making can be fun family event for kids too.
Enjoy!
In Japan, there are 3 kinds of noodles: Udon, Soba, and Ramen.
What is Udon?
Udon is kind of noodle and usually white in color and each noodle is much thicker (maybe around 1/4" in width) than regular pastas you are familiar with in the states. It is made from wheat flour and usually served in hot soy sauce based broth. Udon can be found at International ail in the grocery store or Asian store.
You can read more on Udon at wikipedia page here.
Most common way Udon is served is with hot soy sauce based broth, but you can find more variety in Udon dishes. Bellow is some of the examples in Udon dish.
* Nabeyaki Udon,which is cooked in clay pot with vegetable and meat
* Yamakake Udon, which is topped with grated taro
* Tempura Udon, which is topped with tempura on top.
When my mother makes Tempura Udon, she topped with tempura onion & tempura (thinly sliced) carrot. At restaurant, common topping is tempura shrimp.
* Tsukimi Udon
Udon topped with raw egg. Hot broth poaches an egg.
* Curry Udon, which is Udon served in curry sauce.
How can you make Udon?
I came across "how to" video on Udon at youtube. If you like to try out Udon dish with your homemade Udon, try and see how it comes out. If you are a blog subscriber or reading from facebook,please click here to watch the video.
Easiest Udon dish is, you can make Dashi broth and add cooked Udon and add topping and serve.
How do you make dashi?
You can make 2 ways. One way is to buy a powdered Dashi called "Hon Dashi",which you just add powder to water. The other way is to make your own Dashi from scratch. If you make dashi from scratch there are a couple of ways to make it, but most basic way is as followings.
Add about 5 inch long Konbu (kelp) into 900ml water, and heat it up. Then, when kelp is coming to top,take the kelp out from water and add Katsuo Bushi (Bonito flakes), and when boil,turn off the heat,let it sit a little till bonito flakes sink down to bottom and, to the bowl with sieve and cheese cloth, pour it over to take the chunk out from kelp bonito flake water aka Dashi and you have Dashi broth.
So, if you make basic Udon dish, make Dashi broth first. Then, to about 300ml Dashi, add about 1tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 tbs of Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), and add cooked Udon, and add whatever topping you like such as chopped green onion, tempura etc and there you have it.
Sometimes it is nice change to have different kinds of Noodle. Try it out and make Noodle with your family. Noodle making can be fun family event for kids too.
Enjoy!
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