{"id":109723,"title":"Udon noodles explained","modified":"2025-10-29T16:15:06+01:00","plain":"Along with their cousins, yakisoba and ramen, udon noodles are one of Japan\u2019s most popular staples. These noodles are fundamental to Japanese cuisine thanks to their many culinary possibilities: they can be served hot or cold, with or without broth. In addition, their width and thickness give them a uniquely soft, springy texture that treats your palate to a one-of-a-kind experience.\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re not yet very familiar with these noodles, here\u2019s everything you need to know to become an expert on this icon of Japanese cuisine.\n\n\n\nWhat exactly are udon noodles?\n\n\n\nThe defining characteristic of these noodles is their thickness. Udon are white and thick, with a slightly sticky, elastic bite. They\u2019re made with wheat flour and salted water. The most intriguing part is the traditional production technique: the dough is kneaded with the feet\u2014don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s wrapped in plastic.\n\n\n\nDelicious kimchi stir-fried udon\n\n\n\nIn Japan, there are two main styles of udon: Kanto, from the Tokyo region, and Kansai, from the Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe regions. Noodles from the Osaka area differ from those of the capital in texture and color: they\u2019re whiter and softer. Beyond regional styles, there are also different noodle shapes depending on the type of udon dish. For example, kishimen is a flatter style of udon, while inaniwa is much thinner.\n\n\n\nThe wonderfully surprising niku udon\n\n\n\nUdon are often called the noodles of a thousand and one recipes because they\u2019re so versatile\u2014you can riff endlessly. When served hot, yaki udon is perhaps one of the best-known dishes outside Japan. It\u2019s made by stir-frying the noodles with soy sauce until it caramelizes, much like yakisoba, then adding meat and vegetables. Here\u2019s my famous yaki udon recipe.\n\n\n\nKoreans have also embraced these noodles in beefy favorites like bulgogi udon.\n\n\n\nBeef yaki udon\n\n\n\nServed cold, udon are often tossed into salads with ingredients such as hard-boiled eggs, radishes, or cucumbers. Whatever the season, you can always enjoy a good bowl of udon in Japan. Their versatility is remarkable.\n\n\n\nWhere to buy them?\n\n\n\nMost Asian groceries carry them. The packages look like this:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThere are many package styles, but these are the most common. If you don\u2019t have an Asian shop nearby, you can find them here on Amazon.\n\n\n\nOrigins of udon\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s still no consensus on when they arrived in Japan. Most accounts agree that these noodles originate from the Kagawa region.\n\n\n\nIn the 1980s, they began to gain popularity because the city used them to attract visitors. From then until today, Kagawa has been a destination for culinary tourism and pilgrimage. If any travel agency is reading this, feel free to sponsor me.\n\n\n\nDiscover my delicious kitsune udon recipe\n\n\n\nAt first, however, udon were eaten only by Buddhist monks in temples. It was only in the Edo period (1603\u20131868) that udon noodles began to be enjoyed regularly outside temples.\n\n\n\nBecause it can be eaten quickly, like ramen, it became the go-to when people wanted a quick bite on the go. That\u2019s why today Japan is full of restaurants specializing in udon and ramen\u2014you\u2019ll find one on almost every street corner. And that, my friends, is paradise.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\tEasy Shoyu Udon (Soy Sauce Udon)\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tWok\t\n\t\n\t\t1 portion of pre-cooked udon noodles1 tablespoon light soy sauce1 teaspoon dark soy sauceJapanese Dressing0.5 tablespoon rice vinegar2 teaspoons honey2 teaspoons sesame oil1 teaspoon sesame seeds\t\n\t\n\t\tOpen the udon packet and add the noodles to boiling water. Stir gently until they loosen.Once loosened, drain in a colander.Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.Toss the noodles with the dressing in a bowl or mixing bowl; garnish with scallions, if desired.\t\n\t\n\t\tDark soy sauce: It's not essential, but it adds great depth of flavor. If you prefer, use tamari instead.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalJaponaiseshoyu udon, udon au soja","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109723"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110180,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109723\/revisions\/110180"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}