Noodles and Rice

Japanese Noodles 101

by Tom on June 9th, 2007

There are 6 main types of noodles popular in Japan.  They vary in ingredients, shape and use.  Everyone seems to have their own favourites, but on the whole, there must be millions of tonnes of noodles consumed every day throughout Japan.  The noodles can be divided into the following basic categories:

1. Udon - Are usually long and thick.  They are square when they have been rolled and cut and are round when they have been extruded.  Udon is commonly eaten in soups and other dishes such as sukiyaki.  They are also sometimes, but not so often, eaten dry.
2. Somen - These are a very fine noodle (maybe only 1mm in diameter).  They come in various colours but the most common is white.  These noodles are served cold in summer, sometimes at a particular event where noodles are floated down a half bamboo river to awaiting diners.
3. Chinese noodles - These are mid - thickness noodles.  They often have a yellowish tinge despite the fact that they are still made from wheat.  They often come with a wavy or kinky shaped.  The most popular ways to eat these noodles are in a hot bowl of ramen, or BBQ’d as Yakisoba.
4. Kishimen is a less popular cousin of udon.  The main difference is that they are flatter while the udon are more square or round.  Kishimen are more likely to be served without soup than udon are.
5. Another slightly less common noodle is Hiyamugi.  These are slightly thicker than Chinese noodles but still thinner than udon.  They are often confused with spaghetti and the taste is sort of similar.  They are served in a similar way to soba.
6. Soba is perhaps the king of Japanese noodles.  It is a very popular noodle with thousands of restaurants dedicated to it.  There is a lively hobby tradition of making your own at home.  Soba are a grey/brown noodle made from buckwheat flour.  Often soba is served cold with a dipping sauce, but sometimes it is served in soup.  A typical restaurant will offer soba plain, in soup, with tempura or with a set meal.  In my opinion Soba is King…long live Soba

Related Stories

Dried Soba
Japanese Festival food
Sweet and Spicy Pork with Noodles
Chicken, mushrooms and Udon
Tour De Sakuragawa Souvenirs

POSTED IN: Ingredient Spotlight, Japanese, Noodles : Asian