6 Unique Styles of Udon Noodles

Udon noodles are a beloved type of Japanese noodle, and there are various ways to prepare and serve them. Here are six unique styles of udon noodles:

This is warm udon served in a warm broth. The noodles are first boiled, briefly plunged into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process, and then warmed in hot water before being added to a Kansai-dashi broth made with konbu seaweed, dried fish, mushrooms, and light soy sauce.

This is warm udon that you dip in cold sauce called tsuyu. The cooked udon is served in a bowl with some of the cooking water, which lends a slightly starchy flavor, along with a separate bowl filled with a very strong dashi tsuyu. The noodles are never rinsed with cold water, giving them a distinct chewy texture.

This is also warm udon that you dip in tsuyu, similar to kamaage udon, but with one important difference in the cooking process. The cooked noodles are rinsed under cold water, and then warmed again in hot water before serving, giving them a firmer bite.

This can be either cold or warm udon that you submerge in cold tsuyu. With cold bukkake udon, the cooked noodles are shocked with cold water, put into a large bowl, and then a strong dashi tsuyu is poured over the noodles. With warm bukkake udon, the noodles are reheated after being shocked with cold water, adding an extra step of warming them in hot water.

This can also be either cold or warm udon that you pour cold tsuyu over. What makes kama-bukkake different than regular bukkake udon is that the cooked udon isn't rinsed in cold water, resulting in a distinct chewy texture similar to kamaage udon.

This is warm udon served in a warm broth. In certain areas of Japan, like Kagawa Prefecture, udon that has been cooked, shocked with cold water, and then reheated is served with a dashi broth. The broth is simmered separately with daikon radishes, carrots, taro potatoes, and other root vegetables, which are then added to the udon.

These six styles of udon noodles showcase the versatility and creativity of Japanese cuisine. Whether you prefer your udon warm or cold, with a dipping sauce or in a broth, there is a style of udon that will satisfy your cravings.

 

If you need to buy udon noodles in the near future, please feel free to contact me. Thomas Foods has a large amount of stock of the above udon noodles, and can also customize the udon noodles you need.