Japanese cuisine is famous and popular for its tasty yet light preparations. Amongst the most cherished Japanese dishes, the Udon is particularly well-known. It is a sort of thick noodle made of wheat flour. It is usually served as hot noodle soup, which is known as Kake Udon with a broth Kakejiru which is of mild flavour, made of dashi, soy sauce and mirin. The preparation is usually given a topping of scallions which are thinly chopped. Some other ingredients are also used as toppings, for example, Tempura. The nuances in flavour of the broth and the toppings depend upon their different regional origins. For instance, in eastern Japan, dark brown broth while in western Japan, light brown broth is more usual.
Globalization has abolished cultural barriers across the globe and made the culture of one nation popular in another. Japanese cuisine is also gaining popularity in western countries and so is the preparation of Udon noodles.
But yet there are many lesser known facts about this particular Japanese food which might be interesting to the common people. Some of these are as follows:
There are historical stories surrounding the origins of the Udon noodles. One particular story says a 13th century Japanese monk named Enni had introduced the technology of flour milling which helped to make noodles. This is how Udon was first introduced as a preparation.
A different story states that in the Nara period, a Japanese envoy went to China when the Tang rulers were in power. In China, the envoy was greeted with 14 different kinds of noodles. Amongst those was Sakubei, the predecessor to what is known today as Udon.
The original name of Udon was ‘œKonton’, which and it was made of wheat flour and sweet filings.
There is a similar kind of thick noodle in Chinese Cuisine as well. It is called ‘œwudongmian’. Some Chinese legends claim that it was from China that the knowledge of Udon noodles had gone to Japan.
There are as many as 15 different preparations of Udon noodles when they are served as hot noodle soup in winter.
The Udon noodle can be served both as hot noodle soup and cold noodle soup. The hot noodle soup is usually served in the winter while the cold noodle soup is served during the summer.
There are also 12 different varieties of preparations depending on the region of Japan where the Udon noodle soup is served.
Udon is the thickest of all Japanese noodles.
In Japan, the Udon noodles was first introduced in Shikoku by a Buddhist priest called Kukai.
In ancient Japan, there is also a chilled variety of Udon noodles which was called Hiyamungi.
These are only some of the lesser known facts about the Udon noodles soup that is growing in popularity even amongst the western people. Japanese cuisine enthusiasts must try the noodles. Apart from Soba, it is one of the most popular noodles in the country. Udon noodles also measure low on the glycaemic index which is why they are healthy for individuals suffering from Type 2 Diabetes.
