A Japanese meal without Japanese noodles is really hard to imagine. Called as ‘men’ in Japanese, these are an integral part of a Japanese diet. These soft, chewy, doughy noodles often form the base of many of the delicious Japanese cuisines. These are considered as a convenient food type in Japan and are often enjoyed with dipping sauces or in soups. Whether it is udon, or ramen, or soba, a Japanese meal is incomplete without a bowl of noodles. You can get all of these noodle types in any good Japanese restaurant. This article is dedicated to different types of Japanese noodles, what they are and how are these served. Let us take a look at a few of them.
Type of Japanese Noodles
Ramen
It would be quite unfair if the list of Japanese noodles does not start with ramen. Made from wheat, these noodles are long, thin and have a chewy texture. Many restaurants serve these Japanese noodles with thin slices of pork (chashu), slices of boiled eggs, and seaweed strips. The origin of ramen is China, but the Japanese made it popular by preparing them in their own traditional style. These noodles are slightly yellow in color because of kansui (mineral-rich salt water) ingredient which is put in the making of ramen noodles.
Yakisoba
Yakisoba is a famous type of Japanese noodles that packs a punch in terms of flavor. No kind of broth or soup is used to serve these noodles. Again made of wheat, Yakisoba noodles are thin and curly and are literally fried. Generally, vegetables like cabbage, carrot, onion mushrooms, broccoli, etc. are grilled to top these noodles before serving. Yakisoba sauce having a sweet and tangy flavor is generally eaten with these noodle types.
Udon
The thick noodle texture and pale white color are the characteristic features of udon noodles. These wheat noodles are generally served with a simple broth. Having a neutral flavor, there are many possibilities to prepare these noodles. Different styles of udon noodles that you can get in various Japanese restaurants generally include:
- Tempura Udon: In this style, the udon noodles include tempura as the topping and served in a hot broth.
- Curry Udon: In this type, the udon noodles are mixed with Japanese curry that usually includes ginger.
- Kake Udon: This style of udon includes the noodles topped with various slices of green onion served with tsuyu broth.
Soba
These spaghetti-like noodles are made from gluten-free buckwheat. These are served as steaming hot noodle soup or served cold with a dipping sauce. Many kinds of health benefits are also included with these noodle types because these are made of buckwheat. These noodles tend to boost the function of the liver and improve cardiovascular health. Tsuyu or soy-based broth is used to serve the soba noodles. The toppings usually include spring onion and egg slices.
