"Miso stewed udon" is one of Aichi Prefecture's representative local B-class gourmet foods. Udon made with miso can be found all over the country, but Aichi's "Miso stewed udon" is unique. In Aichi, it is so loved that it can be eaten all year round, not just in the cold winter.

Let's explore the characteristics and history of misonikomi udon.

Characteristics of misonikomi udon

The appeal of misonikomi udon lies in its rich soybean miso and chewy special udon noodles. The soup is made with soybean miso as the base, combining several types of dried fish and kelp, giving it a rich yet refreshing taste. The commonly used dashi stock made from dried skipjack tuna and horse mackerel enhances the strong flavor of the soybean miso.

The most distinctive feature of udon is the firmness of the noodles. Regular udon is made with salt, but the noodles for misonikomi udon are made only with flour and water. This method of preparation allows you to enjoy a firm texture without it becoming too salty, even when boiled directly from the raw noodles. Furthermore, boiling the raw noodles gives the soup a unique thickness.

The ingredients for misonikomi udon vary depending on the restaurant, but the most common are fried tofu, kamaboko (fish cake), and green onions. Other toppings include chicken, eggs, seasonal delicacies such as oysters and mushrooms, and even shrimp tempura and pork cutlets, making for a wide variety of variations. The noodles and ingredients mixed with the rich soup are delicious, and the dish is also well-balanced in nutrition.

How to enjoy misonikomi udon

Miso stewed udon is usually served in a clay pot. Clay pots have excellent heat retention, so you can eat your miso stewed udon hot right to the very end. Another point is that you can enjoy the change in the texture of the noodles, which are hard at first but soften as you finish eating.

By the way, the lid of the clay pot for misonikomi udon does not have a hole, so it can be used as a small plate. If you have a sensitive tongue, you can put the udon and ingredients on the lid and eat them while they cool. Some restaurants provide small plates.

I recommend ordering rice with misonikomi udon. The rich soup goes well with rice, so some people eat rice with the udon as a side dish. It is also recommended to add rice to the remaining soup and eat it like "ojiya". At the end of the meal, some restaurants add rice and cheese to enjoy it like risotto. The addition of cheese makes it even richer and more delicious.

Soybean miso is essential for misonikomi udon

The soup for misonikomi udon is made with soybean miso, which can be considered Aichi's local miso. Soybean miso is mainly produced in the Tokai region (Aichi, Mie, and Gifu prefectures), and is especially abundant in Aichi.

Soybean miso has a long history, with records showing that it was presented to the Imperial Court from Owari Province, which is now in the western part of Aichi Prefecture, in 730 A.D. Later, during the Heian period, it is said that there were miso specialty stores in the capital, Heian-kyo.

Unlike rice miso and barley miso, which are made by combining koji made from rice or barley with steamed or boiled soybeans and salt, soybean miso is made by turning soybeans directly into koji. Soybean koji is made by crushing steamed soybeans into balls and growing Aspergillus oryzae on them. Add salt and water to the soybean koji and you're done!

Made from simple ingredients, soybean miso has a rich, full-bodied flavor with little sweetness. When rice miso is boiled, the aroma disappears, but the longer soybean miso is boiled, the more the aroma stands out and the more delicious it becomes.

In addition, soybean miso goes well with meat and seafood, and is said to bring out the flavor of each. Rich, full-bodied soybean miso is used in dishes such as miso stewed udon, miso cutlet, and tofu dengaku.

The history of misonikomi udon

Miso stewed udon is thought to have originated from "hoto" in Yamanashi Prefecture. This is because it has many things in common with "hoto", such as the cooking method of stewing in miso and not adding salt to the noodles. There are various theories about when houtou was introduced to Nagoya, but we will introduce two of the most popular theories.

The first theory is that it was introduced during the Sengoku period. During the Sengoku period, after the Takeda clan was destroyed, former Takeda retainers served the Tokugawa and introduced it to Aichi. It is said that the "hoto" that was recreated using Mikawa's soybean miso is the origin of misonikomi udon.

The second theory is that it was introduced during the Meiji period. During the Meiji period, "hoto" made by women working in textile factories in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, spread to the Nagoya area. It is said that vegetable-filled stewed udon noodles were made with soybean miso, and this is how the modern-day misonikomi udon was born.

Tourist information and access for Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture

Aichi, where you can eat Hitsumabushi, has many tourist spots. This time, we will introduce three popular tourist spots in Nagoya City.

Nagoya Castle

A famous tourist spot in Aichi Prefecture is Nagoya Castle. Nagoya Castle was built in 1610. Most of the structure was lost in the Nagoya air raid that occurred in May 1945, but the five-story main and small castle towers topped with golden shachihoko were rebuilt in 1959.

The Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle is full of things to see, and the restored 400-year-old partition paintings are breathtakingly beautiful. Nagoya Castle, which has been selected as one of the 100 most famous castles in Japan and designated as a special national historic site, is also known as the "Famous Castle," the "Golden Shachi Castle," and the "Golden Castle."

Kinshachi Alley

Kinshachi Yokocho is located near Nagoya Castle. Kinshachi Yokocho has two areas: the Yoshinao Zone, where you can find classic Nagoya cuisine from long-established restaurants, and the Muneharu Zone, where new restaurants are lined up. There is no admission fee to either area, so you can enter for free.

Kinshachi Yokocho is a recommended tourist spot for food tours. You can enjoy Nagoya cuisine such as Hitsumabushi, miso katsu, and Nagoya Cochin oyakodon. It is a popular tourist spot with many sweet treats and snacks that are perfect for souvenirs.

Higashiyama Zoological and Botanical Park

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens is home to a variety of animals, from killifish to elephants. It is also famous for being home to Shabani, a western gorilla who has attracted attention for his "handsomeness."

There is also a botanical garden and a large greenhouse that make use of the natural forests of the hills, where you can enjoy about 7,000 kinds of plants. The Cherry Blossom Corridor is filled with about 1,000 cherry trees of 100 varieties. In autumn, the park is also famous as a spot to see the autumn leaves, with about 500 trees, mainly around Okuike Pond and the Japanese garden, turning red in the fall. There are also camellia and rose gardens, so you can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons.

Aichi, an attractive place for both gourmet food and sightseeing, has Nagoya Airport, which can be reached from Okinawa in about two hours. If you travel by JR train from Tokyo, it takes about one hour and 40 minutes. If you travel by JR train from Osaka or Kyoto, you can arrive within an hour.

We also recommend taking a leisurely drive to Aichi. Find the best way to get there.

Location of Aichi Prefecture

summary

Aichi's misonikomi udon is a local B-class gourmet dish made with a unique soybean miso flavor and chewy noodles. Miso stewed udon can be enjoyed with a variety of toppings and is loved by many people, not just locals.

If you visit Aichi, be sure to try misonikomi udon.

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