Udon is a type of noodle that can be enjoyed in a variety of textures and flavors. Each region in Japan has its own unique type of udon, with different noodle thicknesses, compatibility with soup, toppings, and more.

In this article, we will introduce local udon from all over Japan. We will explore the appeal of each region's specialty udon, including its flavor and characteristics.

Japan's local udon noodles and their characteristics

From here, we will introduce you to Japan's local udon noodles and their characteristics.

Heavy Snow Udon Hokkaido

Gosetsu Udon can be eaten at a hotel restaurant in the center of Kutchan Town, Niseko, Hokkaido. It is characterized by its soft and chewy white noodles.

The udon noodles are made using Danshaku potatoes, a specialty of Kutchan Town, and are chewy, smooth to the touch, and have a light aftertaste.

Inaniwa Udon Akita Prefecture

Inaniwa udon, with its smooth texture and silky smooth throat feel, is a specialty of Akita with a history of about 350 years. The moment you bite into it, you will feel its silky smoothness, and even though the noodles are slightly thin and flat, they still have a firm texture.

It is said that maturing it for 3 to 4 days brings out its firmness.

Ankake Udon Iwate Prefecture

Ankake udon has been eaten as a winter delicacy since the early Showa period in the Esashi region in the central-southern part of Iwate Prefecture. It is served with boiled udon noodles, topped with a soy sauce-based sauce with a hint of Japanese dashi.

Topped with shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko (fish cake), eggs, and more, this is a nostalgic local udon noodle dish that can be enjoyed regardless of the season.

Hippuri Udon Yamagata Prefecture

Pulling noodles directly from the boiling pot is how Pippari Udon is made. It is said that Pippari Udon originated in the Tozawa district of Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture, where people would bring preserved foods such as dried noodles, canned goods, and natto together during the cold season and eat them dipped in a special dipping sauce.

The dipping sauce is a mixture of natto, canned mackerel, spring onions, soy sauce, etc., and can be freely adapted to your liking.

Ear Udon Tochigi Prefecture

This is a local udon dish from Senba, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture. It is said to have been named after its resemblance to the shape of an ear.

It is customary to make them at the end of the year and eat them on New Year's Day, and by eating the ears at the beginning of the year, it is said that people will pray for a good year and that they will be able to avoid hearing any bad things throughout the year.

Mizusawa Udon Gunma Prefecture

Mizusawa udon is characterized by its smooth texture and transparent luster. It is a specialty of Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture, and the noodles are slightly thick. It is said that it began in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, when udon noodles made from local wheat and Mizusawa spring water were served to hot spring visitors and worshippers.

This delicious treat, made using only carefully selected wheat, water, and salt, has a history dating back more than 400 years.

Himokawa Udon Gunma Prefecture

These wide noodles are traditional to the Kiriuchi region of Gunma. Depending on the restaurant, the width can vary, even reaching over 10cm. However, they are very thin, with a smooth texture and a firmness that is contrary to their appearance. They are served neatly folded and dipped in the dipping sauce.

Tatebayashi Udon Gunma Prefecture

Tatebayashi udon has a rich wheat flavor and is glossy and smooth. Tatebayashi City, where underground water from Mount Akagi flows, is also known as a "city of water." As it produces high-quality wheat, the city has had a long history of making and eating udon.

It is characterized by the use of "Hyakunen Wheat" grown in Oura-Tatebayashi, and its specialty is Kamatama Udon, which allows you to taste the freshness of the noodles.

Musashino Udon Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture

Musashino udon has a strong flavor with its chewy, thick noodles. It is a type of udon that is popular in the Tama area of Tokyo and the western part of Saitama. It is characterized by the fact that it is served with meat in a warm soy sauce broth with a bonito flavor, and boiled vegetables called kate are mixed into the cold udon noodles.

Kazo Udon Saitama Prefecture

It is said that Kazo udon originated about 300 years ago when udon noodles were made and served to visitors at the Tone River boat dock and at Soganji Temple in the city. By repeating the processes unique to handmade udon, such as "stomping" and "resting," the noodles are given a firm texture and a smooth texture.

Kumagaya Udon Saitama Prefecture

Kumagaya udon is made locally using more than 50% wheat grown in Kumagaya. The wheat used is "Sato no Sora," "Aya Hikari," "Norin 61," and other varieties. "Sato no Sora" does not stretch easily even after time has passed, while "Aya Hikari" produces udon noodles with a springy and smooth texture.

Each type of wheat has slight differences, such as "Norin 61" having a good flavor and a moderate hardness that allows the soup to soak in easily.

Cold udon noodles Saitama Prefecture

Saitama Prefecture's chilled udon noodles are a popular meal to have between busy farm work. Made with miso, which is rich in protein and salt, and with vegetables such as cucumber, shiso leaf, and myoga ginger, it is a staple food for farmers that can be eaten refreshingly even on hot days.

Yoshida Udon Yamanashi Prefecture

Yoshida udon is characterized by its surprisingly firm, chewy, and thick noodles. It is also a local dish around Yoshida City, served with a miso and soy sauce-based broth.

After cooling it in cold water, it is sometimes topped with dashi stock made from dried sardines and bonito flakes, miso, and soy sauce, and then topped with steamed cabbage and horse meat that has been simmered in a sweet and spicy sauce.

Himi Udon Toyama Prefecture

Himi udon is a local dish from Himi City, Toyama Prefecture. It is made by hand without using oil, stretching the noodles by hand many times, and although it is thin, it has a unique firmness and a chewy texture like mochi, and goes down smoothly. It can be eaten in a zaru (bamboo-broth), kamaage (fried in a pot), or kake udon (a type of udon with sauce).

Miso stewed udon noodles Aichi Prefecture

Miso-stewed udon is made by simmering chewy udon noodles in a rich soup made with Hatcho miso. The noodles, made without salt and only with flour and water, are characterized by their ability to stay soft even when simmered.

Because it is cooked in a clay pot, it retains heat well and can be eaten piping hot. One of the best parts of misonikomi udon is that the texture of the udon changes between the beginning and end of the meal.

Ise Udon Mie Prefecture

Ise udon is characterized by thick, soft noodles and a dark-colored soup based on tamari soy sauce. It is often thought to have a strong salty taste, but it also has a bonito flavor and is not too off-putting.

Sanuki udon is soul food for the people of Ise and can be easily purchased at supermarkets. It is much thicker than regular udon, so it is sold pre-boiled.

Kasu udon Osaka Prefecture

Kasu udon is a local dish that has been eaten in the Minamikawachi region of Osaka. Kasu is made by deep-frying beef intestines (horumon) to remove excess moisture, and is also called abura kasu (abura kasu). It is characterized by a crispy, fragrant exterior and a unique chewy texture inside. The concentrated umami flavor of the kasu permeates the broth, adding a great depth to the flavor.

Offal Fried Udon Hyogo Prefecture

Hormone Yakiudon was born in Sayo City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is a teppanyaki dish in which horumon, vegetables, and udon noodles are grilled on a hot plate and served with a special dipping sauce. It is said that the origin of horumon yakiudon dates back to Sayo City, where livestock and meat industries were once thriving, when horumon and vegetables, which were easily available in the city, began to be grilled together with udon noodles.

Plum Udon Wakayama Prefecture

Ume udon is made by kneading in the flesh of ripe Kishu Nanko plums. The pale pink noodles give off a soft plum aroma when boiled, resulting in a mild-tasting udon with no sourness. It has a firm and smooth texture, and can be topped with green shiso leaves, pickled plums, wakame seaweed, bonito flakes, kamaboko fish cakes, etc.

Tsuyama Hormone Udon Okayama Prefecture

Tsuyama Hormone Udon is made by grilling various parts of the horumon with miso and soy sauce. Tsuyama's horumon has no odor, and the meat industry is still thriving, so the area is famous for being able to get fresh horumon. We also recommend squeezing yuzu juice over it to taste.

Naruto Udon Tokushima Prefecture

Naruto udon is characterized by its thin, soft, and uneven noodles. It is also known as "Narchuru udon." The light broth made from dried sardines and the simple toppings of chopped fried tofu and spring onions give it a gentle flavor that you will never tire of.

In Naruto City, which once flourished as a salt-field region, this dish was popular as a quick meal to eat between work breaks.

Thin udon noodles Hiroshima Prefecture

Thin udon noodles from Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, were made into thin noodles about 3 to 4 mm thick so that people who work at sea could eat them quickly and deliciously in the limited time they had. They have a soft texture and the broth clings to them well.

These thin udon noodles, which are quickly eaten and packed with ingredients such as large pieces of tempura, sweet and spicy meat, and spring onions, are still loved by locals.

Sanuki Udon Kagawa Prefecture

Sanuki udon has a chewy texture and a smooth texture. The noodles are made using a method called "ashibumi" (foot-stomping), which gives them elasticity and firmness. There are various ways to eat udon, such as kake udon, bukkake udon, zaru udon, and kamaage udon, but bukkake udon is the most popular way to eat it.

It's also delicious topped with green onions, tempura flakes, and grated daikon radish.

Hakata Udon Fukuoka Prefecture

Hakata udon is characterized by its soft noodles and lack of firmness. It is served with a light, sweet broth based on dried sardines. Its mild flavor makes it a great choice for lunch, a light meal, or as a finishing touch after drinking alcohol.

Hakata udon toppings include fried burdock root, called "goboten," and round tempura called "maruten," which are not available in other regions.

Goto Udon Nagasaki Prefecture

Goto udon is made by stretching and bundling a rod-shaped dough between two chopsticks to create thin, string-like noodles. The noodles are characterized by their firmness and smooth texture despite their thinness. Coating the noodles with camellia oil, a local specialty of the island, helps prevent them from becoming too soft and also gives them a firm texture.

The soup stock made from flying fish that has been grilled over charcoal and then dried goes perfectly with Goto udon.

Fish udon Miyazaki Prefecture

Fish udon is a local dish from Nichinan City, a fishing town. During the war and postwar period when food was scarce, fish udon was made using the abundant fish that were caught. Originally it was made only from fish paste, but nowadays the fish paste is sometimes mixed with eggs, salt, and a small amount of potato starch or wheat flour.

The udon brings out the savory flavor of the fish, so simply adding a little soy sauce to the boiling water will create a flavorful soup.

summary

This time we introduced local udon from all over Japan. Each region has its own unique style of udon, and there are many variations in toppings and soups.

When you're traveling or on a business trip, why not try some local udon that can only be found in that area?

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