Udon facts for kids

Udon (うどん) is a type of thick, chewy noodle from Japan. These noodles are made from wheat flour. Udon is a very popular food in Japanese cuisine.

Udon is usually served hot in a noodle soup. The soup has a mild, salty broth. The simplest kind of udon soup is called kake udon. This soup has a special Japanese stock called dashi, soy sauce (shōyu), a sweet cooking wine called mirin, and the udon noodles.

People often add different things on top of their udon soup. Common toppings include thinly sliced scallions. Other popular toppings are kamaboko (fish cake), tempura (fried seafood or vegetables), and wakame (a type of seaweed).

The taste of the broth and the toppings can change a lot depending on where you are in Japan. Even the texture and thickness of the noodles can be different! In eastern Japan, the broth is often dark brown. This is because they use a darker soy sauce called koikuchi shōyu. In western Japan, the broth is usually lighter brown, made with a lighter soy sauce called usukuchi shōyu. Many other regional types exist, mostly changing the toppings used.

Kagawa Prefecture is especially famous for udon. It's a main food there, like bread or rice in other places.

Different Kinds of Udon

There are many exciting ways to enjoy udon noodles. Here are some popular types:

• Tempura Udon: This udon comes with crispy tempura on top. Tempura can be fried shrimp, squid, or vegetables.
• Kitsune Udon: This type is topped with deep-fried tofu that has a slightly sweet taste.
• Curry Udon: Instead of a regular broth, this udon is served in a warm, flavorful curry soup that also contains dashi.
• Niku Udon: This udon has tasty beef slices on top. The beef is often cooked with mirin and a little sugar.
• Tsukimi Udon: This means "moon-viewing udon." It has a raw egg on top, which looks like a full moon in the soup.
• Nabeyaki Udon: This is a hearty udon dish cooked and served in a hot pot. It often has many different toppings.
• Yaki Udon: Unlike soup udon, yaki udon means "fried udon." The noodles are stir-fried with a sauce and other ingredients.
• Zaru Udon: This is a cold udon dish. The noodles are served chilled on a bamboo mat (a zaru) with a dipping sauce on the side. It's perfect for hot days!

What Makes Udon, Udon?

To be called udon in Japan, noodles have to meet certain rules. These rules are set by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS). For a round noodle to be udon, it must be thicker than 1.7 millimeters (about 0.07 inches) across. If it's a flat noodle, it needs to be wider than 1.7 millimeters. Udon dough is simply made from wheat flour and salt.

Images for kids

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  A chef rolling out the dough to make udon noodles.

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  Tempura udon, with fried shrimp and vegetables.

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  Mori udon, a type of cold udon.

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  Kishimen, a flat type of udon noodle, at a noodle stand in Nagoya Station.

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  Udong, a Korean-style udon noodle soup with crowndaisy greens and fish cakes.

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  A model bowl of udon and menu at Takamatsu Airport.

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  Himokawa udon, known for its very wide, flat noodles.

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  Mimi-udon, shaped like ears.

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  Hōtō, a hearty noodle soup from Yamanashi Prefecture.

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  Another view of Kishimen noodles.

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  Ise-udon, a soft udon with a thick, dark sauce.

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  Yaki-udon, stir-fried udon noodles.

See also

In Spanish: Udon para niños