Noodles ── Udon
Curry Udon
Curry udon — dashi and curry combined into a broth poured over hot noodles
Udon covered in a broth that combines dashi with curry. It is said to bring Western curry powder together with Japanese-style dashi. The thickened broth is said to cling well to the noodle, though it is prone to splashing, calling for a bit of care in how it is eaten.
Lineage
What it's made of
Curry udon is noodles reheated in hot water, covered in a broth that combines dashi with curry. Curry powder's spice aroma layering over dashi's savoriness is said to be the appeal. The broth is often thickened with starch, said to help it cling well to the noodle.
How it's made
Dashi is simmered together with curry powder or curry roux, thickened, then poured over noodles reheated in hot water. The thickened broth is said to splash easily, calling for some care in how the bowl is tilted or the noodle slurped — a particular manner of eating has grown up around the dish because of it.
Why it took this shape
Pairing curry, brought in from the West, with udon, a dashi-based noodle rooted in Japanese cooking, is thought to have grown out of the broader Meiji-era current of Western dishes finding their way onto Japanese tables. Alongside curry rice and curry bread, it stands as one example of a Western-derived flavor poured into a Japanese noodle bowl.
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Dishes in the same style
- Bukkake UdonUdon boiled and chilled in cold water, then doused directly with a concentrated sauce. Scallion and grated daikon go on top, and mixing everything together boldly is said to be the standard way of eating it. A hot version, using warm broth instead, is also said to exist.
- Chikara UdonKake udon topped with a piece of grilled mochi. The name is said to trace to mochi's reputation as a food that "gives you strength," carrying more calories than plain rice. In the Kinki region it is also called kachin udon, from okachin, an old courtly word for mochi.