Noodles ── Udon
Kishimen
Wide, flat wheat noodles from the Nagoya area
A wide, flat noodle recorded in Edo-period writings as Owari's name for what Edo called himokawa. It is widely eaten across Aichi Prefecture, centered on Nagoya.
- Origin: Aichi Nagoya
- About 270 km west of Tokyo
What it's made of
A dead-flat noodle made from wheat flour alone, about 8 to 10 millimeters wide and barely a millimeter thick. It's even classified as a distinct shape from round udon under Japan's agricultural noodle standards. Being thin and broad, it soaks up a tamari-based broth quickly, so the first bite carries a wave of dark, savory aroma. Scallions, sweetened fried tofu, and bonito flakes are the standard toppings, and beneath the silky slide there's a light but present chew.
How it's made
The process tracks udon almost step for step until the final rolling, where the number of passes differs. Dough kneaded with salted water is worked underfoot to build gluten and rested overnight; where ordinary udon gets six to eight passes with the rolling pin, kishimen dough is unrolled and re-rolled eight to ten times with a slimmer pin to press it thinner still. Folded screen-style and cut against a guide board into strips 8 to 10 millimeters wide, that extra pass toward "thin and wide" is what separates it from ordinary udon.
Why it took this shape
The name carries several unconfirmed stories: an Edo-period record calls it Owari's name for what Edo called himokawa, while other tellings trace it to a noodle made with pheasant meat, to a maker from Kishu, or to a Chinese noodle called kishimen that got its pronunciation worn down over time. None is settled. What is documented is that Owari was a center of tamari soy sauce brewing, and diners there favored noodles that could carry a strongly seasoned broth — a thin, wide noodle reads as an answer to that taste for depth.
Before you go
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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.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Also from Aichi
- Funa MisoCrucian carp is simmered slowly with soybeans for around five hours, then finished in a sauce of red miso and coarse sugar. A freshwater fish dish of the Kiso rivers' lower basin, made with fatty winter carp simmered until the bones soften through.
- Gohei MochiFreshly cooked non-glutinous rice is pounded, pressed flat on a skewer, and grilled with a miso glaze. Said to have originated in the mountainous Chubu region, it's traditionally made the night before a festival praying for safety in mountain work.
- Aichi HakozushiVinegared rice is packed into a wooden frame, topped with shrimp, eel, shiitake, and egg arranged diagonally, and pressed. Placing toppings on the diagonal so everyone gets a fair share of each is said to be a feature of the Owari and western Mikawa style, made for celebrations.
- Hebo MeshiAdult and larval giant hornets are simmered sweet and savory, then folded into freshly cooked rice. Said to have served as a prized protein source across the mountains from Shinshu to Okumikawa, it's now more often served as a treat for guests.
- Iga ManjuSweet bean paste is wrapped in rice flour dough, then coated with dyed sticky rice grains. One account ties the name to the grains' resemblance to a chestnut's spiny husk, and in the western Mikawa region it's said to be offered to Hina dolls at the Doll Festival.
- Aichi Miso OdenA pot of sweet red miso sits in the center of the simmering pot, and daikon, tofu, and other ingredients simmered in dashi are dipped into it before eating. While soy-based Kanto-style oden spread in Edo, Aichi is said to have settled on dipping in soybean miso instead.