Noodles ── Udon
Zaru Udon
Zaru udon — noodles chilled in water and served on a bamboo strainer, dipped in sauce
Udon boiled and chilled in cold water, served on a bamboo strainer or similar vessel, and dipped into a concentrated sauce. Ginger, scallion, and sesame are said to be the common condiments. It stands as one of the basic cold-udon forms, set against hot kake udon.
What it's made of
Zaru udon is noodles boiled and chilled firm in cold water, served on a bamboo strainer or similar vessel. The dipping sauce is said to be built stronger than a hot kake udon broth, typically served alongside ginger, scallion, and sesame. The taut bite of the chilled noodle is said to be its main appeal.
How it's made
Boiled noodles are rinsed well and chilled in cold water before being plated. The dipping sauce is built stronger than a kake udon broth, and the basic way of eating is to dip small portions of noodle into it. Being easy to eat even when appetite fades in the heat is said to make it especially popular in summer.
Why it took this shape
Chilling boiled noodles in water before serving them is said to have spread widely as a way to keep the noodle's bite while eating it cold. Unlike kake udon, where broth is poured directly over the noodle, dipping into a concentrated sauce is said to let both the strong flavor and the noodle's own texture come through at once.
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
Contrast
- 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.
- Kake UdonThe most basic udon of all: noodles boiled, chilled once in cold water, then reheated and covered in broth. The dashi flavor is said to vary shop by shop, built on dried sardine or bonito, and the standard toppings are light ones — scallion, crunchy tempura scraps, little more.
- Hiyashi UdonA general name covering the various cold ways of eating udon — zaru, bukkake, and noodles simply doused in raw soy sauce among them. The basic form is said to pair chilled noodles with a sauce built stronger than a room-temperature one, along with condiments. It is said to be favored for going down easily in summer's heat.