(Japanese うどん, rH. Udon) is a noodle that, along with Ramen noodles, shares the palm in popularity in Japan. Although Udon is considered a Japanese noodle, it, like Ramen, has Chinese roots. Before the Heian era (Jap. 平安時代, rH. Heian jidai) 794-1185 wheat and the method of obtaining flour from it were unknown in Japan. Historical records mention a Japanese Buddhist monk named Kobo Daishi Kukai (774-835 AD) who went to the mainland to China to study in 804. This monk's name, Kukai (空海, rH. Kūkai), literally means "sea of ​​emptiness". Subsequently, Kukai became a major religious and public cultural figure in Japan and founded the Shingon Buddhist school (Jap. 真言宗, rH. Zhēnyánzōng). In addition to knowledge about the teachings of Buddhism, he brought with him wheat seeds and a method for making flour from it, and then noodles.

Udon noodles were made in Japan before the other popular buckwheat noodles, Soba. Outwardly, Udon is a thin flat noodle of light yellow or gray color. The composition of the noodles includes three components - wheat flour, salt, water. The salt content can vary from 2% to 6%. Salt strongly affects the formation of gluten, which in turn affects the elasticity of the dough. During the cooking process, up to 90% of the salt is washed out.

Most often, Udon is served as a hot soup, i.e. boiled noodles are drenched in hot dashi-based broth and flavored with soy sauce and mirin sweet rice wine. This winter version is called Nurumugi (Jap. 温麦, rH. Nurumugi). These soups are served with various toppings (additives) depending on the season and region. It can be green onion rings, tempura (both classic shrimp and its variations), tofu cubes (including fried ones), Shichimi Togarashi (a spicy Japanese spice mix with sesame and chili) is offered as a seasoning.

In summer, chilled udon noodles are popular, a variant called Hiyamugi (冷麦, rH. Hiyamugi). Udon noodles also go well with Japanese curry. Udon noodles are often used as a substitute for Ramen or Soba noodles in dishes.

Types of udon noodles

In Japan, whose quality standards are considered reference, there is a clear classification of all types of noodles, in which its parameters (width and thickness) and names are indicated. All types of noodles are numbered from 1 to 30, the higher the number, the thinner the noodles.

The thickest udon noodle is number 7. It does not have its own name. Its width is 4.29 mm and thickness is 3.21 mm.

No. 8 Udon noodles also have no name, their width is 3.75 mm and the thickness is 2.81 mm.

Udon #9 noodles are also unnamed, 3.33 mm wide and 2.50 mm thick.

Udon #10 noodles 3.00 mm wide and 2.25 mm thick. It is used in Okinawa soba (沖縄そば, rH. Okinawasoba) as a substitute for soba noodles. This is a noodle dish seasoned with broth.

Udon noodles #12 2.50 mm wide and 1.88 mm thick. It is used in Okinawa soba (沖縄そば, rH. Okinawasoba) or Kitakata Ramen (喜多方ラーメン, rH. Kitakata ramen) as a substitute for Soba or Ramen noodles, respectively.

Udon #14 noodles are 2.14mm wide and 1.61mm thick. It is used in Sano ramen broth noodles (さのラーメン, rH. Sano ramen) or Kitakata Ramen (喜多方ラーメン, rH. Kitakata ramen) as a substitute for Ramen noodles.

Udon noodles No. 15 without a name, its width is 2.00 mm and its thickness is 1.50 mm.

Udon noodles No. 16, its width is 1.88 mm and its thickness is 1.41 mm. It is used in Shirakawa ramen broth noodles (しらかわラーメン, rH. Shirakawa ramen) or Champon (ちゃんぽん, rH. Chanpon).

Udon in Japanese cuisine

In Japan, udon noodles are sold in several types.

chilled noodles(Jap. チルド麺, rH. Chirudo men) - fresh noodles already boiled. Sold chilled, rolled into a "ball" or "ball", usually 1 serving. For which it is also called "udon balls".
Ready-to-use product. You can pour the broth or fry. Or reheat and season with sauce.

Raw Udon(Japanese 生うどん, rH. Nama udon) is also fresh Udon noodles, but not yet cooked. The freshest product, with fine taste, but is stored not so long. It goes on sale in a vacuum package.

Half-cooked udon(Japanese: 半生うどん, rH. Hansei udon) is the state of noodles in which the moisture content is no more than 33%. It's not dried noodles, but it's not boiled either. Semifinished. May keep longer than raw udon.

Dried Udon(Jap. 干しうどん, rH. Hoshi udon) is a common noodle sold in stores. It is stored for a long time, before use, the noodles need to be boiled for 3-4 minutes.

Frozen Udon(Japanese: 冷凍うどん, rH. Reitō udon) - This variation involves boiling the noodles and then freezing them. The product must be thawed before use.

Instant noodles(Jap. 油揚げ麺, rH. Aburaage men) - sublimated noodles familiar to Doshirak lovers. Added sauce and poured boiling water.

The most popular traditional Japanese noodle dishes are:

Udon in Chinese cuisine

In Chinese cuisine, Udon wheat noodles are called Wu Dong Mian (Chinese 乌冬面, pinyin Wu Dong Mian) - they are made, just like in Japan, from wheat flour, salt and water (wraps are made from the same dough for wontons). By the way, it was the pronunciation of the word "wonton" in Cantonese that gave the name to udon noodles.

In China, udon noodles are often fried, which is more in line with local culinary traditions. Stir-fried Udon dishes are similar to the popular Chow Mein (Chinese: 炒面, Pinyin Chaomian) fried noodle dish. All kinds of toppings are added to the noodles - meat (including poultry and offal), seafood and fish, vegetables (including leafy ones), mushrooms, tofu, etc. etc., and seasoned with various sauces, of which there are a great many in the Celestial Empire. These are salty, and sweet, and sweet and sour, and spicy sauces. In general, the chef's imagination is limited only by the presence of food in the refrigerator.

Noodles with broth are prepared according to recipes adopted from Japanese cuisine and adapted to Chinese traditions.

Udon in Korean cuisine

Udon noodles are also used in Korea. Udon noodle soup is called Udong (Korean: 우동), from the Japanese transliteration "udon". And the noodles themselves are called udong myeon (Kor. 우동면), and these noodles are considered garak guksu (Kor. 가락국수) or “thick noodles.”

Its main consumers are the Chinese ethnic communities in Korea. Dishes that are cooked in Korea with udon noodles either came to Korea during the Japanese occupation, or are Chinese Korean dishes. Udon noodles in Korea are most popular in street fast food - so to speak, Japanese Korean-style noodles. Such noodles can be tasted in numerous eateries, they are called Bunsik (Kor. 분식) in Korea, or in street tents or carts Rojanmachha (Kor. 포장마차) in South Korea. Udon can be tasted at numerous Japanese restaurants.

The most popular udon noodle dishes in Korean cuisine are:

• (Korean 짬뽕) – spicy soup with noodles, vegetables and meat (or seafood). This dish came to Korea from Shandong cuisine (PRC), popular in Korea and Japan.
• (Korean: 자장면) is a dish of udon noodles generously seasoned with Chungjang (Korean: 춘장) black bean paste sauce and diced pork (optionally seafood) and vegetables.

Udon noodles are similar in essence, cooking and serving to spaghetti, but decorated with a Japanese accent, using the appropriate accompanying products. Everyone will find a suitable option for themselves, which will allow them to get acquainted with the delights of Japanese cuisine in the best possible way.

Udon noodles - recipe

For the daredevils who are used to doing everything and always with their own hands, the following are recommendations on how to cook udon noodles at home. In fact, the process of creating a product is elementary. The main thing is to observe the correct proportions of the components and adhere to the recommendations of the recipe.

Ingredients:

• flour - 200 g;
• water - 90 ml;
• salt - 1 teaspoon;
• starch.

Cooking

1. Sift flour.
2. Dissolve salt in water.
3. If desired, water can be tinted with beetroot decoction, green tea, turmeric or other natural additives.
4. Pour the liquid into the flour, knead, place in a bag.
5. After 30 minutes, roll out, sprinkle with starch, fold in three, cut into strips of the desired thickness, unfold.

Udon noodles with chicken

Japanese udon noodles are rarely boiled and served straight. As a rule, various savory sauces or roasts are prepared for it with the addition of meat, fish or seafood. However, the most popular way to decorate a dish is with chicken meat and vegetables. Spicy ingredients are also added, without which it is impossible to imagine a Japanese feast.

Ingredients:

• udon noodles - 300 g;
• chicken fillet - 200 g;
• onion and bell pepper - 50 g each;
• oyster mushrooms - 60 g;
• soy sprouts - 80 g;
• soy and oyster sauce - 50 g each;
• vegetable oil - 40 ml;
• salt, sesame.

Cooking

1. Vegetables, oyster mushrooms and fillets are cut into strips.
2. The noodles are boiled.
3. Fry meat in oil, add onion, soy sauce, fry for a minute.
4. Lay vegetables, sprouts, oyster sauce, noodles.
5. In a couple of minutes, udon noodles with chicken and vegetables will be ready.
6. When serving, sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds.

Udon Noodles with Seafood - Recipe

No less popular are udon noodles with seafood. You can take a little peeled mussels, shrimp and squid, or use the packaging of a ready-made frozen sea cocktail. You can expand the composition of the dish by adding some mushrooms or tomatoes. It takes 30 minutes to arrange a Japanese-style meal for three.

Ingredients:

• udon noodles - 150 g;
• sea ​​cocktail - 250 g;
• carrots and bell peppers - 1 pc.;
• soy sauce, bamboo, plum wine - 50 g each;
• vegetable oil - 40 ml;
• salt, wasabi, sesame.

Cooking

1. Boil the noodles.
2. They mix two types of sauce, wine and a little wasabi.
3. Add flour and mix.
4. Fried vegetable straws, add a cocktail.
5. After 3 minutes, udon noodles are laid, sauce is poured.
6. Served with sesame seeds.

Pork Udon Noodles - Recipe

Hearty, nutritious and fragrant udon noodles with pork are obtained. The dish can be decorated succinctly with onions and carrots, or you can expand the vegetable composition by adding eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers. Spicy lovers will appreciate the option of a dish with hot peppers. Only 40 minutes - and on the table is an original and mouth-watering treat for four.

Ingredients:

• udon noodles - 300 g;
• pork (pulp) - 300 g;
• carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers - 200 g each;
• onions and eggplants - 150 g each;
• soy sauce - 50 ml;
• hot pepper - ½ pod;
• vegetable oil - 100 ml;
• salt, sesame.

Cooking

1. Boil the noodles.
2. Meat and vegetables are cut into thin strips and fried alternately.
3. The fried ingredients are combined, soy sauce is added, simmered together for 5 minutes and served with sesame seeds.

Shrimp Udon Noodles - Recipe

Another variation of the dish for seafood lovers is Japanese udon noodles with shrimp. It is more convenient to use already peeled clams, which can be purchased frozen and thawed before adding to the dish. Teriyaki sauce, ginger and garlic will give a special piquancy. In 30 minutes, an appetizing and exquisite dinner for 4 people will be ready.

Ingredients:

• udon noodles - 300 g;
• shrimp - 300 g;
• bell pepper - 2-3 pcs.;
• carrots - 1-2 pcs.;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• ginger - 2 teaspoons;
• soy sauce - 40 ml;
• teriyaki sauce - 20 g;
• vegetable oil - 40 ml;
• salt, green onions.

Cooking

1. Boil the noodles.
2. Shrimps are added to the fried garlic with ginger, fried for a minute.
3. Thinly sliced ​​vegetables are sautéed separately, placed in a common container along with noodles and sauces.
4. Served with finely chopped green onions.

Udon Noodles with Beef - Recipe

Udon noodles with beef were originally prepared in China, but over time, the dish migrated to Japanese cuisine, where it gained no less popularity. Having tried this nutritious and savory variation of Asian food once, you will want to repeat it more than once, implementing a simple and affordable recipe in 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• udon noodles - 300 g;
• beef - 300 g;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• ginger - 1.5-2 tbsp. spoons;
• soy and oyster sauce - 70 g each;
• rice wine - 40 ml;
• sugar - 2 teaspoons;
• water - 100 ml;
• vegetable oil - 40 ml;
• salt, green onions.

Cooking

1. To the fried onions with garlic and ginger lay beef marinated in soy sauce with wine.
2. Fry, lay the rest of the components, and after 10 minutes of stewing and noodles.
3. Served with udon noodles with green onions.

Udon Noodles with Vegetables - Recipe

Udon noodles with vegetables are suitable as a vegetarian treat or to include in. Despite the absence of meat components, the food is tasty, appetizing and healthy. It takes minutes to prepare, and the result is a tasty, light dinner or lunch for four.

Ingredients:

• udon noodles - 300 g;
• cucumbers and tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
• onion and bell pepper - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• carrots in Korean - 250 g;
• soy sauce - 70 ml;
• vegetable oil - 100 ml;
• salt, green onions.

Cooking

1. Boil the noodles.
2. Vegetables are cut into strips.
3. Onion and garlic slices are fried in oil, mixed ingredients are seasoned with the resulting frying, soy sauce is added.

Udon noodles with teriyaki sauce

To enjoy the excellent taste characteristics of dishes with a Japanese accent, it is not necessary to go to an institution with the corresponding cuisine. Udon noodles at home, decorated with, will amuse the taste buds no worse than any restaurant dish.

12.06.2014

Udon- This is a noodle that has become a tradition in the diet of the Japanese.

History of udon noodles

Noodles are a national product and one of the cultural elements of Japan, second only to rice in popularity. The Japanese learned about noodles as early as the 8th century AD, having borrowed a recipe from the Chinese. In the annals, it was called sakubey, muginawa or tabata (Chinese names for noodles of that time).

The word udon comes from the South Chinese word for wonton (semi-circular dumplings commonly used in soups). This type of noodle became popular in Japan during the Edo period (17th-19th century).

The appearance of udon is associated with the Buddhist priest Kukai, who brought from China the recipe for making this noodle, “food for the mind, spirit and body.”

Composition of udon noodles

Udon(jap. 饂飩 or うどん) - thick noodles from wheat flour (sometimes with the addition of bean or buckwheat) from 2 to 4 mm in diameter, which is typical for Japanese cuisine. The dish is ready in a couple of minutes.

The color of udon can start from white to off-white. The texture is soft and elastic. Mostly served as noodles in broth or soup. Udon is eaten both hot and cold, in the heat. Traditional additions to this noodle are: green onions, tempura, shrimp, tofu, kamaboko (fish fingers), mirin (rice wine) and soy sauce. The broth is added from meat, mushrooms or fish.

The taste of the broth, the type of udon, and the additions vary by region. But mostly, dark brown broth (with dark soy sauce (koikuchi shōyu)) is used in eastern Japan, and light brown broth (with light soy sauce (usukuchi shōyu)) is used in western Japan. For example, in the production of instant noodles, the filling of the boxes will be different for the east and west.

Types of udon noodles

Here are some types of udon noodles (there are about 30 in total) that are served in different prefectures of Japan:

Dangojiru (dangojiru)- flat and thick noodles. Looks like dumplings. In fact, a dish with such udon is a soup with dumplings.

Inaniwa-udon (inaniwa udon)– thin udon noodles. Lives in Akita Prefecture.

Ise-udon (ise udon)- thick noodles. Eaten in Mie Prefecture.

Kansai udon (kansai udon)- soft noodles of medium thickness. Distributed in the Kansai region.

Bean-style curry – medium thickness udon from the city of Biei (Biei; Hokkaido).

Kishimen (kishimen)- flat noodles. They eat it in Nagoya.

Sanuki- thick and hard noodles. Served in Kagawa prefecture.

Suba (suba)- medium thickness noodles. It is made with the addition of vegetable ash to the flour.

Hoto (hōtō)- flat and wide noodles. It is prepared with vegetables and often pumpkin in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Udon Noodles - General Cooking Principles

In the East, noodles are the second most common dish after rice. It appeared in China, penetrated into Japan in the 19th century along with the wandering Buddhist monk Kukao, and in the 20th century spread throughout the world.

What is the secret of such popularity of noodles? This is a specially selected flour that gives the product a pleasant aroma and a neutral bready taste. It would be a mistake to call any "Chinese" noodles udon, although this is what most often happens. Let's figure it out. Noodles are classified according to the flour they are made from. If you see a thin gray web, then this is soba made from buckwheat flour. It is best consumed cold. The thin and flat noodles are udon made from wheat flour. And the yellowish noodles are ramen, egg noodles with a bit of flour. The most popular among the Chinese is udon noodles.

The peculiarity of udon noodles is that it is quick and easy to cook, and the resulting dish is simply sprinkled with soy sauce and vegetable oil, and it is already delicious. Meanwhile, udon is rarely used in its pure form, much more often with a variety of additives from vegetables, fish and seafood. In European cuisine, udon is also favored, but such noodles are often served with pork and minced meat.

How to cook udon? There is nothing complicated about this, the noodles are cooked in much the same way as any pasta. The product is placed in boiling water and boiled for about 8-10 minutes (depending on the amount of noodles), then spread in a colander and sprinkled with oil so that it does not stick together.

If you will stew or fry the noodles after cooking, then it is better not to boil them. Boil the noodles for 5 minutes, and then continue cooking in a different way.

Udon noodles - preparing food and dishes

Prepare the ingredients you plan to cook udon with. It can be mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, seafood, all kinds of meat. Boil udon in an enamel saucepan. Serve noodles in deep bowls.

Udon Noodle Recipes:

Recipe 1: Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms

A light and hearty dish is served both cold and hot, immediately after preparation. Suitable for vegetarian cuisine.

Required Ingredients:

• Udon noodles - 300 grams
• Shiitake mushrooms - 100 grams
• Leek - 150 grams
• Soy sauce

Cooking method:

1. Onion cut into thin rings. Mushrooms - thin plates.
2. Boil the noodles in boiling water for five minutes, then drain the water and sprinkle the noodles with oil so that they do not stick together.
3. Heat up a frying pan and grease it with oil. Put the onion first, fry it for one minute on each side, add the mushrooms, after a couple of minutes - boiled noodles. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Then drizzle with soy sauce. The dish is ready to serve.

Recipe 2: Udon Noodles with King Prawns

Most often, udon is cooked with seafood. Below is a recipe for king prawn noodles, but you can use regular prawns as well, they just don’t look so advantageous in a dish.

Required Ingredients:

• Udon noodles - 300 grams
• Shrimp - 220 grams
• Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
• Soy sauce for frying - 2 tbsp.
• white sesame

Cooking method:

1. Defrost shrimp (if using frozen). Take off their shells.
2. Heat up a frying pan, grease it with a little oil. Put the shrimp on a hot surface to fry. Stir the shrimp, frying until crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. In the third minute, drizzle the shrimp with a little soy sauce.
3. Put the noodles to boil. When ready, drain the water and drizzle the noodles with a mixture of vegetable oil and lemon juice.
4. Mix noodles with shrimp, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Recipe 3: Pork Udon Noodles

In the East, they practically do not eat meat, eating seafood instead. If you want to taste udon in a more classic version for us, then try this recipe. You will need pork meat - ham or neck is best.

It should be noted that, since there is a mixture of cultures, recently in Chinese restaurants and cafes you can order yaki udon - udon with pork and vegetables.

Required Ingredients:

• Udon noodles - 320 grams
• Piece of pork - 200 grams
• Tomato - 1 piece
• Onion - ½ piece
• Butter

Cooking method:

1. Cut the tomato into cubes, finely chop the onion.
2. Rinse the pork from the blood and cut into small pieces.
3. Heat up a frying pan, brush with oil. Saute the onion until golden, add the tomatoes. After 3-4 minutes, add meat to the vegetables. Fry the mixture for about 10 minutes, then cover with a lid.
4. Boil the udon noodles. After it has cooked, rinse it under cold water and put it in a pan with meat and vegetables. Mix it with the ingredients and leave for 5 minutes with the lid closed.

Recipe 4: Udon Noodles with Omelet and Carrots

The Chinese practically do not eat scrambled eggs in their pure form, but they willingly add it to many dishes. Noodles are no exception. We invite you to try one of the recipes of Chinese cuisine - udon noodles with carrots and scrambled eggs.

Required Ingredients:

• Udon noodles - 320 grams
• 1 carrot
• Egg - 1 pc.
• Milk - 60 ml
• Flour - 1 tbsp
• soy sauce
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• black sesame

Cooking method:

1. First of all, fry the omelette - it should be cool by the time we add it to the noodles. Mix the egg, flour and milk (best with a mixer), and pour the mixture over the hot oil in the pan. The omelette needs to be fried on both sides. It should be quite thin. When the omelet has cooled, it must be cut into thin strips.
2. Grate carrots on a thin grater. Mix soy sauce, sugar, add one tablespoon of water. Marinate carrots in this sauce for ten minutes.
3. Boil the udon noodles. After draining the water, add carrots and scrambled eggs to the noodles.

Recipe 5: Chicken Udon Noodles

Noodles can be cooked with anything. This recipe describes how to cook a delicious dish with chicken fillet and mushrooms.

Required Ingredients:

• Udon - 280 gr.
• Chicken fillet - 1 piece
• Mushrooms - 200 grams
• Butter - 1 piece
• Onion 1 piece
• Sour cream - 100 grams

Cooking method:

1. Peel the onion and finely chop.
2. Wash the mushrooms and cut as small as possible.
3. Fire up the saucepan. Put the onion in the butter, fry until golden brown. Add mushrooms after a couple of minutes. Saute vegetables for 10 minutes.
4. While the mushrooms are fried, the chicken needs to be washed and cut into small slices.
5. Add the chicken to the mushrooms, reduce the heat and simmer under a closed lid for about seven minutes over low heat. After salt, add sour cream, mix, and simmer for another 7 minutes.
6. Boil the noodles. When you drain the water, add it to the saucepan. Mix all the ingredients and you can serve.

Recipe 6: Udon Noodles with Cheese Sauce

Udon noodles are delicious not only with meat ingredients and seafood, but also with sauce, without hearty components. This dish can be served as a side dish or simply consumed without additives.

Required Ingredients:

• Udon - 260 grams
• Leek - 160 grams
• Butter - 55 grams
• Cream - 50 grams
• Processed cheese piece
• 1 carrot

Cooking method:

1. Onions should be chopped into thin rings, and carrots should be grated.
2. Put a piece of butter in a hot saucepan, when it melts - place vegetables there, fry them for about five minutes. Then add cream and chopped processed cheese to the saucepan. Stir the ingredients until the cheese is completely melted.
3. Boil the udon noodles at this time by placing them in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain the boiling water.
4. Place the noodles in a saucepan, mix with the sauce, turn off the heat and leave under a closed lid for 10 minutes.

1. Noodles will taste better if you boil them in chicken broth. You can cook udon this way if you serve it with meat, poultry or vegetables.
2. It's better to undercook udon than overcook it - otherwise the udon will stick together and look more like porridge than pasta.
3. If you have ever been to Chinese or Japanese restaurants, you may have noticed that the dishes are decorated with various seeds. If you want to embellish your dishes in an oriental style, you can use sesame seeds (white and black), flax seeds, crushed pumpkin seeds.
4. The original taste is fried udon noodles. How to cook it? First, boil - for 5 minutes in boiling water, drain the water, and put in a saucepan in a small amount of oil. Fry the noodles until golden brown, but no more than 7 minutes. Such noodles are best consumed with fresh cucumber, cut into thin strips, and squeezing garlic on it through a press.
5. If you do not want complex recipes, you can make the simplest noodle sauce, which is still used in China today. For this you will need garlic (2 cloves), one onion and pickled ginger. Fry chopped onion, add chopped garlic and ginger to it. Mix the boiled noodles with the sauce, add a spoonful of soy sauce and enjoy the unusual taste.
6. Udon noodles can also be added to soups. Put it in a saucepan 4 minutes before the dish is ready, otherwise the noodles will boil and the soup will look thick, unappetizing.

How attractive are fragrant soba or cellophane noodles against the backdrop of bright vegetables! However, each type of Japanese spaghetti needs a special approach: you should carefully select products, spices and sauces so as not to spoil the dish ...

Japanese noodles began their history in ancient Egypt, as evidenced by the pictures on the walls of the pyramids. Later, Chinese chefs began to experiment with the form, adding different types of flour and starch. In China and Japan, the cult of pasta appeared along with rice several millennia ago! Future culinary masters spend the whole year learning how to knead the dough and cut noodles by weight using a sharpened metal plate (the flying dagger method). Asian pasta impresses with its variety and can adequately replace the usual spaghetti or linguine.

Japanese noodles are an original component of soups, salads, meat dishes and desserts. She has firmly taken her place in Thai and Korean cuisines. When choosing additional ingredients for a dish, it is advisable to take into account its taste, texture and method of preparation, otherwise you will not be able to taste an exquisite dish. Noodles are easy to digest and turn into porridge or completely dissolve in water.

Wheat noodles - a familiar stranger

In Japan, wheat noodles are revered, casseroles, hot and cold dishes are prepared. It has a neutral taste and goes well with all vegetables, spicy and rich sauces. However, it is worth considering the cooking time, because Asian pasta is cooked very quickly and in a huge amount of salted water. Throwing in a pan with sauce and mushrooms, you can easily overexpose and damage their integrity.

Udon - long and thick spaghetti

The noodles have a beautiful cream or white hue, soft and pleasant texture. Udon can be eaten in fasting, because it is made without eggs. It is great in salads, especially when boiled and then lightly fried. Pairs well with oyster sauce, sudati (citrus) juice, grated sweet potatoes and daikon, with fermented soybeans (natto). It harmonizes well with shiitake, champignons or oyster mushrooms, stewed vegetables, chicken and salmon. The noodles are often served in special bamboo bowls (zaru) resembling a colander, sprinkled with thin strips of nori. After cooking, udon becomes slightly slippery, so it is better to dip it into the sauce while eating. The dressing is usually made with dashi (seaweed and fish broth), mirin, soy sauce, grated ginger and wasabi.

Asian spaghetti is served in soup: pre-boiled, put on a plate and poured with aromatic liquid with vegetables and meat. The broth is often made with miso paste (see detailed article), soy sauce, shrimp tempura, wakame seaweed, kamaboko (surimi roll), dried tuna shavings, poached egg, fried tempura dough or tofu. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

Boiled udon is stewed with spicy, tomato or white sauces. Often thrown celery stalk or root, peanuts, leek with spinach and garlic, dressed with teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. If fried with soy sauce, supplemented with vegetables and seafood, you get an amazing dish. Often the noodles are baked in the oven or cooked in a wok pan. Often udon is added to dishes instead of soba.


There are several ways to prepare unusual noodles:

• Throw in a pot of hot water, boil, then pour a glass of cold water. Wait until the liquid begins to boil and pour in cool boiled liquid again. Continue like this until the Asian noodles are cooked to al dente. It will evenly soften, retain its elasticity and shape.
• Pour in water for 3 minutes, transfer to a pan and simmer along with the sauce and other components of the dish.
• Cook in salted broth at a moderate boil for 6-8 minutes.

Somen - noodles with angel hair

The noodles are very thin and long with an exquisite taste, reminiscent of frozen white hair threads. It is thrown into a boiling broth, boiled for 3 minutes and washed with cold water. It is best added to salads or served as a main dish with a delicate sauce (the noodles are dipped, not poured on top). In summer, somen is placed in a transparent container with ice, garnished with ginger, wasabi and green onions so as not to interrupt its delicate aftertaste with fragrant dressings.


Asian spaghetti can be topped with chicken, mushrooms, peanuts, tuna, seafood, fresh cucumber, sesame and beef. It is undesirable to extinguish them, as thin threads quickly boil soft. It can be served with soup or lightly warmed with vegetables and sauce. Fans of Japanese cuisine recommend eating hot somen during colds or cold weather: it warms you up quickly.

Ramen - noodles or Mivina?

Eggs and kansui mineral water, which contains phosphoric acid and baking soda, are added to the ramen batch. The dough is cut into strips and stretched for a long time, periodically folding in half. The noodles are thin and long with a yellowish tinge. It has a dense texture and a pleasant taste with a slight sourness. Asian spaghetti is boiled in salted water for up to 4 minutes. They go great with pork, egg, spinach, mung bean sprouts, fried bacon, marinated shiitake.


Salads, side dishes and soups based on vegetable, chicken, fish broth are prepared from ramen (tasty with shark fins). Miso paste, soy sauce or dashi are added to the first courses, and a couple of drops of sesame oil will add spice. In Japan, instant noodles are popular, when fresh strands of dough are fried, formed into small briquettes, similar to the usual miwina, and dried. It is enough to pour such ramen with boiling water or broth for a few minutes.

Rice noodles are a healthy product

Asian pasta looks like thin or wide translucent threads, which, after boiling, become a beautiful white color. They are almost tasteless, but healthy and satisfying. Rice noodles are used for desserts and fruit salads. A bunch of prepared thin threads is slightly twisted like a rope, and laid out in a ring on a plate. Pieces of kiwi, banana, pineapple, orange are thrown into the middle, sprinkled with powdered sugar and decorated with mint. Ready minced meat is wrapped in wide noodles.


Rice spaghetti is a great backdrop for any flavor palette. With their help, it is easy to soften a spicy or spicy dish, but without a rich sauce it will be tasteless and insipid.

Products are boiled based on the thickness and further heat treatment:

• Soak in cold water for a quarter of an hour or pour steep and salted boiling water for 2 minutes, be sure to rinse and warm with the sauce.
• Cook like regular pasta for up to 5 minutes.
• Soak in water, and then throw in the soup a few moments before the end of cooking.
• Hold wide noodles in cold water for about an hour, and then cook on the stove for up to 15 minutes.
• Throw in deep-fryer or frying pan and fry. The noodles should swell and turn white. Be sure to blot the fat with a napkin and serve with coconut soup or salad.
• Pour boiling water, set aside for 10 minutes, be sure to rinse. You can season with soy sauce or sesame oil and add to a cold dish.
• If the noodles are very thin, it is enough to soak them in cool water for half an hour.

Rice noodles are delicious to combine with carrots, fresh cucumbers, bell peppers, asparagus, red beans, corn. Perfectly harmonizes with seafood and meat, especially with boiled and smoked chicken. Asian spaghetti can be stewed in a wok, added to fragrant vegetable or meat soup.

Often, potato starch is thrown into rice flour, then a unique bifun product is obtained - thin, tasteless, but satisfying noodles. It is boiled like rice spaghetti, and complements salads and first courses.

Starch noodles

Most often, mung bean (mung) bean starch is used to make transparent, slightly rubbery and tasteless noodles. However, it contains vitamins and trace elements, it is considered healthier than wheat. It is not used as a main dish.


Asian curiosity quickly absorbs dressings and flavors of other components, gives salads and side dishes a pleasant texture. Store dry threads in an airtight container, away from spices and spices, because the noodles absorb odors.

Cellophane noodles - a unique product

Asian pasta is made in the form of thin threads or wide and long strips. After cooking, they become completely transparent and slippery, which is how they differ from products made from rice flour. They are usually not boiled, but poured for 15 minutes with hot unsalted water (depending on the diameter), washed and thrown into a colander. Overexposure is undesirable, as the noodles can dissolve.


Cellophane spaghetti is added to soups, ready-made stews and salads. Adding sophistication to pasta is easy with the help of sauce (fish, oyster or teriyaki), lemon or lime juice, turmeric. Asian noodles are used to make vegetarian rolls, deep-fried until crunchy and decorate dishes.

Mysterious funchose or glass noodles

Funchoza is made from bean starch, but potatoes, yams, or cassava are sometimes used. Unscrupulous manufacturers make it from corn, and then bleach it with heavy metals to make the product as transparent as possible. In order not to harm the body, you need to look at dry and thin threads: there should be more transparent elements than matte ones. Funchoza is often referred to as rice noodles, which, after boiling, turn white and do not have a light bean flavor.


Funchoza is boiled for 2 minutes or steamed with boiling water, then discarded in a colander, sometimes washed. They are great marinated: warm noodles soak up soy sauce with sesame or nut butter. It goes well with arugula, celery, capers, marinated salmon, beef, seafood, boiled or smoked poultry, as well as pickled, fresh or fried vegetables, spinach, garlic. It is good with sweet and sour and spicy dressings, tamarind sauce.

Funchoza perfectly complements first courses, especially with fried pork and stewed Beijing cabbage. It is boiled separately, and thrown into the soup only when serving. Excellent as a side dish for all dishes, but not always combined with fish. It is considered an important component of the filling for pancakes nem. Original desserts are prepared with noodles, especially in harmony with almonds and walnuts, caramelized peach, pineapple, apple.

Asian spaghetti is often served cold, but cooks recommend slightly warming it up in the microwave: they turn out to be more fragrant, tasty and crumbly. When cooked, the product can be stored in the refrigerator compartment for up to 3 days, if the container is tightly closed.

Buckwheat soba noodles - a storehouse of vitamins

Noodles are made from buckwheat flour, but it is difficult to form long, thin or thick and slightly flattened spaghetti: the product crumbles, breaks and boils quickly. To make the dough more elastic, wheat flour is added up to 70%. Sometimes green tea is thrown in, which causes the spaghetti to take on an emerald hue. Unscrupulous manufacturers try to reduce the amount of valuable buckwheat to 10%, so it is better to choose a product by color. Dzuvari is made exclusively from buckwheat flour. Noodles are expensive and healthy, they attract with a beautiful dark brown hue, but you need to cook them very carefully.

It is possible to cook buckwheat noodles at home according to our recipe.

Soba has a pleasant light aroma and delicate taste with a pronounced nutty aftertaste. In Japan, noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity, and are indispensable on the New Year's table. It is thrown into boiled water and cooked for about 6 minutes, then washed and served as a main course with sauces or combined with other products in soups and salads.


Soba goes great with walnut sauce and sesame oil.

It is delicious with seafood, shallots, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, fresh cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, leek, komabako (surimi roll). Dishes are complemented with tempura fried dough.

It can be lightly warmed up with beef, chicken breast or eel, but sautéing is not recommended.

The Japanese prefer to eat it cold, served on a bamboo colander plate with different sauces. However, you need to be careful when using components with a rich flavor palette, because they will kill the subtle aftertaste of soba. It is sometimes sprinkled with crushed yamoimo, wormwood, and dry pressed seaweed. Served with mashed sweet potatoes, grated daikon, fermented beans.

Asian spaghetti is delicious with salmon when wrapped in a nori sheet. Good in soup with seaweed, tuna shavings or raw eggs. In some dishes, udon can be substituted. Noodles are combined with tofu, caramelized in maple syrup, with banana, persimmon, lime, peanuts. It gives a delightful aftertaste to desserts.

Shirataki - unique noodles

Noodles made from dried and grated cognac tuber are thin, white, slightly transparent and tasteless. It is considered the most dietary product (9 kilocalories per 100 grams!). However, there are actually no useful substances, only a little iron, so it is better to supplement it with plenty of fresh vegetables. The processed tubers of the plant are used as gelatin, so shirataki perfectly absorbs liquid, maintains a feeling of satiety for a long time, but in large quantities it can cause heaviness in the stomach.


Shirataki is sold dry or in vacuum bags with a special liquid that must be drained and the product washed. Unusual noodles should be cooked in salted water for a couple of minutes, put in a colander, rinsed thoroughly. It turns out rubbery, reminiscent of jelly candies. A slight bitterness may be present, then the noodles must be fried for a minute over high heat, then thrown into the sauce or soup a few moments before being ready. It can be marinated in various sauces and complement salads. Unusual spaghetti is combined with fish, vegetables and seafood, perfectly absorbs dressings. Shirataki is a great backdrop for culinary experiments.

Noodles are a unique and satisfying product, considered an excellent canvas for preparing all kinds of dishes. Experienced chefs use it not only in Asian dishes: you can replace the usual tagliatelle with udon or funchose and get an original and unique pasta with seafood.