Udon

Udon are thick wheat noodles, usually served hot in a light dashi broth. The noodle is the dish: everything else is there to carry it.

What it really is

The dough is only wheat flour, water and salt, kneaded firm — traditionally by foot, wrapped and trodden — then rested, rolled and cut into thick strands. That firmness is the point: Japanese cooks talk about koshi, the springy resistance the noodle gives back, and it separates a good udon from a slack one. Sanuki udon, from Kagawa Prefecture, is the best-known regional style.

The broth, kake-jiru, is dashi — kombu and dried bonito flakes — seasoned with soy sauce and mirin. Eastern Japan uses dark soy sauce and the broth comes out brown; in Kansai, lighter usukuchi soy sauce keeps it pale.

How it is served

• Hot in broth as kake udon, plain but for spring onion.
• With toppings that name the bowl: sweet fried tofu for kitsune, tempura, or curry.
• Cold in summer, drained and dipped in a concentrated sauce.

How to write it on the menu

• Say hot or cold — they are two different dishes, not two temperatures.
• Name the topping; it is what guests order by.
• The broth is fish-based unless you make it with kombu alone.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.