Noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, In ...

s are a staple of

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan ( Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and oth ...

. They are often served chilled with dipping sauces, or in soups or hot dishes.Sakui, S. (2009, July 1st)
Somen: Chilled, the Japanese Noodles are a Summer Delight
''Los Angeles Times.'' Retrieved January 9th, 2010 Noodles were introduced into

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

during the

Southern Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

(1127–1279) over a period beginning around the end of the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

(794–ca. 1185) until the early

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle b ...

(ca. 1185–1333).

Japanese noodles

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle di ...

'' are thin,

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

-based noodles made from wheat flour, salt, water, and ''kansui'', a form of alkaline water. The dough is risen before being rolled. They were imported from China during the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

. How it made the jump from China to Japan is still under debate, but it's generally accepted that in 1910 a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama started serving a dish known as lamian. ''Ramen'' noodles have a firm texture and are usually pale yellow in color. The noodles may vary in shape, width, and length. They are served in a broth. Examples of ''ramen'' dishes are ''shōyu ramen'', ''shio ramen'', ''

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus '' Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and ...

ramen'', '' tonkotsu ramen'', and '' curry ramen''. '' Shirataki'' are clear noodles made from '' konnyaku''. These noodles are chewy or rubbery. ''Shirataki'' are used to add texture to dishes such as '' sukiyaki'' and ''

oden is a type of nabemono (Japanese one-pot dishes), consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon, konjac, and processed fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth. Oden was originally what is now commonly ca ...

''. ''

Soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a noodle soup. The variety ''Nagano soba'' includes wheat flour. In Japan, soba noodles can be found ...

'' is a noodle made from

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagop ...

and wheat flour. ''Soba'' noodles are available dried or fresh. They may be served with hot broth or cold with dipping sauce (''tsuyu''). Examples of ''soba'' dishes are '' zaru soba'' (chilled), ''kake soba'', ''

tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ...

soba'', ''kitsune soba'', and ''tororo soba''. Although the popular Japanese dish '' Yakisoba'' includes "''soba''" in its name, the dish is made with Chinese-style noodles (''chūkamen'').Soba Noodles (2003, January 27th
Soba Noodles
Japan-guide.com Retrieved January 9th, 2010 '' Sōmen'' noodles are a very thin, white,

-based noodle. They are usually served chilled in the summertime with dipping sauces although they may be used in soups and other hot dishes. ''Sōmen'' noodles are very similar to ''hiyamugi'' and ''udon'' noodles, only they are thinner (about 1.3mm in width). ''Sōmen'' requires oil in its manufacture. During the summer months Japanese consume chilled ''sōmen'' to stay cool. '' Hiyamugi'' are

wheat flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ''bre ...

noodles similar to ''sōmen'' and ''udon'' noodles and somewhere in between the two in size. These noodles are often served in the same manner as ''sōmen'' and ''udon'' noodles. While they are mostly white, there are bundles mixed with noodles of pinkish or brown hues. ''

Udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. It is a comfort food for many Japanese people. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a hot soup as with a mild broth called ...

'' are the thickest of the noodles served in Japanese cuisine. ''Udon'' are white, wheat-based noodles, that are 4-6mm in width. These noodles are served chilled with a dipping sauce in the summer months, or in hot dishes and soups when the temperature is cooler. ''Udon'' dishes include ''

kitsune In Japanese folklore, , are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. According to '' yōkai'' folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. While some folktales speak of employing ...

udon'', '' Nabeyaki udon'', ''

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

udon'', and ''yaki udon''. However, ''

sara udon Sara udon in Nagasaki.jpg, Served with thick noodles in Nagasaki 餃子の王将皿うどん (4580922222).jpg, ''sara-udon''( Gyoza no Ohsho) リンガーハット (51281316427).jpg, Ringer Hut , literally "plate noodles" is a dish native to N ...

'' is made using a different kind of noodle which is crispy. '' Harusame'' are glass noodles made from potato starch. ''

Tokoroten is a dish in Japanese cuisine made from agarophytes. Tokoroten has been eaten by the Japanese for over a thousand years. Tokoroten is thought to have been introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period. Tokoroten was traditionally made by ...

'' are jelly-like slices of Kanten with a rectangular cross-section.

References

{{Noodle Japanese inventions

Japanese noodles

See also

References