Japanese noodles - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Noodle
Noodle
The noodle is a type of food, made from any of a variety of doughs, formed into long thin ribbons, strips, curly-cues, waves, helices, pipes, tubes, strings, or other various shapes, sometimes folded. They are usually cooked in a mixture of boiling water and/or oil. Depending upon the type, noodles...

s are one of the main staples in Japanese cuisine

Japanese cuisine

Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...

. Many types are served chilled with dipping sauces in the summer, and in soups or hot dishes during the winter. Varieties include:

Ramen
Ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...

- Thin, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

-based noodles made from wheat flour, salt, water, and Kansui (mineral water) or eggs. The dough is set to rise before being pulled. These Japanese noodles were imported from China as a noodle soup during the Meiji Period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

. It is integrated into Japanese dishes, thousands of Japanese restaurants specializing in ramen have opened, instant ramen was invented, and dishes containing the noodle are eaten worldwide. Instant ramen has become especially popular in the United States and Mexico. Ramen noodles have a firm texture and are usually yellowish color. Noodles vary in shape, width, and length. They are often served in a meat or fish based broth. Examples of ramen dishes are: Sapporo ramen, Miso
Miso
is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...

ramen, Kitakara ramen, Shio
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...

ramen, Tonkotsu ramen, and Shoyu ramen.

Shirataki
Shirataki noodles
are very low carbohydrate, low calorie, thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from devil's tongue yam . The word "shirataki" means "white waterfall", describing the appearance of these noodles...

- Known as the "white waterfall" these clear Japanese noodles are made from the root of Amorphophallus konjac (Devil's Tongue plant), or from a similar plant. The roots are processed into a gelatin, Konnyaku, from which the noodles are made. These noodles are chewy or rubbery. Shirataki noodles are highly nutritious. These noodles contain high amounts of the fiber Glucomannan
Glucomannan
Glucomannan is a water-soluble polysaccharide that is considered a dietary fiber. Glucomannan is a food additive used as an emulsifier and thickener. Products containing glucomannan, marketed under a variety of brand names, are also sold as nutritional supplements for constipation, obesity, high...

and are low in carbohydrates and low in calories. These noodles are used by dieters in the West. However shirataki noodles have been used in traditional Japanese cooking to add texture to sukiyaki
Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish in the nabemono style.It consists of meat which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin...

and oden
Oden
Oden is a Japanese winter dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku, and processed fish cakes stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth. Ingredients vary according to region and between each household...

, winter stews.

Soba
Soba
is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle . Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup...

- A medium width native Japanese noodle made from buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...

flour (soba-ko) and wheat flour. As with pasta, soba noodles are available dried, although they taste better when fresh. These noodles are served in a variety of Japanese dishes and they may be served hot or cold with dipping sauce. Examples of soba dishes are: Zaru
Zaru
A is a draining basket made from bamboo used in the preparation and presentation of Japanese cuisine. It can be used in a similar fashion to a sieve or colander, both of which are common in western cooking. Additionally, well-designed zaru are used to present food directly, as for example zarusoba...

and Mori soba (chilled), Kake soba, Tempura
Tempura
], is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried.-Batter:A light batter is made of cold water and soft wheat flour . Eggs, baking soda or baking powder, starch, oil, and/or spices may also be added...

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).

Sōmen
Somen
are very thin, white Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. The noodles are usually served cold and are less than 1.3 mm in diameter. The distinction between sōmen and the next thicker wheat noodles hiyamugi and even thicker Japanese wheat noodles udon is mostly the size of the noodle...

- Sōmen noodles are a very thin, white, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

-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 hiymugi and udon noodles, only they are thinner (about 1.3mm in width). During the summer months Japanese consume chilled sōmen to stay cool.

Hiyamugi - Hiyamugi noodles are wheat flour noodle 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
is a type of thick wheat-flour noodle of Japanese cuisine.Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in its simplest form as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru which is made of dashi, soy sauce , and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions...

- 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 dipping sauce in the summer months or in hot dishes and soups when the temperature is cooler. Examples of udon dishes are: Kitsune
Kitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...

udon, Nabeyaki
Nabemono
Nabemono or simply called nabe, is a term referring to all varieties of Japanese steamboat dishes, also known as one pot dishes....

udon, Curry
Japanese curry
is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is commonly served in three main forms: , karē udon and karē-pan . Curry rice is most commonly referred to simply as ....

udon, Bukkake udon, and Yaki udon. Sara udon
Sara udon
', literally "plate noodles" is a dish native to Nagasaki prefecture, Japan.Consisting of a base of noodles, and a topping of fried cabbage, bean sprouts and other vegetables, as well as squid, prawns, pork, kamaboko etc...

is made using different crispy noodles.

See also