Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There is a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as with a mild broth called made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions. Other common toppings include prawn tempura, (mixed tempura fritter), (sweet, deep-fried tofu pouches), (sliced fish cake), and spice added to taste.
Standard broth differs by region. Dark soy sauce is added in eastern Japan, while light soy sauce is added in the west. Instant noodles are often sold in two (or more) versions accordingly.
More unusual variants include stir-fried and curry udon made with Japanese curry. It is often used in or Japanese hot pot.
Dishes
Udon noodles are boiled in a pot of hot water. Depending on the type of udon, the way it is served is different as well. Udon noodles are usually served chilled in the summer and hot in the winter. In the Edo period, the thicker wheat noodle was generally called udon, and served with a hot broth called . The chilled variety was called .
Cold udon, or udon salad, is usually mixed with egg omelette slices, shredded chicken and fresh vegetables, such as cucumber and radish. Toppings of udon soup are chosen to reflect the seasons. Most toppings are added without much cooking, although deep-fried tempura is sometimes added. Many of these dishes may also be prepared with soba.
Hot
: ("power udon"): topped with toasted mochi rice cakes. : with deep-fried shredded burdock root : ("modern udon"): see . From (in the Kantō region) or (in Kansai): hot udon in broth topped with thinly sliced green onions, and perhaps a slice of . : served in a communal hot-pot with hot water, and accompanied by a hot dipping sauce of dashi sukiyaki. or ("curry udon"): modern udon served in a spicy curry-flavoured broth, which may also include meat or vegetables. The term is a reference to the Nanban trade which had influenced Japanese culture for a century before being banned in 1639 by the Edo Shogunate. Biei, Hokkaido is famous for a unique curry udon. : ("fox udon"): topped with (sweet, deep-fried tofu pouches). The kitsune fox spirits are said to enjoy . Originated in Osaka. : topped with maruten, deep-fried large fish cake : a sort of udon hot-pot, with seafood and vegetables cooked in a , or metal pot. The most common ingredients are tempura shrimp with mushrooms and an egg cracked on top. : dashi broth with kombu flakes. : chicken and egg, with sliced onion in a sweetened dashi soup over udon. It has a sweet savory flavor. : udon with wild edible mountain vegetables. : see : ("stamina udon"): udon with various hearty ingredients, usually including meat, a raw egg, and vegetables. : (in the Kantō region) or (in Kansai): topped with tempura . : topped with tempura, especially prawn, or , a type of mixed tempura fritter. : ("moon-viewing udon"): topped with raw egg, which poaches in the hot soup. : topped with wakame, a dark green seaweed. : stir-fried udon in soy-based sauce, prepared in a similar manner to . Originated in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. While is made with udon, is made with steamed Chinese-style ramen, not buckwheat soba.
Cold
: cold udon served with thick dashi broth. : cold udon served on its own. : served in a cold soup of raw (unpasteurized) soy sauce and (a type of citrus) juice, sometimes with a bit of grated daikon radish. : chilled udon noodles topped with shredded nori and served on a . Accompanied by a chilled dipping sauce, usually a strong mixture of dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. Eaten with wasabi or grated ginger.