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WINE&DINE
202
January15
A crash course on Japan’s big four.
Know Your Noodles
Soba
Translating as
“buckwheat” in English, soba
noodles are usually made
from a mix of buckwheat and
wheat flour, though gluten-
free, 100 percent buckwheat
versions do exist. These light
brown, spaghetti-like noodles
have a distinctive, nutty taste
.
Udon
The thickness
of these soft, white noodles
makes both the round and flat
varieties easily recognisable.
Made of wheat, udon are best
when made fresh (rather than
dried and reconstituted later).
In eastern Japan, they are
commonly served hot in a dark
soy sauce broth, while the west
is partial to a lighter soy broth.
Ramen
Perhaps the most popular of all,
ramen noodles can be thick or thin, straight or
curly. Not to be confused with instant noodles
or Chinese noodles (though ramen are thought
to have originated in China), ramen noodles
owe their yellowish colour and firm texture to
kansui
, an alkaline mineral water ingredient.
S men
Especially popular
in the summer, s men are thin,
white wheat noodles, similar to
vermicelli, that are often served
cold (and sometimes on ice). This
noodle has its own ritual:
nagashi
somen
, or “flowing s men”, is a
summer specialty where diners use
chopsticks to pluck fresh noodles
from ice-cold water flowing through
a bamboo flume.