The market · Grains and flours · East Asia

Udon

Thick, soft yet chewy Japanese wheat noodles, made from flour, water and salt.

mild · chewy

What to do with it

Classics built on it
VietnameseCao lầuFirm, yellowish noodles with slices of soy-braised pork, crisp squares of fried noodle dough and herbs, in just a spoonful of rich broth.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Frozen
Parboiled and frozen; generally the best shop-bought kind.
Vacuum-packed
Convenient, often softer.
Dried
Thinner and firmer.

Goes with

dashisoy saucespring oniontempura

Knowing it

Where to buy
Japanese and Asian grocers.
A little history
Kagawa, on Shikoku, is famous for its firm, chewy Sanuki udon.
Worth knowing
Frozen udon goes straight into boiling water; a minute or so and it's done.

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