It seems as if Japanese food never ceases to amaze the world. With “washoku” achieving UNESCO World Heritage status as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, Tokyo becoming the city with the most Michelin starred restaurants, and countless foreigners have fallen for the likes of sushi, tempura, and ramen in the process, you can’t help but wonder what the world’s gourmet capital has in store next.
And as Japanese restaurants sprout up across the globe and people wait in anticipation, here are five reasons why udon will be taking the world by storm in the near future:
It’s Healthy
Udon is a type of noodle made out of wheat flour; these white noodles are thicker and chewier than ramen and soba noodles. Furthermore, udon is healthier compared to its counterparts, being high in carbohydrates, low in calories, and easy to digest. Furthermore, for warm udon, the broth is often taken from the healthy combination of konbu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes).
A steaming bowl of kakeudon (which literally includes just udon noodles and soup) will cost you only about 250 to 350 yen; in Kagawa, the Mecca of udon noodles, you can enjoy a bowl for as little as 80 yen. While this alone should leave you satisfied, even after including various toppings – more on that in a minute – you shouldn't have to dish out more than 800 yen, although “gourmet udon” bowls of over 1000 yen at udon chain Tsurutontan have recently become popular as well.
It can be Eaten Quickly
One of the most iconic sights of Japan is a line of suit-clad businessmen furiously slurping udon noodles at a tachi-gui (“standing while eating”) udon stand during lunch break or at night; these udon stands can often be found in or near train stations. Served on the fly and easily finished within 10 minutes, udon is a perfect fit not only for the busy “salarymen” of Japan, but also for the budget tourist who wants to take in as much of Japan as possible.
It can be Eaten in so many Different Ways
Most of the fun of eating udon comes from choosing what kind to eat. A common topping is tempura, while other popular toppings include beef, poached egg, and mochi. Don't want to eat something warm during the humid Japan summer? Have a refreshing bowl of cold udon, eaten with a dash of mentsuyu, a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Udon comes in so many forms that you’ll have a tough time deciding on a particular kind, especially when there’s curry udon, yaki-udon (udon cooked yakisoba-style), nabe-yaki udon (an udon hotpot), and much more.
The Udon Boom is Already Happening
So jump on the bandwagon before it’s too late. Kagawa Prefecture has recently officially dubbed themselves “Udon Prefecture” in a PR campaign to attract more tourists, while udon restaurants have started to venture overseas. Perhaps most notably, udon chain Marukame Seimen has attracted long lines in Hawaii and received much acclaim, showing the potential udon has to become the Japanese cuisine boom.
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