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Japanese Noodles

• Japanese noodles have slipped in to kiwi cuisine relatively recently.
• Their chewy texture is very different from pasta or egg noodles and their flavours vary widely between the different types – soba, udon, ramen, somen or cha soba.
• Noodles are low in salt and fat and high in complex carbohydrates.
• Soba (buckwheat) noodles provide thiamine, an essential part of the vitamin B complex. In a country that worships white rice, this is very important as many of the B vitamins are lost when wholegrain rice is processed and polished.
• In Japan menrui is the collective name given for noodles; when a particular style of noodle is being referred to, it is shortened to men; hence ramen and somen.
• Their history dates way back to the 700sAD and the original menrui were more like sweet dumplings. Culinary evolution was gradual until dumplings became noodles.  Unlike China, noodles in Japan have never been made from rice, rather buckwheat, which grew in cold climates where rice could not, and more recently wheat. 
• In Japan noodles are the ultimate in fast food, being served simply freshly steamed, swimming in a fragrant broth, or cold as a salad and often as a snack, although they have never surpassed the immense popularity and importance of rice.
• For convenience we can buy Japanese noodles dry, cooked and long-life packaged, or cooked and fresh chilled, the last two only requiring re-heating. Cooking or reheating instructions will vary between brands, so always read the labels before preparing a recipe.

Soba noodles are made from, or have included in them a percentage of, buckwheat flour. This adds a nutty flavour and chewy texture. Once cooked, the noodles can be served cold in a dressing or added to a hot dish.

Green Tea (cha soba) noodles are a green tea-flavoured variation on soba noodles.

Udon noodles are chunky round or square, made simply from wheat flour, salt and water. Serve them cold or in soups.

Hiyamugi noodles are vermicelli-like noodles prepared from wheat flour.

Somen noodles are like Hiyamugi noodles, except that the dough is lightly coated in oil before being made into noodles. These thin round noodles are delicious cold in a dressing in summer.

Ramen noodles are Chinese-style noodles now popular in Japan. They are traditionally wavy though not always. It is these noodles that we have come to know as instant noodles.

Tempt your taste buds with one of these ideas;

Toss any of the noodles with this Sesame Dressing and serve cold. Mix together ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds with ½ cup dashi ( basic stock from flaked dried fermented bonito and kelp) and a good seasoning of dark soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar.

Add noodles to soup. For the dried noodles break them into small pieces and cook in the soup for the last 4-5 minutes, or for the pre-cooked variety, chop finely and stir in at the end of cooking time.

Toss the noodles with chopped pan-fried prawns, garlic, soy sauce and mint. Add in rocket leaves and serve at room temperature.

Add the noodles to miso soup to make a simply warming easy light meal.

Make a delicious light noodle salad with flaked canned tuna, tossed with spring onions, baby spinach leaves and sesame seeds and a wasabi flavoured vinaigrette.

Tips

Once you open a packet of dry Japanese noodles, keep them in an airtight container.

Cheers,
Allyson