24 July 2024

Slurping Summer: Noodle Dishes Loved in Japan

Last summer in Tokyo was a real scorcher, with a record-breaking 90 days of temperatures over 30º Celsius (86º Fahrenheit)! With such relentless heat, while some turn to the energy-boosting choice of hearty barbequed beef or rich unagi, many seek solace in cold refreshing noodles during the grueling months of July, August, and even September.

Enter the world of Japan's cool summer cuisine. These chilled delights are a beloved tradition that soothes heat-weary stomachs. Join us as we introduce you to popular summer noodles of Japan: somen, soba, udon, and hiyashi chuka.

Contents

• Cold Somen
• Cold Soba
• Cold Udon
• Hiyashi Chuka

Cold Somen

Cold somen noodles are a summer classic in Japan. Made from just flour and water, sometimes also with a small amount of oil, somen is a favored choice for its amazing thinness, a surprising 0.6 mm (0.2 in). Another charm is its ease of preparation. Requiring just a quick one or two-minute boil and a thorough rinse in cold water, somen is then ready to be plated on your table.

Often enjoyed with condiments like grated ginger and chopped green onions, somen is eaten with a chilled dipping sauce. You may serve it patted dry on a plate or serve it in ice water for an extra soothing presentation. To make your lunch a special meal, add hearty side dishes like kinshi tamago (thin strips of egg pancakes), stewed shiitake mushrooms, and blanched snow peas. If you’re going all out, a couple of boiled shrimp will upgrade your somen to another level.

Cold Soba

Soba, made from buckwheat flour and flour, are a staple in Japanese cuisine throughout the year. But especially during the sweltering summer months, cold soba served on a zaru, a bamboo tray, truly hits the spot.

Zaru soba is prepared by boiling and cooling soba noodles, and then placing them atop a woven bamboo tray. Each person receives their own “zaru” of soba and dips it into a savory sauce that's a touch richer than somen's. Often served with wasabi and chopped green onions, accompaniments can vary from grated daikon to crispy tempura. For more details on how to cook your soba to perfection at home, take a look at our blog My Secret to Cooking Delicious Soba at Home.

Fun fact: If you ever have the chance to eat zaru soba made from freshly kneaded soba at a soba restaurant, most likely a pot will arrive as you finish your meal. Don't mistake it for tea—it's soba-yu, the hot water used to cook the noodles. Pour it into your soba choko with the leftover dipping sauce and take a sip. The slight umami makes for a tasty finish to your soba experience.

Cold Udon

A delightfully bouncy alternative to soba is udon. At eateries, you might find yourself facing a tough choice: udon or soba. Udon noodles are perfect if you crave a hearty meal. While they differ in thicknesses depending on the region, Kagawa Prefecture is famous for its dense and chewy udon.

Cold udon is often served with a light, flavorful broth poured over the noodles, though not as much as ramen, still making a donburi bowl the ideal vessel. This iconic Tobe ware donburi bowl, crafted in the neighboring prefecture of Kawaga, really sets the scene for your udon meal just like udon shops popping up all over the world. Chilled udon can also come with various extras like tempura crumbles, sliced cucumbers and eggs. If you prefer your udon on a zaru, check out our blog Udon Lunch Day at the Office.

Hiyashi Chuka

Not yet a mainstream summer food outside Japan, hiyashi chuka is a colorful dish with a variety of toppings. It features cold Chinese-style noodles topped with sliced cucumbers, ham, sometimes cooked pork slices, tomatoes, and egg strips. The magic of hiyashi chuka lies in its sauce—either a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, and a touch of sugar or a rich, creamy sesame sauce.

Created in a summer during the 1930s to attract customers when hot ramen wasn’t appealing, this Japanese-adapted version of Chinese cold noodles quickly became a hit. Now a staple in Japanese summer cuisine, the combination of textures and flavors makes hiyashi chuka a refreshing and tasty summer meal.

Summer in Japan means savoring a variety of chilled noodle dishes that help you beat the heat. Whether you love the earthy aroma of soba or the colorful mix of hiyashi chuka, there's a summer noodle dish for everyone. So, when the temperatures rise, enjoy the flavors that make summer in Japan truly special. And don’t be afraid to let out a loud slurp—that’s how it’s done in Japan!