Topic

Noodles

Udon, soba, somen and the rest of Japan's noodle family.

Noodles Hōtō: Yamanashi's noodle stew in the shadow of Fuji Thick, flat noodles simmered right in a miso broth with pumpkin until everything turns velvety. Hōtō is less a noodle soup than a winter coat. 4 min read

Noodles Japan's three great udon, and the fight for third place Two names make almost every list of Japan's great udon. The third depends on who you ask, and that argument is a fine excuse to eat your way across the country. 4 min read

Noodles Kishimen: Nagoya's ribbon noodle Flat, wide and thin enough to cook in moments, kishimen is the noodle Nagoya eats standing up between trains, under a shimmer of bonito flakes. 4 min read

Noodles Sanuki udon: a whole prefecture built on a bite In Kagawa, udon isn't one lunch option among many. It's the prefecture's calling card, and the springy bite they call koshi is the whole point. 4 min read

Noodles Soba: a beginner's guide to buckwheat noodles Grey-brown, nutty and often best eaten cold, soba is Japan's quiet noodle. Here's what the numbers on the menu mean, and the little ritual that ends the meal. 4 min read

Noodles Somen: summer's coldest noodle Needle-thin, ice-cold and gone in a slurp, somen is how Japan gets through August. Sometimes it even arrives by bamboo waterslide. 4 min read

Noodles Toshikoshi soba: a bowl to see the year out On the last night of December, households across Japan sit down to a bowl of soba. The reasons are part wish, part wordplay and entirely comforting. 4 min read