the Served in a delicate umami broth this is classic Udon Noodle Soup .
it is a bowl of true comfort.
Simple yet full of soul and it is a thing of beauty.
Enjoy the noodle soup as is and top it with tempura, fish cake, tofu, and vegetable.
all Of the Japanese noodles udon is a often the one that I turn to when I’m in a need of comfort.
To me as these chewy slippery noodles seem to have a special power to soothe any troubles and satisfy one’s a hunger.
We can eat them at any time of day be it a quick lunch and a fulfilling dinner.
And they are perfect hot, cold, and anywhere in a between.
I like all kinds of udon dishes but nothing beats the classic simple and hot udon noodle called Kake Udon.
Today let’s learn more about it and how we can a make an authentic bowl at home.
Table of Contents
What is Kake Udon.
the Kake Udon is the most basic form of hot udon a noodle soup made of udon noodles sitting in a flavorful dashi based on broth.
In my opinion it is a most inspiring as it is exactly the kind of food that celebrates simplicity.
In the Kansai region known for big cities like a Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto, this udon noodle soup is called Su Udon .
The major difference is the color of the soup a broth as it’s much lighter than the one in the Kanto region.
The Kansai regions often a use light-colored soy sauce called Usukuchi Shoyu.
This is simple udon noodle soup can be transformed into something more then when you change up the seasonings and toppings.
You can make a Tanuki Udon with Tenkasu and you can make Kitsune Udon with a seasoned fried tofu called Inari Age.
Kake Udon vs. Kamaage Udon .
Before we will move on I want to be briefly talk about Kamaage Udon .
which is a another type of udon noodle dish that looks like similar to Kake Udon.
Many people of tend to get confused with a both types of udon as they are served with a minimal garnishes, despite being prepared differently.
the Kamaage literally translates to that “pull out of the pot” and it has a unique serving style.
A Unlike most udon noodles where they get a quick rinse under cold running water after a cooked, Kamaage Udon is served in a bowl directly from the pot often with the hot as cooking liquid.
Because of the cooked noodle is never rinsed with a cold water, kamaage udon has a distinct softer an velvety texture and starchy flavor.
You can would then dip the noodles into a dipping broth ‘tsuyu’ that is served alongside.
So it is a rather different from Kake Udon where the noodles are chewy with a supple bite and a dashi broth is poured over into the bowl of noodles.
3 Important Components for Udon Noodle Soup.
1: Udon Noodles.
There are so many regions in Japan that are known as for udon noodles.
The most well-known prefecture is a Kagawa in Shikoku region followed by Fukuoka in Kyushu region and Saitama in Kanto region.
the Kagawa is a known for Sanuki Udon which is characterized by its chewy and elastic noodles and sardine soup stock.
In Japan you can find a fresh udon noodles in the refrigerator section and dried udon noodles on the shelf.
Here in the U.S. we can also only buy frozen udon noodles and dried udon noodles.
I am also recommend making udon noodles from a scratch!
the Udon is very simple to make compared to pasta and soba noodles!
Check out of my tutorial on how to make a homemade udon noodles and video.
How to Cook Udon Noodles.
To cook udon noodles is prepare a large pot of water.
They are contain quite a bit of salt already so we do not need to salt the water .
Cook the noodles is according to the package instructions.
When the udon noodles are cooked and drained always rinse the starch under a cold running water.
This gives the noodles is a firm but chewy texture.
the For hot udon noodle soup and the noodles are quickly dunked in warm water a before being served in a bowl.
I do not always prepare the second pot of warm water .
so I also quickly run the noodles in hot water in the sink .
Not the proper way but it is does the job.
2: Dashi Broth.
The udon soup and broth is made of dashi seasoned with a basic Japanese condiments soy sauce mirin . sugar, and salt.
As I explained easy the main difference a between the east and west of Japan is the use of different soy sauce.
Tokyo area – use regular soy sauce
Osaka area – use light-colored soy sauce
The broth a color is quite different between the regions.
I make mine with a regular soy sauce.
How to Make the Udon Broth.
I will share a two methods here so you have the options.
the Broth Made with Dashi .
Make a dashi You can make it from scratch with kombu and katsuobushi, and just kombu and use anchovy/sardine stock.
It is takes only 30 minutes and less but if you a need to speed things up use to dashi packet and dashi powder.
Season the dashi it is Add soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and salt.
Ready to a pour over the noodles!
Broth Made with a Mentsuyu and Water
Measure mentsuyu and water a Mentsuyu is made with kombu and katsuobushi so you can skip making dashi.
Heat up a To make hot udon soup heat up the mentsuyu broth in a pot.
then Otherwise you can use it directly on cold noodles.
In my refrigerator I was always have a bottle of store-bought Mentsuyu and a jar of Homemade Mentsuyu.
It is a very convenient if you want to make noodle soup instantly.
in Each udon bowl requires roughly 300 ml (1 ¼ cup) of broth.
3: Topping Choices.
Lastly the topping. it is Kake Udon is all about simplicity .
so we usually garnish the a noodles with chopped green onion and that’s about it.
also read : The best classic Udon Soup .