Come and Experience the Local Food Culture of UDON HOUSE

Kanako Harada moved to Mitoyo city, Kagawa Prefecture about 1 year ago. Harada is working hard to spread the culture of Sanuki udon noodles and attractions of Setouchi (Seto Inland region) to international and domestic visitors. Harada is the manager of UDON HOUSE, a new hotel that opened last fall in Toyonaka town in Mitoyo city. The keyword here is udon, visitors staying at UDON HOUSE learn how to make udon and interact with the local community. The facility offers visitors a rich experience.

A Japanese Lantern of UDON HOUSE (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

After graduating from university, Harada worked at a tourism agency. A few years ago she was assigned to a regional development project in Mitoyo city and made numerous business trips. She says, with each visit she became intrigued with the rich culture of udon that was very much a part of the region.

Flour and A Rolling Pin (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

“We opened UDON HOUSE in partnership with Sanuki Menki, an udon and noodle manufacturer. They are the professionals and provide full support in the technical aspects. Sanuki Menki run monthly training workshops for people who want to open udon restaurants, they teach everything from making udon, business management and frying tempura. Until today they have trained 40,000 participants from 38 countries. They taught us the ins and outs of the training so we could open this facility together.”

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

The facility is a restored 80 year old traditional Japanese house. Before the restoration the house was vacant. Now it is a clean space where traditional charm remains. Every now and then some pilgrims on the famous Ohenro pilgrimage walk by the house. Visitors from around the world travel here to learn the real way to make udon, Kagawa’s soul food. We are here to find out more about Sanuki udon.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Ingredients

The ingredients used to make udon noodles are very simple. There are only 3 ingredients: flour, water, and salt.

Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Mixing

Add the flour, salt, and water to a bowl, and mix thoroughly. It is very important to mix in air when making the dough. The mixture starts out quite dry, but it gradually comes together to form the dough.

Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Kneading

As the dough gradually comes together, pack the dough together using your fist. The well-combined dough is then folded and formed into a large ball. Set the udon dough aside for 20 to 30 minutes. Letting the dough rise removes any unevenness in the dough.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

1st Maturation

Let the udon dough rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. By resting the dough, the gluten activity slows down and the flour spreads more evenly removing bumps.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Ingredients of Udon Soup (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Udon Soup (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

While the dough rested, we learned about the history of Sanuki udon and the odashi-jiru (broth). Dashi or Japanese broth is unique to Japanese food culture because you consume the broth that is extracted from the ingredient, not the ingredient itself. At UDON HOUSE you can drink each dashi made from these various ingredients, kombu (dried kelp), iriko (dried sardines), katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes), and zatsu-bushi (other dried fish). By comparing the different broths and noticing the differences in taste and aroma, you can truly experience the taste of umami.

Tabi (Japanese Socks) (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Udon Noodle Stomping

The next step is to stomp on the udon dough. The gluten in the dough is improved through the pressure of stomping, giving the Sanuki udon noodles their signature chewy texture.  Stomp on the dough in a uniform way, applying your full body weight with the feet and pressing the toes towards the outer edge of the dough while turning around. The goal is for the dough to no longer collapse even when being stomped on.  The process of stamping the dough by foot was done by the women and children.

At the UDON HOUSE, they have bags used for stomping with a variety of designs so that guests using the bags to experience dough stomping can have even more fun.

Leaving the Udon Noodle Dough (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Dough Raising (Second Time)

The dough is left to rise for a few hours. As before, letting the dough rise removes any unevenness in the dough. The perfectly round udon noodle dough ends up looking quite cute.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Rolling

Flip the dough so the underside faces the ceiling. Push down on the dough with both hands and use a rolling pin. Spread the round dough into a square shape. Forming the dough into a square will make the thickness of the noodles even and easier to cut. Make a cross in the dough and turn the dough at 45 degree angles. Roll the dough out at each quarter, this way of rolling is called kaku-dashi. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin, use your body weight when rolling the dough and make sure it is rolled all the way through.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Cutting

A specialized knife is used for cutting the noodles. The knife has a spring mechanism that moves the blade along the cutting board as the knife is lifted. Cut the noodles to a steady rhythm to keep the width of the noodles even. Don’t forget to dust the blade with some flour, the noodles tend to stick to the blade.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

These are the freshly cut noodles. We’ve come a long way from kneading the dough, the udon is finally ready!

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Boiling

Boil the noodles in a big pot of boiling water. The noodles are ready when the very edges of the noodles turn a little clear and you can see the white core of the noodle.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Rinsing in cold water

The boiled noodles are usually rinsed in cold water. Even when noodles are served warm they are first rinsed in cold water and then placed in a hot soup. Rinsing the noodles in cold water stops the noodles from cooking any further, takes off slimy residue and makes them firm. The only exception is when udon is served kama-age style. Kama-age means straight from the pot, the udon is served in the water it was boiled in and dipped in sauce. There’s also Kama-tama, which is when the udon in hot water is served with a raw egg topping.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

The many ways to eat udon

There are countless ways udon is consumed. There are so many variations that even Japanese have a hard time explaining. “Nama-shoyu is when soy sauce is poured on cold udon. If you dip it in sauce then it is called Zaru. Or the Bukkake, a tasty sauce is poured on the steaming hot udon. Kake-dashi is when you pour hot broth on the udon for a warm bowl of noodles. Atsu-atsu-bukkake is when you pour light shoyu and broth mixed with sugar and mirin on warm noodles. You can even add toppings like an egg or tempura. The variations are endless!” And at UDON HOUSE they are experimenting new styles, like adding butter and garlic oil to the Kama-tama.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Harada tells us what fascinates her about the regional tradition and culture of udon. “Back in the day when udon restaurants and manufacturers didn’t exist, udon was made in the home. Families who made good udon would share it with others, this is how noodle manufacturers came about. Udon restaurants in Kagawa are not just shops, they have a family atmosphere. Most places never set out to become udon restaurants, they were simply good at what they made. I find this history very interesting.” Local people who make flour will bring their own flour to an udon shop to have it made into udon.

UDON HOUSE, Making Udon Noodles (2019)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

“Sanuki Udon has had bursts of popularity so it is widely known around Japan. People know udon is delicious but I want people to know that making udon is a fun communal activity. It’s interesting to study about the history of udon and the many stories surrounding it. Come here, make udon and connect with people from around the world” she says with a smile. Their challenge has just begun. The more you know about “The world of Sanuki udon” the more interesting it gets. Visit Kagawa to discover your very own “udon”.

Credits: Story

Cooperation with:
UDON HOUSE
Kagawa Prefecture
SAVOR JAPAN
EAT!MEET!JAPAN


Photos: Misa Nakagaki
Text & Edit: Saori Hayashida
Production: Skyrocket Corporation

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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