Noodles often take the place of rice in a meal but as the Japanese appetite for rice is so strong, some restaurants serve noodle-rice combination meals.Traditional Japanese noodles are often served chilled, especially in summer, with a dipping sauce of wasabi, scallions and grated ginger, or hot in stir fries, salads or in a soy-dashi broth with toppings chosen to reflect the seasons and balance other ingredients. Common toppings include tempura, often shrimp, abura-age (seasoned deep-fried tofu), kamaboko (fish cake) with shichimi (spice mix) and beni shoga (red pickled ginger) added to taste.Japanese noodles, menrui dishes, come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. There are various traditional, highly popular Japanese and introduced ‘Japanised’ noodle dishes in Japan but primarily there are four types readily available in supermarkets, health food shops and Asian stores.

Soba

Soba noodles are native Japanese thin, brown to grey noodles, made from buckwheat and wheat flour. They can be served with various toppings, hot in a soup broth or chilled, usually in summer, and served with a dipping sauce, scallions and wasabi. Soba can also be used in stir fries and salads. In Japan soba noodles are a popular inexpensive fast food readily available, an expensive exclusive specialty restaurant item, or made at home. It is rare, but in Japan some soba may contain egg whites (not Hakubaku).

Cha soba is a popular variation, flavoured with Japanese powdered green tea. The green tea flavour can be strong and may not suit some dishes.

Udon

There are numerous thicknesses and shapes, either round, square or flat, of Japanese udon noodles, simply made of wheat flour, salt and water. Although they can be served cold, these thicker, soft but slightly chewy, white noodles are usually served hot with various toppings, added to nabeyaki udon, a hotpot dish cooked with other ingredients or sometimes in a Japanese curry soup. Udon are also sold dried, frozen and as vacuum sealed/shelf stable.

Somen

Like udon noodles, somen are Japanese noodles also made from wheat flour, salt and water, but ca be flavoured with the addition of sesame, cottonseed or vegetable oil. Very thin, this delicate white noodle is quick to cook, taking less than five minutes. It can be served not only chilled but actually served in ice water with a dipping sauce, or added to stir fries and soups, including the famous Vietnamese noodle soup, Pho.

Ramen

Ramen are thin, Chinese style noodles prepared in a hot chicken or pork broth with various toppings, such as sliced pork, seaweed, kamaboko, scallions and even corn. Originally introduced from China late in the 19th century, Japan has adopted the popular Ramen as its own and modified it over time to the Japanese palate. Especially popular amongst the younger people, it is now listed at the top of Japan’s national food list. Also known as Shina-soba or Chuka-soba, both meaning “Chinese soba”.

Cooking noodles

Noodles are cooked in plenty of boiling water or they will not cook evenly and will have a starchy taste. Keep the water gently boiling and when the noodles first go in the pot stir gently to separate. Most importantly, be careful not to overcook. Just like pasta, drain the noodles when still just a little chewy. A little oil could be tossed through the noodles to stop them sticking.

Eating noodles

Unlike Western culture, and even though all other Japanese food should be consumed in silence, it is customary to make a loud sucking sound when eating noodles or drinking green tea. One of the reasons is to show appreciation, the other is the cool air sucked in allows us to eat the noodles steaming hot but interestingly, even cold noodles are consumed just as noisily. It has been suggested that this is because menrui was originally a definitely low class food and the lower classes are noisy, so even in elegant restaurants, it is consumed in its original, highly audible manner!