Udon is often served hot as a noodle soup in its simplest form, as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru, which is made of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions. Other common toppings include tempura, often prawn or kakiage (a type of mixed tempura fritter), or aburaage, a type of deep-fried tofu pockets seasoned with sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. A thin slice of kamaboko, a halfmoon-shaped fish cake, is often added. Shichimi can be added to taste.
The flavor of broth and topping vary from region to region. Usually, dark brown broth, made from dark soy sauce (koikuchi shōyu), is used in eastern Japan, and light brown broth, made from light soy sauce (usukuchi shōyu), is used in western Japan. This is even noticeable in packaged instant noodles, which are often sold in two different versions for east and west.
Origin
There are many stories explaining the origin of udon.
UDON Entertainment Corporation is a studio (or "art collective") of Asian-influenced comic book creators that provides creative services to the entertainment industry. The company is a publisher of comic books, graphic novels and art books, as well as English editions of Japanese manga and Korean manhwa titles. Erik Ko is its Chief of Operations. UDON is named after a kind of Japanese noodle.
Overview
It was affiliated with Studio XD; in March 2004, UDON announced a partnership to release comics under Devil's Due Publishing. UDON's first offering was the Street Fighter comic book series, launching in September 2003. They would add a Darkstalkers comic series to their line in November 2004. In October 2005, UDON reorganized its operations and became a full-fledged publisher. Erik Ko revealed that the lengthy break in the Summer of 2005 was to recover from a licensing deal with Capcom, which saw UDON doing artwork for Capcom Fighting Evolution. Although UDON appreciated the opportunity to work on the game, and to strengthen their ties with the video game maker, it taxed their resources, and left them behind schedule on their comics. In October 2005, UDON released Street Fighter II #0, the sequel to their Street Fighter comic; it was followed in early 2006 with the long awaited launch of Rival Schools. Erik Ko discusses this in an interview with Newsarama that can be read here.
TAKAMATSU—Kagawa Prefecture is so proud of its specialty “udon” noodles that it believes people will enjoy bathing in the broth ... The bath additive is available in “kake udon” style and “bukkake udon” style.
Sushi by Scratch...Yess ... Yess ... In addition to cold plates like sashimi, chilled tofu and beef tataki, there is also an entire section dedicated to fried and grilled dishes, along with rice, soups and stews, including udon and unique takes on miso soup ... .
KANONJI, Kagawa Prefecture—It looks like a helmet when laid face down, but flip it over and it becomes a bowl for “udon” noodles ... The designers insisted that the Udon Helmet wouldn’t be fun unless it was made large enough to fit on an adult’s head.
Beachgoers have been left confused by the unusual sight of thousands of tendril-like stalks attached to shells that washed up on a three-metre column, south of Adelaide... .
Grocery shopping, however, can be just as elevated an experience, as long as you know where to go ... In addition to all of your favorite dry and fresh Japanese ingredients, patrons can also stop by the food court for bento boxes, ramen, udon and more. .
Marugame Udon, which features a lively, theatrical kitchen, with all food being prepared and assembled to order in the exhibition kitchen, will open at The Village of Donki in Tamuning, Guam on Oct ... Marugame Udon website.
Kagawa has spent more than a decade on promotional efforts to brand itself as the nation’s Udon Prefecture...Others noted that Kagawa is particularly “famous for its udon meals” like “Sanuki Udon.”.
Udon holds a special place in my family ... There’s a disconnect there, and udon is the bridge. Traditionally, udon is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, prepared and served in a variety of ways in Japanese cuisine.
