🍜 Noshikomi Udon

Noshikomi udon is a noodle dish made by simmering udon noodles in a broth made from dried sardines and shiitake mushrooms, seasoned with sake, salt, and soy sauce, and adding firm udon noodles and other ingredients such as green onions and deep-fried tofu. During the Edo period, the entire town of Okutama was under the direct control of the shogunate and was located in the mountains, the steepest mountains in Tokyo, and most of the town was covered with forests. Since the land was unsuitable for rice paddies, wheat and buckwheat were the main crops grown in Okutama, and a culture of eating udon and buckwheat flour had taken root in Okutama. In addition, the mountains were cold from late fall through winter. When the men came home hungry after a day's work in the mountains, they would make a quick and warm dish, and so noshikomi udon was prepared and eaten in every household. The word "noshikomi" comes from "stretch" = "stretch and spread" after the udon has been pounded, but in some areas it is called "zuridashi udon" because it is eaten by slipping it out of the pot. The noodles are characterized by their wide width, similar to Hoto in Yamanashi, and are served hot after being simmered in a pot with soup stock (niboshi), shiitake mushrooms, freshly pounded udon noodles, and seasonal vegetables, in the Okutama style. The sweetness of the vegetables soaks into the udon, warming the body and soul. Until around 1975 in the Showa era, wild boars and deer caught by hunting, and chickens that were cut up at home were sometimes added to the soup.