🍜 Shippoku udon

In Kagawa Prefecture, "shiko-udon" is a dish made by simmering several kinds of vegetables and abura-age (fried bean curd), which are harvested in the fall and winter, in a soup stock made from simmered dried fish, and pouring it over boiled udon noodles with other ingredients. It is a typical winter dish that takes advantage of local seasonal vegetables in addition to the firmness and smooth texture characteristic of Sanuki udon. Udon production flourished in Kagawa Prefecture because of its mild climate with little rainfall, which was ideal for growing high-quality wheat suitable for udon. The Seto Inland Sea, centering on Ibukijima Island, famous for its "Ibuki Iriko" (dried sardines), is rich in anchovies, which are used to make dried sardines. The area has shallow waters and many sandy beaches, making salt production flourish, and soy sauce made from the salt is produced on Shodoshima and other islands. Udon restaurants are depicted in "Kinpira Matsuri Zu Byobu" painted in the Edo period, which suggests that udon was already widespread during this period.