🍜 Yoshida no Udon

“Yoshida no udon” is a local dish that originated in the area around the city of Fujiyoshida. It is made of flour noodles that have a chewy, firm, and thick texture, and is served in a broth of miso and soy sauce. Fujiyoshida City has a cool climate and volcanic ash soil at an altitude of 700-900 m, which makes rice cultivation unsuitable. Instead, wheat, barley, buckwheat, and minor grains were cultivated, leading to a culture of eating powdered foods. In the early Showa period, the textile industry was thriving in Fujiyoshida, and it is said that the men in charge of peddling udon noodles began to make udon for lunch so that the women working the weaving machines would not have to stop to prepare lunch. This also helped to prevent their hands from becoming rough when touching the silk threads. The men kneaded the noodles vigorously, resulting in a filling and characteristic firmness. “Houtou” is another famous local dish from Yamanashi Prefecture, while “Yoshida's udon” has been popular for a long time and is now famous not only in the area around Fujiyoshida City, but also in Yamanashi Prefecture.