Tsukimi Udon Moon-Viewing Noodles
月見うどん
As summer turns to fall, the moon wanes in a particularly luminous fashion. Indeed, the Harvest moon is celebrated in stories and songs around the world. In Japan, tsukimi, or “moon-viewing” also has a place at table. This soup noodle dish with its circular poached egg (the “moon”) is one way of enjoying the transition of seasons. Make your own: DOWNLOAD Tsukimi Udon recipe
Made from just wheat flour and saltwater udon dough is dense and stiff requiring tremendous strength to knead the dough. Stomping power is far more effective, and certainly more fun, than using your hands to work the dough. When my daughter was just a toddler in Tokyo we would often invite her park playmates to join us at home for a noodle-stomping session. It was a terrific rainy-day play date – lunch included!
DOWNLOAD instructions for making your own Home-Stomped UDON Noodles . Or, for those who prefer to buy already-made noodles, here is a GUIDE to Cooking Store-Bought Udon Noodles
The Sanuki region of Japan (what is today Kagawa prefecture on the island of Shikoku) is famous for its udon noodles… and also for its (dried sardines) IRIKO. A classic Sanuki sea stock is made from kelp, dried sardines, and dried black mushrooms. Combining these ingredients increases their umami power many fold. DOWNLOAD instructions for making your own Sanuki Sea Stock.
