Nabeyaku Udon, a traditional Japanese soup and one of the most comforting foods imaginable. The Nabeyaku Udon is a classic one pot meal served in a traditional Nabe, a pot made out of clay or in this case cast iron. Udon noodles are thick wheat flour noodles that are quite long and have a nice slippery texture, only slightly resisting the tooth.
The rich flavor of the broth or dashi was the first food to be given the term Umami “the fifth flavor” which loosely translates to tasty. It is the word given to foods that are indescribably delicious. This broth was in the eastern Japanese style with dark soy sauce, kombu- a type of kelp, and katsuobushi- dried, fermented and smoked skipjack tuna, also known as bonito.
The aroma is of the earth and the sea, I don’t know if I want to run or swim…so I grab my chopsticks and go fishing. Deep in the bowl I find hidden treasures everywhere, moving aside green leaves of cabbage I find a shitake mushroom hiding inconspicuously, trying not to be noticed. I eat the gently poached egg only just cooked in the hot broth, floating on top the soup like a lone raft in a sea of noodles and find concealed a small school of tofu squares. Having way to much fun finding entombed food; I eat the delicately crisp tempura prawn, and try the amazingly textural kamaboko or fish cake, slightly rubbery in a good way, yet still soft with only a slight hint of its fishy past. I eat the lonely single scallion, slurp up some of the gratifying noodles and I find some more elusive morsels hiding in the dark broth, some tender little bites of chicken. Chicken and noodles…I have found a chicken noodle soup for the epicure…and its way too fun to eat.
Here’s to your health.
Banzai!