Miso Nikomi Udon: Nagoya’s Specialty Noodle Soup
Have you ever heard of “Nagoya Meshi (名古屋めし)”?
As you may know, “Nagoya (名古屋)” is the capital of Aichi Prefecture in Japan, while the latter word “Meshi (めし)” has a meaning of “dish”.
From this, Nagoya Meshi refers to dishes that originated and developed in Nagoya.
There are a number of Nagoya Meshi that are famous nationwide.
For example, the spicy noodle soup “Taiwan Ramen (台湾ラーメン)” and sweet red bean jam toast “Ogura Toast (小倉トースト)” are representatives of Nagaya Meshi.
In addition to them, what I introduce here Miso Nikomi Udon also falls into that food genre.
Miso Nikomi Udon (味噌煮込うどん)
“Miso Nikomi Udon (味噌煮込みうどん)” is one of the noodle soup dishes that Nagoya boasts.
The dish is made by simmering udon noodles and other ingredients together in a broth using Nagoya’s specialty miso called “Mame Miso (豆味噌)”.
Mame Miso (豆味噌)
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Mame Miso, also known as “Hatcho Miso (八丁味噌)” or “Nagoya Miso (名古屋みそ)”, is a miso paste made only with 3 ingredients, good-quality soybeans, salt, and water.
The resulting miso is aged over a long period of time using a traditional method.
Mame Miso is superior to other miso pastes in that even when heated, its taste and flavor are almost unchanged.
On the contrary, the more Mame Miso is simmered in soup, the more savory and tasty it becomes. And that is why the miso is prepared for Miso Nikomi Udon.
Noodles
The udon noodle used in Miso Nikomi Udon is different from ordinary udon noodles in that it is made only with wheat flour and water without using salt.
The noodle for Miso Nikomi Udon comes in 2 types; one is shaped like regular udon, while the other has a flat shape like “Kishimen (きしめん)” noodles.
Other Ingredients
Typical toppings/garnishes for Miso Nikomi Udon include chicken, egg, green onion, Shiitake mushroom, and Kamaboko fish cake.
Further, some udon restaurants in Nagoya offer Miso Nikomi Udon topped with Mochi rice cake or Tempura.
(Reference Pages: Wikipedia 味噌煮込みうどん, Aichimiso )
