What is Toshiake Udon?
Have you ever heard of “Toshiake Udon (年明けうどん: meaning New Year’s Udon)”?
I knew about the dish for the first time today when researching udon on Wikipedia.
Toshiake Udon (年明けうどん)
According to the article “年明けうどん” on Japanese Wikipedia,
eating udon noodles at the beginning of the year was suggested by Sanuki Udon Promotion Association, established in 2008 in Kagawa Prefecture.
Therefore, unlike Toshikoshi Soba, Toshiake Udon isn’t a traditional Japanese new-year-related meal.
It is a kind of festival food created to address the decrease in domestic consumption of udon noodles.
Nonetheless, as Nissin introduced the above “Donbei Toshiake Udon (どん兵衛 年明けうどん)” last December, the New Year’s dish has been gaining popularity year by year.
Like Toshikoshi Soba, consumers slurp the lucky noodles wishing for a happy life through the year.
Definition
Lastly, here is the definition of Toshiake Udon by the Sanuki Udon Promotion Association.
- The dates when this New Year’s event takes place are from January 1st to January 15th.
- Toshiake Udon is a pure white noodle with at least one piece of red topping celebrating the beginning of the new year, such as umeboshi plum or kamaboko fish cake with a red color.
