Miso Nikomi Udon
Oct 16 2008 • Food
This entry was originally published on October 22nd, 2007. It has been updated and reformatted.
I recently had the chance to try Miso Nikomi Udon, a specialty of Nagoya. It’s made with red miso, which has a completely different smell and taste from white or black miso (which I haven’t had a chance to taste). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any personal pictures because I was a guest at a friend’s house.
Photograph © hiroht
The soup looked more like a thick stew, which may be an effect of the red miso. I thought it would be like eating noodles in warm miso paste but on prodding them with chopsticks, it really was in a broth. The smell of the soup was interesting - it reminded me of a horse stall with fresh hay - and I’m not entirely sure if it was pleasant or not. It certainly wasn’t strong enough to be a detractor.
The key part to this dish is the noodles. I was told that Nagoya’s noodles are thicker and chewier than other udon noodles, which was quite noticeable after the first mouthful. A regular udon noodle is a vaguely chewy, slippery affair that involves a lot of chopstick dexterity and good timing. These noodles, however, were quite easy to eat and really gave you the taste of udon.
Rating: 
Related Posts
Comments
Yesh, I am now hungry too. :( Y U DO DIS?
The red color is deceptive - is it spicy?
Definitely something to try the next time I’m in Nagoya… Well, if there is a next time.
I always thought of Miso tasting malty.Your description of Red Miso makes me wonder tough…Never had red one
The udon looks delicious! Very warm and filling, which is what I need right now, haha. I really like the taste of red miso in certain dishes, too.
@Yamcha: I know, I’m evil like this. Even when I go home, the food will continue because I think you can find good food anywhere.
@Panther: No, it’s not. It’s just the miso.
@Blowfish: Well, it’s fermented, so it probably has some similar traits as malty stuff. I find the salt overwhelms more than anything else.
@Erin: What other dishes are good with red miso? I’m always up for experimentation!
Red miso is usually combined with dark veggies or seafood, I think. It’s also used a lot for sauces/dips/broths. Personally, I like red miso and eggplant (茄子田楽) and red miso soup with clams (あさりの赤だし).
Reminds me a lot of the Hokkien Noodles I get here, though it’s served with thick broth instead.
MMMMMM, I need to pick up some udon next time at the market. Also, it’s been a REALLY long time since I purchased red miso O.o
^___^ yum
@Erin: Okay, thanks, I’ll keep my eye out for it. I may have already had it before but I’d like to try to identify it.
@Shin: It may be the same - this broth isn’t very thin, at least compared to the dashi broths.
@Ryan A: If you can get boiled udon vs. dry udon, I’d strongly recommended that. It should be in the refrigerator/freezer section.
@blissmo: Sugar would definitely be wrong on that! I’d add hot sauce but I’m just getting off a hot sauce kick now.
Leave a Reply
Recent Posts
- Dessert Pocky: Strawberry Shortcake
- 5 Things I’ve Enjoyed in 2008
- Baskin Robbins: December Flavors
- 100 Things About Me
- Japanese School Lunch: Week 25
- Japanese School Lunch: Week 24
- Japanese School Lunch: Week 23
- I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Eventually)
- Pocky Mikan
- Japanese School Lunch: Week 22
Yum yum. Always making me hungry with the food posts. Sigh.