Yaki udon
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Read for freeYaki udon (焼きうどん) translates to “fried udon noodles,” and it’s a dish similar to yakisoba, except the udon noodles are thicker and made of wheat, not buckwheat. It’s a stir-fry recipe with a great protein source that can be made out of ground beef, pork, chicken, or seafood, coupled with vegetables, an umami sauce made of soy sauce and mirin, and of course, Japan’s udon noodles.
The reason why yaki udon is so popular is that people love slurping these thick noodles. They’re especially great for stir-fries because they have a certain thick and chewy texture that clings to the sauce.
Udon is the Japanese version of spaghetti. It’s just so popular, and you’ll see it served everywhere, on almost all street corners.
These days, you can often find street food stalls serving yaki udon alongside yakisoba and ramen. It’s pretty inexpensive, but tastewise, it’s definitely a culinary delight!
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Origin of yaki udon
Udon noodles have been popular for many centuries, not only because they’re tasty and wholesome, but also because they’re made from the ingredients that Japan has cultivated for a long time.
In the Edo period, more than 300 years ago, many udon dishes were developed, including tempura udon, which is udon with fried veggies and shrimp.
Udon is quite an old invention, but yaki udon dates back to some time during the Pacific War and WWII. Since food was scarce, people got creative with rice and noodle dishes.
Since udon soup was already popular, it was only natural that noodle stir-fries became new favorites.
A restaurant called “Darumado” first introduced yaki udon because they ran out of buckwheat and yakisoba. So they replaced the soba with udon, which was easier to make and readily available.
Since ingredients were scarce, stir-fries were a great way to use minimal ingredients but still offer a filling and tasty meal.
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
Read for free
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
