Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth) Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

A mixture of soy, mirin, and sugar is blended with dashi to create a deeply flavorful broth in no time.
Having your choice of toppings and condiments means the bowl can be exactly as you want it.

I'm relatively confident that no English-language article has ever been written aboutbukkake udonwithout a joke in the opening paragraph about the name. I wish this one were different, but there's no way to get around it without immediately eliciting a chorus of juvenile titters ("heh, he saidtitter"). So let's just get it out of the way. Tee hee, hoo hoo, ha ha, lolz, lmfao, rotfl, and all the rest.

Okay, now that we're all giggled out, let's be clear: Bukkake udon has no relationship to that other bukkake,* except that the word describes the act of splashing liquid on something. The word had been used in food contexts (you may be familiar withtamago gohan, the Japanese egg and rice dish that's also referred to astamago bukkake meshi) long before it was co-opted by the adult-film industry. In this dish, the liquid is a colddashi-based broth, splashed onto the chilled udon noodles. Nothing more, nothing less.

*If you don't know what "that other bukkake" is, just be warned before you look it up that it's very NSFW and NAFK (not appropriate for kids).

The beauty of bukkake udon is just how perfect it is in the summertime, and how customizable it is to whatever toppings you desire and have available. It's flavorful and filling, but not heavy, and it's chilled to keep you nice and cool.

There are a couple of constants, though. First are the chilled cooked udon noodles. Udon are fat wheat noodles, available in both fresh and dried form in most Asian grocery stores. The dried noodles will last longer, but fresh noodles have a more slippery texture and a nicer al dente bite. They're often available in the freezer section as well, and you can store them for several months before freezer burn will get the best of them and mess with their texture.

Whether you use fresh or dried, cooking them is easy: Pop them in boiling water until they're just tender, then drain them and shock them in an ice water bath before draining again.

Second, you need a broth. I did some testing while working on a good chilled dashi-soy broth for myonseneggrecipe, and the method I settled on works beautifully here, too. It's one I picked up from Nancy Hachisu's excellent book,Japanese Farm Food, and she in turn picked it up from one of her favorite soba chefs in Japan. It involves first making what's calledkaeshi, which is a concentrated mixture of soy sauce and mirin, with just a little sugar to balance the flavors. The kaeshi is then blended with dashi to make the broth. It's salty and savory, with layer upon layer of complexity.

You put the cold noodles in a bowl, and, when you're ready to serve them, pour the chilled broth on top.

Before you do, though, you need to add some toppings, and this is where you can let loose.

Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth) Recipe (1)

My bowl shows quite a few options, including: a sheet ofnori, grated fresh ginger, pickled ginger, toasted sesame seeds, freshly grated daikon, bonito flakes, thinly sliced scallion, and an onsen egg. (This is a Japanese-style soft-cooked egg, which you canread more about here, though it's worth noting that any kind of poached or soft-cooked egg will work.) If you make the kaeshi and eggs in advance and use instant dashi, you can whip this bowl up in no time, with no more cooking than the couple of minutes it takes to boil the noodles.

Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth) Recipe (2)

Some folks may say I'm guilty of overkill, given how many toppings I've heaped onto this, but that's the fun of bukkake udon: You can choose your own adventure.

Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth) Recipe (3)

There are so many easy and inappropriate jokes I could close this with, but I'm not going to go there. Your imagination will suffice.

August 2016

Recipe Details

Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth) Recipe

Active15 mins

Total15 mins

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15ml)mirin
1 teaspoon (4g)sugar
1/4 cup (60ml)soy sauce
3/4 cup (180ml)homemadeor instant dashi, chilled (see notes)
2 (7-ounce; 200g) servings store-boughtudon noodles
Assorted garnishes and toppings of your choice, such as bonito flakes, nori sheets, thinly sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, soft-cooked onsen eggs, grated fresh ginger, grated daikon radish, and pickled sliced ginger

Directions

Combine mirin, sugar, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and set in the refrigerator to chill. (You can also rapidly cool by pouring mixture into a stainless steel mixing bowl and nesting that bowl in a slightly larger mixing bowl filled with ice water.)
Combine 1/4 cup of the soy/mirin mixture (kaeshi) with dashi and stir. Taste mixture and add remaining kaeshi if desired. Keep chilled.
In a medium pot of boiling water, cook udon until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes (or follow cooking time on package if it differs). Transfer to an ice bath to chill. Drain noodles well.
Transfer noodles to 2 soup bowls. Top with garnishes and condiments of your choice, then pour dashi broth into each bowl and serve.

Notes

For the broth, you can use an equal quantity of instant dashi in place of the from-scratch dashi here, with excellent results. Feel free to play with the ratio of soy-mirin concentrate to dashi, using more dashi for a lighter, less salty broth or less dashi for a more intense flavor.

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Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the name of the broth in udon noodles? ›

The most common way to serve udon, hot udon soup is any dish where udon noodles are served in a hot savoury broth called kakejiru, which is made from a mixture of soy sauce, dashi stock, and mirin rice wine.

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Can I cook frozen udon in broth? ›

For frozen udon noodles, there is no need to thaw. Simply add to the soup frozen and then allow to cook until tender in the broth. I prefer frozen udon myself, so I would recommend them, if you have that option.

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How do you eat udon with broth? ›

The slurping enhances the flavors and helps cool down the hot noodles as they enter your mouth. If there is a broth, it is drunk directly from the bowl, eliminating the need for a spoon. It is not considered rude to leave some unfinished soup in the bowl at the end of the meal.

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How do you cook refrigerated udon noodles? ›

Step 3: Cook the Udon Noodles

Once the water is boiling, add the udon noodles to the pot. If you're using fresh udon noodles, they will only need to cook for 2-3 minutes. Dried udon noodles will take around 8-10 minutes. Stir the noodles occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.

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What is udon broth made of? ›

Udon soup is served hot. The broth is made of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin that's referred to as kakejiru. However, as with any soup or dish that's been around for a long time, there are many ways to perfect your bouillon depending on your taste.

Can you cook udon in broth? ›

Make Udon Noodles

Take out another pot. Place in the Homemade Chicken Broth (1 cup), Water (1 cup), Tsuyu Sauce (4 Tablespoons). Then add in the chopped spring onion pieces as well as the chopped chicken pieces. Bring the pot back up to a boil.

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How long to boil frozen udon noodles for? ›

Take the Frozen Udon noodle directly from the freezer, do not defrost, and place the noodle in the boiling water. Cook on medium heat for approximately 40-60 seconds or until al dente. Stir-fry: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or skillet and stir-fry with desired meat or vegetables. Product from Japan.

Why is frozen udon better? ›

The frozen kind is firmer and has a chewier texture, and it's more forgiving for overcooking; however, it may be harder to find in local stores, other than Japanese stores.

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Is frozen or dry udon better? ›

You won't get what you want—that chewy, gummy texture—from dried udon noodles. Ideally, you want fresh (not frozen) udon. That said, it's probably harder to find freshly made udon noodles than it was to cop a pair of Yeezy 350s.

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Is udon always in broth? ›

It's the ultimate noodle comfort food which can be served and prepared in many ways. Made from wheat flour, water, and salt, udon noodles are typically two to four millimeters thick and commonly served in a hot dashi broth or served chilled in the summer.

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Is udon eaten hot or cold? ›

Udon is made by kneading strong, white wheat flour, salt and water. It can be eaten hot or cold which makes it a versatile ingredient for everything from hot soups to cold salads. In Japan it is perfectly acceptable to slurp the noodles, which all adds to the enjoyment and the udon experience.

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What does udon mean in English? ›

Meaning of udon in English

thick noodles (= long strips made from flour or rice) used in Japanese cooking: You can choose between thin noodles and thick udon. I made this salad of raw cabbage mixed with cold udon noodles. kf4851/iStock/Getty Images Plus/GettyImages.

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Can you eat udon noodles cold? ›

The beauty of chilled udon is just how perfect it is for hot, lazy summer days. It's very flavorful and filing, but not heavy, and it's chilled to keep your body nice and cool. Plus, you can use anything in your refrigerator for the toppings.

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How do you eat cold dipping udon? ›

For the cold noodles that come without broth, like zaru udon, you will dip noodles into a separate sauce and then eat the udon. First, add wasabi and spices like green onions into the sauce. Then, take a few noodles with your chopsticks and dip the udon into the sauce. Don't leave the noodles in the sauce for long.

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Is packaged udon already cooked? ›

The beauty of the sanuki udon blocks—in addition to their unmatched texture, of course—is that they're ready in a flash. They're pre-cooked, so all they need is a gentle zhush-ing in hot water, straight from frozen, to release them from their caked state.

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Is udon broth the same as ramen broth? ›

Udon broths tend to be quite simple and light. Often you'll get a simple kombu (a delicious kelp, rich in umami) and fish dashi broth. Sometimes, udon might just be flavored with soy sauce. Ramen, on the other hand, focuses on rich broths that are exploding with umami and saltiness.

What is noodles in broth called? ›

Ramen (ラーメン) – thin light yellow noodle served in hot chicken or pork broth, flavoured with soy or miso, with various toppings such as slices of pork, menma (pickled bamboo shoots), seaweed, or boiled egg. Also known as Shina-soba or Chuka-soba (both mean "Chinese soba").

What is the Japanese name for udon soup? ›

Udon is a specific type of noodle that is very common in Japan and used in a variety of Japanese dishes. The udon noodles are thick and made from wheat flour. The most common way to eat these thick udon noodles is in soup broth known as Kake udon.

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What is Japanese bone broth called? ›

Tonkotsu

Tonkotsu is a viscous, creamy, and complex ramen made from simmered pork bones. The bones break down and release collagen while cooking, meaning that tonkotsu can be so thick that it coats the back of a spoon. Tonkotsu shokunin often fortify their already rich broth with pork or chicken fat.

Learn More Now ›