Oodles of Noodles

Like so many revolutions, the rise sanuki udon began with a book. Sanuki udon, Shikoku’s special brand of thick wheat noodles, had long been revered by udon connoisseurs in western Japan, but the release of Osorubeki Sanuki Udon (The Astounding Sanuki Udon) sparked a craze that spread like wildfire across the country. Written by Shikoku Gakuin University professor Tao Kazutoshi, the book provides detailed information on the noodle shops of Kagawa prefecture – no small feat, given that the area boasts over 800 – and has inspired a wave of udon pilgrimages to the area.


Udon noodles are made from a deceptively simple mixture of flour, water, and salt. Thanks to its geography, Shikoku enjoys an abundance of seawater, which was originally used in the recipe. First, warm salt water is slowly drizzled around the perimeter of a mound of flour. After forming a ball with the fingers, the dough is kneaded, and anyone who has tried making udon can confirm that it is a full-body experience. Traditional udon makers use the heels of their feet to stomp the dough, working in a circular motion to ensure an even consistency – I’ve actually done this once and it takes time, say twenty years, to get the hang of it. Next, the dough is rolled out by hand, cut into thin strips, and boiled. The noodles are served either hot or cold, floating in hot broth, or with a dipping sauce, and garnished with sliced scallions and grated ginger.

What makes Sanuki udon special is their texture, both chewy and silky at the same time. Perfectly prepared udon noodles should offer both the firm bite of al dente pasta and the pliant density of mochi, or rice cakes. These characteristics were at first thought to derive from the wheat, which was grown locally until an unusually wet summer in the 1970s wiped out crops across the entire prefecture. These days, the wheat for udon is mostly imported from Australia, and most experts now agree that the particular techniques and recipes used in Shikoku are largely responsible for the appeal of Sanuki udon.

Slick, slurpable, and immensely satisfying, sanuki udon is viewed not as gourmet fare but as hearty fast food. In Shikoku, a bowl can be had for as little as Y100. In Tokyo, soba has traditionally dominated this sphere. Since 2003, however, a number of restaurants specializing in Sanuki udon have cropped up, offering generous portions of handmade noodles and all the fixings for well under Y1000 per person.

At Tokyo Mentsudan in Shinjuku, a line snaking outside the door typically begins forming before noon. One of the first to bring real Kagawa-style udon dining to the capital, the shop makes their noodles fresh daily, while packages of dried noodles can also be purchased to take home. At the front of the shop, you can watch the noodle makers at work, as they roll, cut and cook the udon in huge vats of boiling water. The main dining space is a wide, open room that resembles a summer camp cafeteria. At lunchtime, the pace is hectic and quintessentially Japanese.

A large sign at the entrance explains the procedure in Japanese and English – choose from around a dozen varieties of udon, place your order (sho – small, or dai – large), and then carry your tray to the self-service counter. Oden items, such as simmered daikon radish and fish cake, and an abundance of fried snacks like iwashi (sardine) and nasu (eggplant) tempura are available from Y100 per piece. The fact that they also serve some pretty good sake is another big plus. On a recent visit, I noticed one of my favorite Saitama producers, Shinkame, as well as trusted names like Hatsumago on the list.

Sorry for the long silence, but I’ll be back again soon with a word or two on hiyaoroshi and the seasonal brews I’m digging right now.

Tokyo Mentsudan
Nishi Shinjuku 7-9-15 Daikan Plaza Business Kiyota 1F
5389-1077

Sip Sake at the Source

The other day, while sipping on a glass of etherial Wataribune Daiginjo at Fuchu Homare Shuzo in Ibaraki prefecture, my good friend Rick remarked, "There's something so special about drinking sake at the place it was made."

I couldn't agree more. A visit to a sake brewery is about more than the sake itself, although that's undoubtedly the biggest incentive for going. If you're lucky enough to go during the brewing season, you'll gain valuable insight into how it's made and see firsthand just how much human labor goes into sake production. Beyond that -- and even more importantly -- you'll get to know the people that bring this good stuff into the world.

Here in Japan, we're lucky to be able to travel to sake breweries with relative ease. I've been to probably a dozen, and even worked at one, but there are hundreds I'd love to check out some day. Physically inhabiting the space where a sake you love comes from is a vastly different experience than reading about it. You get an intimate understanding of the geography of the land and the history of the brewery; you become immersed in the sights, smells, and textures of the place.

I've always thought it was rather a shame that there's no sake tourism industry in Japan. Many breweries are themselves handsome buildings, set in bucolic surroundings, and a trip almost certainly involves sampling some local delicacies.


That's why I was so excited to hear about the new Sake Tours being offered by my good friend Etsuko Nakamura and my sake sensei John Gauntner. Earlier this month, John made this announcement in his October newsletter:

Sake Tourism has begun!

Want to visit sake breweries in Japan? Now you can!

I am pleased to announce the starting of the Sake World Sake Brewery
Tours program. Now, anyone can access the inner workings of the sake
world. Visit Japan, start off with a bit of formal sake education by
yours truly, then you are off to see several sake breweries while
under the care of an experienced sake-savvy interpreter. Events
include sake-centered meals and other cultural sight-seeing options -
and even a bit of free time. This brewing season, there are two tours
planned:

Tour I: February 23 to 27 in the Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) area
Tour II: March 15 to 19 in the San-in (Shimane and Tottori) area

For more information, pricing and reservations please go to
www.saketours.com. Participation is extremely limited this season for
the two tours that are scheduled.

This is a terrific chance for anyone who is interested in taking a hands-on approach to sake education, as well as for foodies looking for a taste of real, regional Japan. So start booking that flight...

And look out for my article featuring Fuchu Homare next week in the Japan Times!

Do Right Woman, Do Wrong Woman

“You fell asleep chewing,” JP said. The reproach in his voice was evident.

“Arrrrrgghhhhhh!” I screamed into my pillow and kicked my feet. “Ta-monster!”

“You kept asking,” he giggled, “how I was going to develop my menu.”

I curled up like a slug that had been sprinkled with salt and retreated further into my covers.

I’d had, to put it politely, one too many. As the realization dawned on me, I prayed that this wouldn’t turn into one of the seven deadly hangovers.

The problem, as I saw it, was my friends. Tamami (the scorpion), Sugita and Vivi were notorious for their super-human drinking powers. To make matters worse, we were going to Gilio, and Chef-san is no teetotaler. I’d met the crew for lunch at 12:30. Six bottles of wine and a few glasses of grappa later, I somehow managed to stumble home.

“Oh, god,” I slurred, reaching for my water, “I have to pick up trash tomorrow.”

Just my luck to wind up in such a state the day before the Fujisawa Beach Cleanup.


My friend Alana had told me about the event earlier this summer, and it was all for a very good cause. She and her husband Michel are the founders of Soleil Provence, a French language and cultural center on the beach in Kugenuma. Working with the Japan Environmental Action Network, they had decided to host an event inspired by International Coast Day that would raise awareness about marine debris. The volunteers would comb the beach for garbage, which would then be sorted and counted. The purpose of the project is to collect data that will go toward an assessment of coastal debris across the globe. Their first fundraiser in July was a big success, and they plan to do it again every year, twice a year.

I wanted to do good, I really did. But part of me was hoping for a typhoon.

On Sunday morning, the sun was shining, and the skies were blue. Mercifully, I awoke hangover-free and made my way down to Shonan, where I caught up with my environmentally conscious friend the Shroz. The turnout was great -- over 100 people -- and we took to the beach with gloves and plastic bags.


At first glance, the shore seemed relatively clean. There were few salient items, but a closer look revealed tiny bits of plastic, broken glass and hundreds of cigarette butts. JEAN estimates that 25 percent of the coastal debris in Japan is comprised of cigarette filters. One of the main things they’re trying to monitor for, however, is the presence of industrial plastic. These minuscule particles are virtually indistinguishable from grains of sand, but they're highly toxic.

Although we were only out there for 30 minutes, we collected enough trash to cover a small blue tarp. According to JEAN’s calculations, that amounts to roughly 42 kg of trash.


They say that a good deed is its own reward, but Soleil Provence went a step further and set out a fantastic spread of goodies for all of the volunteers -- goats cheese-stuffed pastries, sweet onion tartlets, olives and croissants. To sweeten the deal even more, Vranken Japan generously brought bottles of bubbly, along with some very drinkable Pink Flamingo rose and red.


There’s no better way to spend a sunny afternoon than nibbling away at meat pies filled with lomo and sipping a cool glass of Heidseick-Monopole Rose Champagne. This rose is always delicious -- a playful berry-laden number with citrusy crispness -- and it tasted even better after a morning of civic duty. I'd been bad, it's true, but in the end I did pretty good.

Three Cheers for Sake Day

I giggled, I snickered and even cringed just a little at first, but yesterday's Sake Walk was a big success and a lot of fun. I'd been running late and, when I arrived at Mizutanibashi Park, I was surprised to find a band of people, right fists raised, carrying bright yellow and red banners emblazoned with the words, "October 1st is Nihonshu no Hi." Everyone wore matching yellow singlets bearing the same phrase. I was confused. The scene was reminiscent of a political -- namely, communist -- demonstration, and I was still not sure if I'd come to the right place when the police escorts started to move the parade along.

"Everyone, form four lines!"

We were officially on our way. A few moments later, someone ran up to me and handed me a bib, which I accidentally put on backwards.

"Your sign is inside-out," the man beside me pointed out.

"Ah, yes," I stammered, "it is. Thank you."

And then the chanting began.



"Jyugatsu tsuitachi ha, nihonshu no hi desu!"

October 1st is Sake Day!

"Nihonshu de, kampai shimashou!"

Let's celebrate with sake!

"Ruuru wo mamotte, nihonshu wo tanoshimimashou!"

Only the Japanese could come up with a slogan as stirring as this: Let's enjoy sake by drinking responsibly and observing the rules! That is so classic.

But seriously, there was a very good turnout and a lot of enthusiasm. The after party and tasting organized by Wajowaraku Sake Academy at the Shinmaru Building was terrific. After greetings from legendary sake book author Jiro Shinoda, all the participants toasted with brews from Kamoshibito Kuheiji, Hitakami, and Nambu Bijin. The tasting was small and featured top producers like Jyuyondai, Gorin and Denshu. There were also snacks of horse sashimi and namerou (a spicy dish of horse meat minced with miso and herbs), addictively delicious cucumber pickles and other fresh veggies. All for free.

From now until October 12th, the restaurants on the seventh floor of the Shinmaru Building will doing a special sake "happy hour" promotion in the evenings from 6:00. It's a terrific deal - a flight of three sakes for Y500.

If you want to get more serious about tasting, this is the month to do it. There are events going on nearly every day. Here are a couple to whet your palate.

Pop into the National Azabu Supermarket this weekend for a little free tasting at the Nara and Jizake Fair.

For only Y500, you can taste a ton of sake at the Saitama Sake Tasting on the 6th. Just watch out for the drunken older men.

One of my favorites every year is the Shimane Sake Tasting on the 12th.

On the 13th, there's a small fall tasting from 12:00-4:00 at the KKR Hotel in Takebashi (11F). Not really sure what it's about, but at Y500, I can risk checking it out.

There are many, many more. Head on over to Tokyofoodcast for listings and don't forget - ruuru wo mamotte, nihonshu wo tanoshimimashou!