Vegan Japanese noodle dishes

Vegetarian Journal, May-June, 2003 by Hiroko Kato

SINCE CHILDHOOD, I have loved eating noodles all the time, but it was only lately that I noticed my addiction to this long, thin, smooth food. Traveling in the United States and frequently to some Asian countries in recent years, I found myself seeking all kinds of noodle dishes, from Italian spaghetti to stir-fried Chinese lo mein. I could eat noodles at least four times a week. Fortunately, I easily found what I wanted at most of my destinations and saw many other people enjoying noodle dishes. Observing their satisfied smiles, I now believe I'm not the only one who has fallen in love with noodles. They are easy to cook, they are healthy enough if you don't smother them with a heavy cream sauce or too much oil, and on top of that, they are delicious. Fortunately, my mother country, Japan, has a variety of noodles that I can enjoy almost every day if I wish.

While I was living in Baltimore three years ago, it was such a great joy to find various types of Japanese noodles. Americans knew their original names, such as soba or udon, instead of calling them more generic ones, like buckwheat noodles or Japanese wheat noodles. Still, I noticed that it was difficult for vegetarians to eat noodle dishes in Japanese restaurants since fish extract is often used in the dipping sauce or the soup accompanying the noodles. It seemed that the only way to enjoy noodles in those places was to order a cold noodle dish and then eat it with soy sauce, not the traditional fish-based dipping sauce. However, if you were to cook Japanese noodle dishes at home, there would be no problem since you could leave out the fish extract. Japanese noodles themselves are vegan.

There are primarily four types of Japanese noodles that you can find in supermarkets, health food stores, or Asian stores in the United States. The following is a quick description of these noodles:

SOBA: In Japan, these noodles are generally served hot in soup broth or cold with dipping sauce, but soba also works well in stir-fries and salads. I often cook soba with tomato sauce, as I do with Italian pasta, and enjoy the good result of "East meets West." Cha Soba, a variation flavored with Japanese powdered green tea, is popular among Americans, but you may need to be careful since the green tea flavor is strong and will not be suitable for some dishes. Please note, in rare cases, soba contains egg whites; check the label to be on the safe side.

UDON: There are numerous types of udon, a noodle simply made of wheat, salt, and water. We enjoy udon dishes from plain Kishimen (wide and flat-shaped udon often served in miso broth and mainly eaten in central Japan) to hot Kama-age udon (cooked noodles served warm in hot water and eaten with a cold sauce) to Nabeyaki udon (a hotpot-style dish cooked with other ingredients). Though the availability of udon in the United States may be limited compared to Japan, this plain, chewy white noodle could certainly please everyone's taste buds. Besides being sold dried, udon is also sold frozen, a means that keeps its flavor as well as its soft texture.

SOMEN: This delicate noodle is my favorite. These are also made of wheat, salt, and water; however, sesame or cottonseed oil is added to somen. Somen is very thin and the quickest to cook, taking less than five minutes. It's good for simple cold dishes, in hot soup, for stir-frying, and in some nontraditional arrangements, such as Vietnamese Pho (a type of noodle soup) and Italian cappellini. You may see colored variations of somen noodles, but beware that yellow ones possibly contain egg yolks.

RAMEN: Ramen originally came from China in the late 19th century and was modified to the Japanese palate. It is now listed at the top of Japan's national food list, being especially popular among the younger generation. Usually, ramen noodles served in restaurants are not vegetarian because the soup contains high amounts of meat fat. However, some vegan products containing instant ramen noodles are available. (Instant soba or udon packages can be found, too, but note that the soup powder is not vegetarian.) In the U.S., Nisshin's Oriental Top Ramen Noodle is vegetarian and can be found in major supermarket chains at a very cheap price.

These recipes include both authentic and modified Japanese dishes. I believe prepared Japanese noodle dishes would be appealing to Americans, including the traditional way of serving the meal. You can experiment with these recipes by using other types of noodles instead of the ones suggested. For example, stir-fry udon instead of soba, and soba or somen served with sesame sauce would be fine, too.

Here are just a few tips to cook Japanese noodles. (You may already know how easy it is to cook instant ramen.)

First, cook noodles in plenty of boiling water. If there is not enough water, you'll sense an uncomfortable starchy taste in your noodles. Second, be sure to stir the noodles right after putting them in the pot, otherwise they'll stick to each other. Third, do not overcook. The term al dente is important here, just like when you cook Italian pasta. Finally, rinse noodles well in cold water, using your hands to remove any gooey texture. (Be careful not to burn yourself.)