Yoshida Udon
Cuisine: Japanese
Region: 山梨県
Servings: 8人分
Yoshida Udon, also searched as Fujiyoshida udon, is a thick, foot-kneaded wheat noodle from Yamanashi with startling chew, served in miso-soy broth under a generous pile of steamed cabbage.
At a glance
Time: about 3 hr (incl. resting) · Serves 8 · Difficulty: medium-hard · ≈ 450 kcal per serving (estimate)
Yoshida Udon, also searched as Fujiyoshida udon, is a thick, foot-kneaded wheat noodle from Yamanashi with startling chew, served in miso-soy broth under a generous pile of steamed cabbage.
Ingredients
- [Noodles] All-purpose flour 800 g (or bread flour 500 g + cake flour 200 g)
- [Noodles] Water 320 ml (use a little less in summer, a little more in winter)
- [Noodles] Salt 1 tbsp
- [Noodles] Dusting starch as needed (cornstarch, potato starch, etc.)
- [Broth] Miso 56 g
- [Broth] Soy sauce 48 g
- [Broth] Powdered seasoning (dashi powder, etc.) 24 g
- [Broth] Dried sardines (niboshi) 16 g
- [Broth] Thick-shaved bonito 20 g
- [Broth] Bonito flakes 6 g
- [Broth] Water 2 L
- [Topping] Cabbage 1/4 head
- [Topping] Salt as needed (a pinch for steaming)
- [Optional topping] Sweet-savory simmered horse meat as needed (simmered with sugar, soy sauce, and sake)
Steps
- Noodles: Put the flour in a bowl and add the salted water little by little, mixing until no dry flour remains. When it roughly comes together, bag it in a sturdy plastic bag and rest at room temperature about 1 hour.
- Knead firmly by stepping on the bag (the key to Yoshida udon’s chew). Rest again briefly, then step again and press to about 1 cm thick. Dust with starch, roll to about 5 mm, trifold, and cut into about 5 mm widths. Shake off excess starch and loosen the strands.
- Boil in plenty of water about 12 minutes (adjust for thickness and flour). Rinse under cold water to remove slime and firm the noodles. A quick reheat dip just before serving keeps them warm.
- Broth: Put 2 L water in a pot with niboshi, thick-shaved bonito, and bonito flakes; heat. Just before a full boil, lower the heat and remove the solids. Dissolve in miso, soy sauce, and powdered seasoning; taste and adjust. Keep warm over low to medium heat without a hard boil.
- Topping: Add water to about 1/6 of the pot depth and a pinch of salt. Add 1/4 cabbage, cover, and steam about 5 minutes until a chopstick slides through easily. Cool under running water about 5 minutes, core, cut into about 5 mm strips, then halve the length.
- Ladle broth into bowls, add warmed noodles, and pile on plenty of steamed cabbage. As a traditional optional topping, add horse meat simmered sweet-savory with sugar, soy, and sake (not required).
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Notes
The standout trait is startling chew. Skip foot-kneading (or heavy weight kneading) and resting and you get ordinary thick udon. Strong palm or knee pressing can substitute.
Hydration shifts with the season: a bit under 320 ml in summer, a bit more in winter. If the dough cracks, add water by the teaspoon; if sticky, dust with more starch and bread flour.
The broth blends miso and soy. Store-bought dashi powder is fine. Niboshi plus bonito is the Yoshida umami base. A rolling boil clouds the soup and brings bitterness—keep it gentle.
Do not overboil the cabbage; steam then chill to keep sweetness and bite. A generous pile that rivals the noodles looks local.
Horse-meat topping is a Fujiyoshida tradition. If you skip it, cabbage alone—or sweet-savory chicken—is still excellent at home. Enjoy it as a Yamanashi noodle distinct from hoto.
Time and temperature
Mix & rest ~1 hr + second rest · Foot-knead & cut 20–30 min · Boil ~12 min · Broth 15–20 min · Steam cabbage ~5 min + chill 5 min
Nutrition
450 kcal · Protein 16 g · Fat 4 g · Carbs 88 g
1/8 of recipe with broth & cabbage (estimate)
Substitutes
- All-purpose flour → bread flour 500 g + cake flour 200 g
- Niboshi → extra bonito flakes / a little kombu
- Powdered seasoning → store dashi powder / homemade concentrate
- Horse-meat topping → sweet-savory chicken / cabbage only
- Miso → mostly red miso, optional splash of white miso
Storage
Dust raw noodles, refrigerate same day, or freeze portions up to about 2 weeks; boiled noodles swell—cook to order. Broth keeps chilled about 2 days; rewarm without a hard boil. Steamed cabbage keeps 1 day sealed.
FAQ
- Why isn’t the chew very firm?
- Usually skipped foot-kneading or resting. Step with weight and give full rests, or it stays like ordinary thick udon.
- Dough cracks or turns sticky?
- Use a bit less water in summer, more in winter. Add water by the teaspoon if cracking; dust starch and bread flour if sticky.
- Can I make Yoshida udon ahead?
- Mix dough a day ahead and chill, or freeze raw portions; broth can be made early. Cut and boil close to serving for best bite.
- Why is the broth cloudy and bitter?
- Niboshi and bonito boiled hard too long. Lower heat just before a full boil, remove solids, and keep warm gently.
- Is it good without horse meat?
- Yes. Many home bowls use only steamed cabbage; sweet-savory chicken is a fine stand-in.
Origin and history
Yoshida udon is a regional noodle from around Fujiyoshida City in Yamanashi. Extra-chewy, thick wheat noodles sit in a miso-and-soy broth under a generous pile of steamed cabbage. Some shops optionally add sweet-savory simmered horse meat.
The cool northern foothills of Mount Fuji have volcanic ash soils poorly suited to rice, so wheat, barley, and buckwheat flour foods flourished. In the early Showa textile boom, traveling traders are said to have heavily kneaded filling udon for short lunch breaks without roughening silk-handling hands—one story behind today’s firm bite. Alongside hoto it is a Yamanashi signature, listed among special local foods and the 100 regional dishes. Long noodles also close celebratory meals as an auspicious finish.
This recipe serves 8: 800 g all-purpose flour, 320 ml water, and 1 tbsp salt for the noodles; niboshi–bonito dashi with 56 g miso and 48 g soy for the broth; plus 1/4 cabbage steamed as topping. At home, respect foot-kneading (or strong kneading) and resting to get a true Yoshida strand.