2021.07.22

Japanese Summer Cooking Tips From Grandma ・ The Key to Making Somen Noodles

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Want to try making this classic summer treat at home? Somen is easy, refreshing, and more delicious than ever thanks to this cooking pro!

Somen noodles are thin wheat noodles, more delicate than ramen, udon, or soba, and they're traditionally eaten chilled during the summer. There's nothing more refreshing than a dish of cool somen noodles and savory dipping sauce during the steamy days of Japanese summer, and it's common to go eat nagashi somen for a fun meal, or even have somen to celebrate the holiday of Tanabata. But these slim noodles are a little more difficult to cook than your average instant ramen, and people often struggle to boil them for the perfect amount of time. Many home cooks in Japan can share stories of sad somen failures! It's easy for them to get soft, gloopy, and a little unpleasant.

"Stop boiling somen noodles already!!"

This summer, with the refreshingly delicious taste of somen on everyone's minds, but painful memories of somen disappointment holding us back, this surprising piece of advice came to the attention of the Japankuru team. Shuddering at the thought of eating dry, uncooked somen noodles, but incredibly curious, one brave member of our team decided to find out what this was all about.

そうめんはもう茹でないでください！！

深めのフライパンにお湯を沸騰させ、そうめんを入れて10秒だけかき混ぜたら火をすぐに止めてフタをするだけ。数分後にはちゃんとそうめんになっています！

沸騰させ続けるよりもヌメリが少なく、つるんと美味しい仕上がりに

何より、暑くないのが良いです！！ pic.twitter.com/SvoO3zAYwX

— Swind/神凪唐州@作家・ライター・名古屋めし料理家🍙 (@swind_prv) June 25, 2021

The full instructions for cooking somen noodles are as follows: "Bring the water to a boil in a deep frying pan before adding the dry somen noodles. Stir the noodles for just 10 seconds, and then immediately turn off the stove completely, and cover the pan with a lid. That's it, in a few minutes the somen will be ready." Just chill the noodles in some icy-cold water and you're ready to eat!

The tweet with these simple somen instructions immediately found popularity, quickly receiving over 200,000 likes. But the author of the tweet wasn't the one who came up with this cooking method! No, that credit goes to an old woman who runs a popular restaurant in Kagawa Prefecture, famous for making delicious Sanuki udon. Leave it to all the grandmas out there to know the key to good home cooking!

This somen expert says "if you make somen noodles this way, they won't get gummy and chewy, and they'll be much more delicious than if you'd boiled them." And, even better, "as an added bonus, you don't have to stand at the stove and watch the noodles boil, so you can go cool off while you leave them to cook."

According to the tweeted testimonies of home chefs who have actually tried making somen noodles using this intriguing new method, the noodles really do have great luster and elasticity when prepared this way, and they don't end up drying and sticking together like they do after you boil them! Plus, having the stove turned up high for less time really does help keep the kitchen cool on a hot day.

Summer forecasts are looking hot this year, so drink lots of water, and keep cool with some somen noodles! Whether you're living in Japan and can find somen noodles in any grocery store, or you're overseas and want to try a taste of Japanese cooking at home (you should be able to find somen at any Asian market), this is certainly an easy recipe to try! And with this new technique, you should have a delicious dish of somen noodles in no time.

For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

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NAME:Somen Noodles (そうめん)

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- KAGAWA
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  Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
- KYUSHU
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  Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
- FUKUOKA
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  Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
- KAGOSHIMA
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  Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
- OKINAWA
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  The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.