Iwate - Morioka - Morioka Reimen Noodles

While delicious bowls of steaming hot ramen or udon noodles can now be found in Japanese restaurants the world ‘round, chilled noodles soups don’t have quite the same international reputation. But these bowls of chilled noodles, called reimen (冷麺) in Japanese, are hot-weather favorites found all over the country, included the city of Morioka in Iwate. Morioka reimen noodles were first brought to Japan from North Korea by Korean emigrant Teruto Aoki when he arrived in Japan in 1954, originally called “naengmyeon” before making the trip. The recipe still maintains a unique flavor with a savory, not over-spicy, broth and a satisfyingly chilly temperature.