Udon Noodles



Udon (饂飩?, usually written as うどん) is a type of thick wheat - flour noodle popular in Japanese cuisine.

Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in a mildly flavoured broth, in its simplest form as kake udon, served in kakejiru made of dashi, soy sauce (shōyu), and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions. Other common toppings include tempura, often prawn or kakiage (a type of mixed tempura fritter), or abura age, a type of deep-fried tofu pockets seasoned with sugar, mirin , and soy sauce. A thin slice of kamaboko, a halfmoon-shaped fish cake, is often added. Shichimi can be added to taste.

The flavor of broth and topping vary from region to region. Usually, dark brown broth, made from dark soy sauce (koikuchi shōyu) is used in eastern Japan, and light brown broth, made from light soy sauce (usukuchi shōyu) is used in western Japan. This is even noticeable in packaged instant noodles, which are often sold in two different versions for east and west.

Udon History
In China, similar thick wheat flour noodles are called  cū miàn  (粗麵). This original udon was 2 to 3 cm in diameter, a flat pancake-shaped "noodle" added to miso -based soup. The Japanese character 饂飩 is easily confused with and different from the modern Chinese   characters  餛飩, which refers to wonton dumplings, not noodles. In Chinese, udon is called 烏冬 wūdōng or 烏冬麵 wūdōngmiàn, sometimes 烏龍麵 wūlóngmiàn. (Note that this is unrelated to Oolong tea, 烏龍茶 wūlóngchá.)

The origin of udon in Japan is credited to Buddhist priests who traveled to China: local areas specifically attribute Kūkai or Enni. Kūkai, a Buddhist  priest, traveled to China around the beginning of the 9th century to study Buddhism. Sanuki Province claimed to have been the first to adopt udon from Kūkai. Enni, a Rinzai  Zen monk, went to China in the 13th century; Hakata claimed to have produced udon based on Enni's recipe.

Udon Noodle Recipe (Spicy Shrimp)

 * 2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
 * 1 teaspoon lime rind, grated
 * 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
 * 3 tablespoons soy sauce
 * 3 tablespoons red curry paste
 * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 * 1 1/2 cups red bell peppers, julienne-cut
 * 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
 * 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced
 * 1 cup fresh bean sprout
 * 8 ounces uncooked udon noodles, cooked
 * 6 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Directions:
Prep Time: 50 mins

Total Time: 55 mins
 * 1) 1 Butterfly each shrimp, cutting to, but not through, the outside of the shrimp. Set aside.
 * 2) 2 Combine lime rind and next five ingredients; stir well.
 * 3) 3 Combine 1/3 cup of marinade with shrimp in a large plastic zip bag and marinate shrimp for 30 minutes in fridge.
 * 4) 4 Combine remaining 1/3 cup marinade, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat.
 * 5) 5 Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add shrimp, saute 5 minutes or until done. Combine shrimp with pasta mixture and toss gently. Sprinkle with nuts.
 * 6) 6 Serve warm or chilled.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/udon-noodles-with-spicy-shrimp-239075#ixzz1Hjsg2N7c