Tanuki Udon is Kyoto’s original Udon soup. This particular Udon is thick and contains ground ginger for a special taste. Most Kyoto Udon restaurants serve Tanuki Udon but it is harder to find in other cities. Ginger and green onion are good for a sore throat, so this is also a good recipe if you are feeling sick, and is great overall for a healthy diet.
Yield: 3 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Udon noodles
- 1/4 Aburaage (thin dried tofu) (2” slices)
- 1/2 green onion (sliced lengthwise and chopped—see picture)
- 1/2 oz ground ginger
Spices
- 5 cups dashi soup or 5 cups hot water and 1/4 oz (8g) hon-dashi
(soup stock powder)
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp katakuriko (mixed with 5 tbsp water)
Preparation
- For dry Udon noodles, boil for the recommended time on the package. If the noodles are fresh, only boil for 2 minutes to separate.
- Boil dashi soup then add sake, mirin, sugar, salt, soy sauce, and mix
- Add katakuriko to thicken the soup
- Add aburaage and ginger
- Transfer Udon noodles to a bowl. If the noodles are stuck together, loosen with a little hot water and strain.
- Sprinkle green onions on top and serve!
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Thanks for showing us the Kyoto version of tanuki udon! Looks very good! As you may know, the Kanto version of tanuki udon/soba is topped with tenkasu (also called agedama), that is, tiny balls of deep-fried tempura batter.
Thanks Will! I’m happy to hear that.
Hiroyuki san, I’ve never tried the Kanto version of Tanuki, but it sounds great! Thanks for the suggestion.
Thank you for the recipe, Mai. I’m going to make this soon!
Please let us know how it turns out, Steve!
Tanuki udon contains okara. Okara is the tanuki’s favourite food, just as fried tofu pouches are the kitsune’s. Okara is the “curd” left over from the traditional hand method of soy milk production.
I didn’t know okara is tanuki’s favorite food! LOL.