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9 min
30/04/2026
Just like every rice field does not produce the same kind of rice variety, East Asia has a range of noodles, and it’s not all chow mein. Japanese recipes place noodles at the very centre of the table, making them the base of many meals. Understanding which noodles go with what, or rather what goes into them, is the first step to truly cooking Japanese food at home. Read on to learn about Japan’s most popular noodles.
Ramen, soba, and udon are three of Japan's most iconic noodles; each is different when it comes to their raw ingredients, texture, what broth goes with them and their cultural role. But the Japanese noodle family stretches much further than these three, with ramen being the most popular and something meant to be slurped occasionally because of its indulgent nature, and the zero-calorie shirataki made from a root vegetable, covering every season, occasion, and dietary need.
This guide breaks down the five major noodle types that dominate Japanese recipes: ramen, shirataki, udon, yakisoba, and soba, with their pairing, cooking techniques, serving tips, the traditional Japanese dishes they anchor, and the cross-cultural fusion versions that have been trending.
Ramen feature thin, yellow noodles made from wheat flour with ‘kansui’, which is an alkaline water, giving them their unique springy texture and colour. Ramen originated in China but became enormously popular in Japan, particularly after World War II, when it rose above other Japanese noodles like soba and udon.
Broth: Shoyu (soy sauce), miso, shio (salt), tonkotsu (pork bone)
Proteins: Chashu pork belly, soft-boiled marinated eggs (ajitsuke tamago), chicken, tofu
Vegetables: Bean sprouts, corn, bamboo shoots (menma), bok choy, spinach, wakame seaweed
Aromatics: Garlic, ginger, sesame oil, doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste)
Garnishes: Nori, scallions, pickled red ginger (benishōga), sesame seeds
A pack of ramen noodles take approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute in rapidly boiling, unsalted water. To make a good ramen bowl, the timing needs to be right, so have your broth and topping ready before you boil the noodles. Serve the ramen hot, unless you are making ‘hiyashi chuka’, a summer cold ramen dish.
Tonkotsu ramen is a Kyushu-style ramen in a rich, milky pork bone broth, simmered for up to 48 hours.
Shoyu ramen is the most common type of ramen in Japan, served in a typically chicken-based broth flavoured with soy sauce.
Miso ramen is a Hokkaido speciality featuring a rich miso-seasoned broth, often topped with corn, butter, and ground pork.
If you have tried them all, then you could try fusion and contemporary options like curry ramen, kimchi ramen, Mexican meat ramen, and even cheesy French onion ramen. There’s also the Japanese ‘tantanmen’ ramen, which is the Japanese adaptation of Sichuan dan dan noodles, with sesame paste and chilli oil.
Shirataki means ‘white waterfall’ in Japanese, and refers to the noodles' near-transparent appearance. Also called konjac noodles or miracle noodles, they are made from the root of the konjac plant, a type of Asian yam whose starchy corm is ground into glucomannan flour and shaped into noodles.
Broths: Dashi, miso soup, sukiyaki broth (soy, mirin, sugar), teriyaki
Proteins: Thinly sliced meat, tofu, shrimp
Vegetables: Napa cabbage, mushrooms (shiitake, enoki), konbu, spring onions
Sauces: Soy sauce, sesame oil, ponzu, tahini
For modern versions: Thai red curry, puttanesca sauce, pesto
To prepare shirataki noodles, they first need to be rinsed under cold water to get rid of any fishy odour. They are then boiled for a few minutes, drained and patted dry. Once dry, they are dry roasted until they are visibly roasted and develop a squeakiness. You can enjoy them either hot ot cold in a hotpot, oden or sauté.
Sukiyaki: A beloved hot pot dish of thinly sliced meat, vegetables, and shirataki noodles simmered together in a sweet soy broth, then dipped in raw egg before eating.
Oden: A winter comfort food featuring shirataki, fish cakes, daikon, and hard-boiled eggs in a light dashi broth, commonly sold at Japanese convenience stores.
Nikujaga: A homestyle meat-and-potato stew that often includes shirataki for its texture contrast.
Shirataki has found an enormous following in Western keto and low-carb cooking communities, where it substitutes pasta in dishes like carbonara, cacio e pepe, and shrimp scampi. This noodle is a substitute for vermicelli in curries and stir-fries, too.
Udon noodles are thick, chewy and made from wheat flour, water, and salt and are one of the most iconic noodles in Japanese cuisine, loved for their comforting, satisfying bite. They come in three forms: fresh (the best one), frozen (excellent, near-fresh quality), and dried (thinner and firmer).
Broth bases: Dashi with mentsuyu (soy sauce, mirin, sake blend), clear kombu-katsuobushi stock
Proteins: Sliced meat, fried tofu pouches (aburaage), tempura shrimp, soft-boiled egg, kamaboko fish cake
Vegetables: Scallions, narutomaki, wakame seaweed, spinach, napa cabbage
For stir-fry versions: Cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bonito flakes
Sauces: Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mentsuyu, oyster sauce, mirin
Fresh udon cooks in just 2-3 minutes in boiling water; frozen udon needs about 1 minute to reheat; dried udon takes 8-12 minutes. For stir-fried yaki udon, the noodles are best pan-fried, whether on a hot wok or flat griddle (teppan) with oil, protein, and vegetables, then tossed in a soy-based sauce. Udon is served both hot and cold, depending on the preparation.
Kitsune udon is hot udon in dashi broth topped with aburaage (seasoned deep-fried tofu pouches), named for the fox (kitsune) of Japanese folklore, who is said to love fried tofu.
Nabeyaki udon is a winter dish served in a clay pot (donabe), with noodles, egg, tempura, and vegetables cooked in a dashi broth.
Tempura udon is a hot udon soup topped with a large, crispy shrimp tempura that softens as it soaks in the broth.
Yaki udon features thick wheat noodles stir-fried with meat or seafood and vegetables, tossed in a sweet-savoury sauce.
In the West, udon appears in fusion bowls with Korean gochujang broth, mentaiko (spicy cod roe) udon pasta, and in plant-based stir-fries where it replaces pasta entirely.
Yakisoba is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish made with alkaline wheat noodles similar to ramen in texture – thin, springy, and slightly chewy. The word ‘yaki’ means grilled or fried, and ‘soba’ here loosely refers to ‘noodles’.
Proteins: Pork belly slices (most traditional), chicken, shrimp, squid
Vegetables: Cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, onions, spring onions
Sauce: Chūnō sauce (or Worcestershire-oyster sauce-ketchup blend), soy sauce
Garnishes: Aonori (dried green seaweed flakes), pickled red ginger (benishōga), bonito flakes, Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie)
Optional: Fried egg on top, toasted sesame seeds
The noodles are best cooked on a large flat griddle (teppan) over very high heat. At home, a very hot wok works well. Total cooking time is 10-15 minutes. The technique is to cook the protein first, add vegetables in stages, starting with the ones that take the longest, then add the pre-cooked noodles and sauce last, tossing everything rapidly. Yakisoba is almost always served hot, straight off the griddle.
Matsuri yakisoba is made for festivals, sold at outdoor omatsuri (festivals) across Japan on large teppan griddles, piled high in paper trays and eaten with chopsticks while standing.
Yakisoba pan: Yakisoba noodles stuffed into a soft hot dog bun, topped with pickled ginger and mayonnaise, is a popular fast food item.
Okonomi yakisoba: Yakisoba topped with okonomiyaki sauce and all the classic takoyaki accompaniments, blurring the line between two beloved street foods.
Korean-Japanese fusion versions swap chūnō sauce for gochujang; some cultures use them in Chinese-style stir-fries. There are also instant cup noodles featuring yakisoba.
Soba noodles are Japanese noodles with a unique nutty flavour, made from buckwheat flour, with ju-wari soba made from 100% buckwheat flour, having a strong aroma and more crumbly texture, while hachi-wari soba, made from 80% buckwheat and 20% wheat flour, creates a smoother, al-dente noodle.
Dipping sauce (mentsuyu): Dashi (from kombu and katsuobushi or bonito flakes), soy sauce, mirin, sake
Hot broth version: Kombu-katsuobushi dashi with mentsuyu diluted to taste
Proteins: Shrimp tempura, duck breast, seasoned fried tofu (aburaage), marinated meat
Vegetables: Scallions, grated daikon radish, myoga ginger, wasabi, nori
Modern additions: Sesame oil, miso paste, avocado, soft-boiled egg
Soba noodles cook in approximately 3-5 minutes in a large pot of unsalted boiling water, after being rinsed under cold running water. Tip: Save a cup of the cooking water (sobayu). It is diluted into the leftover mentsuyu and drunk at the end as a digestive. Soba is relished more as a cold noodle dish.
Zaru soba is the classic soba served cold on a bamboo tray with mentsuyu, wasabi, and scallions, popular during summer.
Tempura soba is hot soba noodles in dashi broth topped with a large shrimp tempura, a cherished combination among Japanese recipes.
Toshikoshi soba is the main feature during the Japanese New Year's Eve, eaten at midnight to symbolise letting go of the old year's hardships.
Kitsune soba is topped with marinated fried tofu pouches, simmered overnight in soy and dashi.
Soba noodles tossed in a sesame-soy sauce with rice vinegar, miso, and some sesame oil have become a go-to weeknight dish internationally. A soba noodle recipe appears in modern meat noodle bowls, avocado soba salads, and matcha soba.
Japanese noodles are an everyday matter for Japanese locals, but for Indians, this might be something exotic and an indulgent option. If you are well-stocked on the Japanese ingredients, then this should be a hassle-free experience to make. Try them today when the mood for something noodley strikes!
Japanese noodles are generally called ‘men’ or ‘noodles’, with common types including ramen, soba, udon, and somen, forming a staple part of Japanese cuisine.
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