麺類 – What are Japanese Noodles called?
There are lots of Japanese noodle dishes. You could write a whole blog just about one of these Japanese noodle types since there are several variants all over Japan. Here though, we are just going to take a look at the main Japanese noodle types in Japan.
INDEX
What is a Japanese Noodle Called?
There are two or three words for noodle in Japanese. First, is 麺類 or 麺. 麺類 means noodles as a category. 麺 means noodles in general and is a suffix added to the name of noodles.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/Next, we have the word ヌードル. This word comes from the English word for noodles.
Japanese Noodle Types
There are several Japanese noodles. Here are some of the main ones.
ラーメン – Ramen
There are Japanese noodle restaurants all over Japan. There are especially lots of Ramen shops. Ramen is a noodle that originally came from China but took off in popularity in Japan. Japan is where it flourished and evolved into a huge Ramen culture with endless types of Ramen all over Japan.
うどん – Udon
Udon is a type of think and chewy Japanese noodle. Similar to Ramen it is eaten in a hot broth.
そうめん – Somen
Somen is a very thin noodle. It can be eaten hot or cold.
そば – Soba
Soba is made of buckwheat and the noodles can also be eaten hot or cold.
焼きそば – Yakisoba
Finally, Yakisoba is a stir-fry dish where you can add different vegetables.
