The Maker Speaks
Ise Udon
The Soft Udon Noodles with Black Sauce
The Soft Udon Noodles with Black Sauce
Hello, I'm so glad that you are here with me now. Now I'm talking about Ise Udon, a local food in Ise, Mie prefecture. Have you ever heard Ise? Some may have, I guess. Ise-jingu is a shrine popular as a tourist spot in Japan. It stands in the Ise district. Lots of tourists visit there throughout a year. And they go to the Ise-jingu and often have the Ise Udon, it is said. Around the shrine, there are many restaurants that serve Ise Udon.
Ise Udon
File: Ise-udon-01.JPG
from the Japanese Wikipedia
（Photoed on Nov. 18, 2006）
Then, how do they cook it? First, boil udon noodles about an hour. Naturally, they become so soft. And you put the black sauce based on soy sauce upon the boiled udon noodles. Finish! Needless to say, the sauce is different each other like ramen soup is different each other. They often add some spices like green onions.
I have had it once on the way home from Ise-jingu. My personal impression? I hated it. I'm not inclined to eat the dish again. Why? I was hard to accept the taste of the black sauce and the (too) soft udon noodles.
I'm not trying to speak ill of Ise Udon. I have never tried all the Ise Udon dishes at every restaurant. So I can't deny that my impression came from nothing but bad luck. Maybe there might be an unknown restaurant that serves Ise Udon good to me. But I don't know where it is. Where on earth is such a restaurant? And anyway, I don't desire to eat the dish again. Never again!
Ise Udon
File: Ise-udon-01.JPG
from the Japanese Wikipedia
（Photoed on Nov. 18, 2006）
Then, how do they cook it? First, boil udon noodles about an hour. Naturally, they become so soft. And you put the black sauce based on soy sauce upon the boiled udon noodles. Finish! Needless to say, the sauce is different each other like ramen soup is different each other. They often add some spices like green onions.
I have had it once on the way home from Ise-jingu. My personal impression? I hated it. I'm not inclined to eat the dish again. Why? I was hard to accept the taste of the black sauce and the (too) soft udon noodles.
I'm not trying to speak ill of Ise Udon. I have never tried all the Ise Udon dishes at every restaurant. So I can't deny that my impression came from nothing but bad luck. Maybe there might be an unknown restaurant that serves Ise Udon good to me. But I don't know where it is. Where on earth is such a restaurant? And anyway, I don't desire to eat the dish again. Never again!
