Mie

My hometown, Ise City in Mie Prefecture, has a soul food we all love: Ise Udon! For tourists, it’s a local specialty to try at restaurants, but for us, it’s home cooking. You can always find Ise Udon noodles and Tare (a sweet soy-based sauce) sold as a set at supermarkets. Unlike regular udon, there’s no broth. The thick, soft noodles are mixed with the sweet soy sauce for a simple, delicious flavor. Some places add toppings like tempura or meat, but I like it plain with just green onions to enjoy the sauce and noodles. A bit of shichimi spice is great if you want to change it up. The soft noodles are filling and easy to eat. When I was a kid, my parents would make it for me instead of rice porridge when I had a fever.

（Kimura）

My dad’s family used to run an udon shop, so I’ve been eating Ise Udon since I was a kid. You just mix the noodles with the black sauce and some chopped green onions—simple and tasty. In Ise City, almost any shop makes it great, but up north in Mie, you won’t find it or anyone eating it.

（yyyasuyo）

When it comes to Ise, it’s all about Ise Udon. Soft noodles with no chewiness at all, paired with a sweet soy-based sauce—it’s a taste the locals absolutely love. You can always find the noodles and sauce at local supermarkets. There are plenty of places to try in the city, but my favorite is “Tsutaya” in Kawasaki.

（MOSD）

Ise Udon is a must-have companion for an Ise Shrine visit. The noodles are the opposite of chewy, soft and springy, and you mix them with a thick sauce instead of broth. Whatever you do, don’t water down the sauce. It’s super rich, but that’s exactly how it’s meant to be. It’s also delicious with a raw egg or tempura bits mixed in.

（Ichigo Aisu Monaka）

Ise Udon is made by boiling flat noodles until they’re super soft, with no chewiness left, and mixing them with a sweet soy-based sauce. It’s a type of noodle dish you won’t see anywhere else. At our house, the Ise Udon from “Kanesue Seimenjo” is the ultimate favorite. The balance between the sweetness of the sauce and the soy flavor is just perfect. After mixing the hot noodles with the sauce, green onions, and shichimi spice, we eat it all in one go. Then, we add a little dashi broth and a soft-boiled egg to the leftover sauce, finishing it all off down to the last drop. Highly recommended!

（Wasabi）

I always thought udon should have a good chew to it, but the soft Ise Udon was shockingly delicious. After trying Ise Udon, I also started to like the soft udon from Fukuoka. It’s the kind of udon that changed my life. The softness varies from shop to shop, so it’s fun to try different places.

（Shinapusu）

It looks really salty with its jet-black color, but it’s soft and delicious. Udon isn’t just about the chewiness.

（Inachan）

Thick udon with super dark soy sauce and just green onions on top. It looks pretty surprising at first. It might seem salty, but it’s actually not at all. The soft, chewy noodles go great with the sweet sauce, and it’s so tasty. I have it at restaurants, but I also grab it from the supermarket to eat at home.

（Yama）

People who like chewy udon would probably say, “This isn’t udon,” when they try the soft, springy Ise Udon, which is probably the softest udon in Japan. What makes it unique is mixing the freshly cooked noodles with super dark soy sauce—nothing else like it. Chewy Sanuki udon, firm Yoshida udon, and smooth Inaniwa udon are all great, but Ise Udon has its own kind of deliciousness. It’s perfect for everyone, from babies just starting solids to older folks with dentures, and even people with upset stomachs. I totally recommend it—it’s so tasty and gentle!

（Kinoppii）

For as long as I can remember, udon has always been soft noodles with a jet-black sauce—Ise Udon. When I was a student, I found out you couldn’t get this kind of udon at supermarkets outside my hometown. That’s when I realized, “Oh, this is an Ise thing!” My son calls it “the one we eat when we’re sick.” They say it was made to be a quick and gentle meal for pilgrims visiting Ise Shrine. These days, it’s popular all over Japan, and people put all kinds of toppings on it. But for me, it’s gotta be finely chopped green onions—tons of them.

（Machikuma）

Ise Udon is famous, but grilled Ise Udon is also delicious! You can try it at a soy sauce shop in Okage Yokocho. It comes with a soft-boiled egg topping, and the combination of the soy sauce noodles and the runny egg is just amazing!

（Eimi）

Ooyachi Somen and Hiyamugi have been made in the neighboring area for a long time, and even my relatives used to make them. In summer, it’s great to cook Somen or Hiyamugi, chill it thoroughly, and enjoy it cold. In winter, eating it as Nyumen is absolutely the best. The ends of the noodles, called fushi, which form when they’re dried, are delicious as an ingredient in miso soup or even as a substitute for macaroni.

（Chimako）

When summer arrives, locals enjoy “Ooyachi” hand-stretched somen. Since it’s not mass-produced, you’ll need to buy it early or risk missing out.

（Tori-san）

It has a nice texture. In the Chubu region, we prefer Hiyamugi over somen.

（Ake）

During summer vacation, we’d enjoy Hiyamugi with the goldfish mark from “Ito Seimenjo.” We used to buy it in wooden boxes. It’s a taste full of nostalgia, served with a broth packed with green onions and plenty of ginger. Even now, this is the Hiyamugi we look forward to every summer.

（Asawo-ne）

Some places let you grill it yourself, and others offer toppings like cheese, so you can enjoy it in different ways.

（Rinrin）