Japanese home cooking,Learn how to make SOMEN-Japanese thin wheat noodles

Have you ever eaten Somen-Japanese thin what noodles?
Somen is a noodle dish that represents summer in Japan as everyday meals. It consists of thin, white wheat noodles that are typically eaten chilled in cold water. It is a traditional Japanese cusine commonly eaten at home during the hot summer months. When you suffer from summer fatigue, your stomach may weaken, and your appetite may decrease. In such times, somen is a convenient and easy Japanese food to prepare quickly.

There are various topping you can put on somen noodles. Tempura, kakiage (mixed vegetable tempura), grilled vegetables, etc. Let's learn some together at my Japanese home cooking class in Tokyo!

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An explanation of the differences between Somen and Udon

According to the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards), there are the following regulations:

For dried noodles:

• Those with a diameter less than 1.3mm are classified as "somen"

• Those with a diameter of 1.3mm or more but less than 1.7mm are classified as "hiyamugi"

• Those with a diameter of 1.7mm or more are classified as "udon"

This classification system is based on the thickness of the dried noodles.

Somen noodles have a shorter cooking time than udon and can be easily prepared at home.

About Yakumi (Topping for Somen Noodles)

Yakumi refers to aromatic vegetables and spices used in small quantities as condiments in dishes. These enhance the flavor of the food and stimulate appetite. Common yakumi include green onions, wasabi, ginger, myoga (Japanese ginger), and shiso (perilla leaves).The history of yakumi dates back to ancient times, and the term was originally used in medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, adding a small amount of supplementary herbs to the main prescription was called "kayakumi," which is believed to be the origin of the word "yakumi."Yakumi not only enhance the taste of dishes but are also expected to have health benefits such as aiding digestion and providing antibacterial effects.Yakumi are essential in traditional Japanese cuisine.

・Green onions (negi) -we use homegrown green onions in my Japanese home cooking class.
Green onions have effects such as stimulating appetite, relieving fatigue, promoting digestion, and improving blood circulation. They are also suitable for adding to porridge when feeling unwell.

・Ginger
Ginger has effects such as deodorizing, antibacterial action, stimulating appetite, promoting digestion, and improving blood circulation. It's ideal for when your hands and feet feel cold or when you're concerned about swelling.Shiso (perilla) - in season from summer to autumn (depending on the season, we use homegrown shiso in my class)
Shiso has preservative, antibacterial, and appetite-stimulating effects. It's recommended even when you don't have much appetite in summer, as adding shiso can make dishes taste refreshing and increase appetite.

・Grated daikon radish
Grated daikon has antibacterial, digestive-promoting, and deodorizing effects. It contains a lot of the digestive enzyme diastase, so it not only aids digestion but also helps regulate the condition of the stomach and intestines.

・Myoga ginger - in season from summer to autumn (depending on the season, we use homegrown myoga in my Japanese home cooking class)
Myoga has antibacterial, blood circulation-promoting, and digestive-promoting effects. Due to its refreshing aroma, it's often used in summer. It has a blood circulation-promoting effect, so using it with cold foods like chilled tofu or cold somen noodles can prevent the body from getting too cold.

・Yuzu-in season from winter
Yuzu has effects such as fatigue recovery, blood circulation promotion, and antioxidant action. It's rich in vitamin C, which has antioxidant properties, so it suppresses oxidation in the body and can lead to anti-aging care. It's also suitable as a condiment for soups.

・Wasabi
Wasabi has antibacterial, deodorizing, appetite-stimulating, and blood clot-preventing effects. It's often used for its antibacterial effect and is an essential condiment for sashimi and sushi, which use raw fish that can spoil easily.Why not incorporate these various effective condiments and enjoy cooking and dining in our home cooking class?The choice of yakumi depends on the type of dish.Additionally, yakumi play a role in enhancing the visual appeal of dishes.

Cuisine is about appearance and aroma.Let’s learn simple and authentic traditional Japanese dihses at my Japanese home cooking class in Tokyo.