Yakisoba

Yakisoba
TypeJapanese noodles
Place of originJapan
Main ingredientsNoodles (wheat flour), Worcestershire sauce, pork or chicken, vegetables (usually cabbage, onions, and carrots)
VariationsSara udon, yaki udon

Yakisoba (Japanese: 焼きそば, [jakiꜜsoba], transl. 'fried noodle'), is a Japanese noodle stir-fried dish. Usually, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, but soba in yakisoba are Chinese-style noodles (chuuka soba) made from wheat flour, typically flavored with a condiment similar to Worcestershire sauce. The dish first appeared in food stalls in Japan around the 1930s.[1]

Preparation

Yakisoba is prepared by frying ramen-style wheat noodles with bite-sized pork and finely chopped vegetables like cabbage, onions, bean sprouts, and carrots.[2] It is then flavored with Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.[2] It can be served with a variety of garnishes, such as aonori (seaweed powder), beni shōga (shredded pickled ginger), katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes), or Japanese-style mayonnaise.[2]

Serving

Yakisoba can be served on a plate either as a main dish or a side dish.

In Japan, noodles piled into a bun sliced down the middle and garnished with mayonnaise and shreds of red pickled ginger are called yakisoba-pan (pan meaning "bread") and are commonly available at convenience stores[3] and school canteens.[4][5]

Sometimes udon is used as a replacement for the ramen-style noodles and called yaki udon.

See also

  • Chow mein – Chinese stir-fried noodles
  • Teppanyaki – a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook foods such as yakisoba

References

  1. ^ Kanbayashi, Keiichi (18 January 2020). 浅草&焼きそば&元祖「オムマキ」 神林先生の浅草ランチ案内(11) [Asakusa and yakisoba and omumaki – Mr. Kanbayashi's guide for lunch in Asakusa (11)]. dancyu (in Japanese). President Inc. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Sōsu yakisoba was thought to be invented in the post-WWII era, but recent studies indicate it appeared around the end of Taishō or early Shōwa (1926–1989) periods.
  2. ^ a b c Itoh, Makiko (18 May 2019). "Yakisoba stir-fried noodles: A quick, easy and adaptable meal". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  3. ^ Harris, Jenn (30 May 2014). "If your hot dog is topped with seaweed or noodles, it must be a Japadog". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Carb-on-carb: The Japanese noodle dog". 3 June 2013.
  5. ^ "Yakisoba Pan (Yakisoba Dog) - Midnight Diner Season 2 焼きそばパン". 29 March 2020.