Kagawa & The Art of the Slurp

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When biking through the narrow, rice field bordered streets of Kotohira, you can smell the centuries of rich history in the air. And if you listen real close, you can hear the faint sound of…slurping?
Kagawa Prefecture is nationally renowned for their fine, cheap, and ubiquitous cuisine known as Sanuki Udon. Sanuki is the former name of Kagawa Prefecture, but since everyone in Japan knows where to get the best udon, the name is shortened to just that. Udon is more than just a food in Kagawa. It is more like the pride and joy of its residents, and believe me, Kagawans certainly do their part to pay their respects to their food of choice. You literally cannot walk or bike 5 minutes in any direction without passing an udon shop. I compare it to Starbucks in Manhattan, but even that is an understatement.. Seriously, why so freaking many? A little bit of research shows that not only do Kagawans love their udon, most will eat it at LEAST once a day, every day. The demand is just that high.
So what is udon? Udon is a thick white-wheat based noodle, and is usually served in a variety of ways. Everyone has their go-to style, but like I said, Kagawans eat this everyday so they also like to change it up a little each time. There are three main ways to have your udon—in a cold broth, in a hot broth, or served cold on a bamboo plate with a bowl of dipping sauce. And that’s just half the order, and not even close to the fun part.
Now come your add-ons. Most self-serve places have a tempura bar where you can add anything fried to the bowl or to a side plate. In addition, you can just say “Bukkake” and they’ll add green onions, grated ginger, a lemon slice and tempura flakes. All this for a grand total of $4-5 (CHEAP for Japan prices), and you’ve got a hearty, carb filled lunch.
What makes udon udon is not the noodle. It’s not in the add-ons or the price or the availability. It’s in the slurping. Kagawans of all ages and genders can and willingly audibly slurp mouthfuls of udon at a time. In fact, myth has it that slurping the udon is the only way to release the true flavor. Having eaten it a number of times, I’m here to tell you that it’s harder than it sounds. In fact, when I decided to give a real honest effort, I nearly choked. Like everything else in Japan, it’s an untrained skill that takes time to master. Luckily, this delicious local speciality is one that I (and my wallet) will enjoy undertaking.

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Photos

Tempura Add-ons
The customizable udon

Sluuurrrrpp
An honest effort, but still very weak

Ittadakimasu!
Let's eat!

Cute kids
If they look terrified, it's because they are.

Comments

[Mark]

"Bukkake"
Excuse me, but did you just say that you can order these noodles "bukkake style"?????