Bukkake Udon Noodles (ぶっかけうどん)

Bukake Udon is a simple dish made with thick udon noodles served in a rich sauce and topped with various ingredients. It's easy to make and can be enjoyed hot or cold!

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Jump to:

• What is Bukkake udon?
• Topping ideas for bukkake udon
• Watch our video for how to make bukkake udon
• Step by step recipe

What is Bukkake udon?

Bukkake udon is a type of udon noodle dish that is one of the specialities of Okayama and Kagawa prefectures. It is served by pouring a thick and relatively strong dipping sauce directly onto udon noodles.

Characteristics of bukkake udon

The most notable characteristic would be its soup, which has stronger flavour than that of other regions. In particular, it is string in sweetness and is said that it's influenced by soba noodle soup.

The word "bukkake" (ぶっかけ) in a food context means "simple food that only has sauce on". It implies bukkake udon is a simple and fast udon dish.

However, depending on where you eat it, you can see variety of toppings on bukkake udon.

In Kagawa prefecture (a.k.a the udon prefercture), bukkake udon is well loved because people can enjoy the highest quality of udon itself without any fancy toppings.

Brief history of bukkake udon

The history of bukkake udon is uncertain but it's likely that it originated from either Okayama prefecture or Kagawa prefecture.

One of the most promising story of origins that bukakke udon started when customers who couldn't be bothered to dip their noodles in the dipping broth for zaru udon and instead poured the broth directly over the noodles, but there are no accurate records left at this time.

Other than bukkake udon, there are similar types of udon in different regions as well:

• Koro udon (香露うどん): Central Japan
• Ise udon (伊勢うどん): Ise city, Mie prefecture
• Kijoyu udon (生醬油うどん)

Is it served cold or hot?

There are actually no rules about the serving temperature for bukakke udon. Some people prefer it cold, the others prefer hot, it's really down to your own preference.

I personally like it cold though. It's refreshing and great to eat on hot days!

Difference between bukkake udon and kake udon

One of the most frequently asked questions (even in Japan) is "what is the difference between bukkake udon and kake udon"? While there are similarities, they are different dishes.

The biggest difference is the sauce/soup:

• Bukkake udon: the sauce is stronger
• Kake udon: the sauce has subtle flavour (more like soup)

Bukkake udon broth tends to be darker, stronger and uses a smaller amount more like a sauce, whereas kake udon broth is lighter, milder and more soup-like. If you're interested in kake udon as well, you can see kake udon recipe here.

Topping ideas for bukkake udon

Simplicity is one of the key features of bukkake udon, but toppings vary depending on the restaurant. Here I will list a few topping ideas!

In my recipe, I used following toppings:

• Egg yolk
• Chopped spring onions
• Tempura flakes (tenkasu/agedama)
• Grated ginger
• Grated daikon

Other topping ideas include:

• Mentaiko
• Boiled whitebait
• Lemon/Lime/Sudachi/Kabosu (these citrus fruits add some sourness)
• Cucumber
• Shiso leaves
• Okra
• Natto
• Sesame seeds
• Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

In general, if you go for cold bukkake udon, refreshing and subtle toppings are preferred.

Watch our video for how to make bukkake udon

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