  Categories: Here, Eat This  Photo by istolethetv  Not to be
confused with donburi, udon is a noodle soup (and a noodle soup
that's not to be confused with ramen). Got it? In its most basic
form, udon is simply a bowl of thick wheat flour noodles in a
broth made with dashi, mirin and soy sauce. It's most commonly
topped with fried meat or seafood, scallions and fish cakes
called kamaboko. The extra thick, jiggly udon noodles are easily
the most slurpable noodles you'll find in Japanese cuisine.
Photo by tamaki  Like udon, soba noodles are a popular
alternative to rice. Unlike udon, soba noodles are made from
buckwheat and can be served hot or cold. Chilled soba noodles
are usually served separate from the tsuyu broth, which you use
to dip your cold noodles into, as many fans of soba say that the
texture is best when the noodles haven't been sitting in warm
soup. Hot soba dishes are served in a thinner version of the
tsuyu, and can be topped with anything from fried shrimp to raw
eggs that cook in the broth.