Shiroishi Umen - Traditional Foods in Japan | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

MiyagiShiroishi Umen

Classification (Large)

Agricultural products

Classification (Small)

Grain products

Main ingredients used

wheat flour, salt

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Region of inheritance

Prefecture-wide (Shiroishi City)

Product overview (special characteristics and types)

Shiroishi umen is a local specialty that has been manufactured in and around Shiroishi City for more than 400 years. This area was even designated as a production area by the Japan Federation of Dry Noodle Manufacturers Association. Umen is a type of somen noodle that does not use any oils during production. As a result, it is said to be gentle on the stomach and easier to digest. The noodles are 9 in length, which is shorter than conventional somen, and 0.3 mm thicker than typical somen. Although the kanji characters for umen describe it as a warm noodle, it can be eaten chilled as well.

History and culture

The dish originated approximately 400 years ago in the early Edo period, when Miemon Suzuki, a resident of the Shiroishi castle town, created oil-free noodles after learning the technique from a traveling monk. He created the noodles out of concern for his father, who had a poor stomach and could not eat for many days. It was said that the short length of the noodles enabled easier eating as a convalescent food, and indeed, when his father ate the warm noodles, he started to recover. Katakura Kojuro, the lord of Shiroishi Castle, heard this story and commended Miemon’s compassion for his father by naming these noodles [umen].
Shiroishi City has a system of irrigation ditches drawn from Shiroishigawa River, which runs through the city and originates from the Zao mountain range. The flow of water is used for rice and flour milling, and it is said that there were more than 100 water mills throughout the town during the Edo period. The key to the active umen production in the region, which ranked third in product value in 1863, is said to lie in the area’s warm and dry climate, along with the water mills and water resources.

Production method

The noodles are made simply from flour, salt, and water. The ingredients are mixed, and the kneaded dough is rolled, cut, and hung on poles to dry. To finish, the noodles are cut into 9 cm. No machinery is used in this process, and the noodles are created by craftsmen using traditional hand-pulling methods that have been handed down from the past.
Humidity is the worst enemy for these dried noodles, so they are stored away from direct sunlight, at room temperature, in a dry area. The reason each bundle of noodle is wrapped in paper is to remove any moisture.

Conservation and succession efforts

In Shiroishi City, the Oshu Shiroishi Umen Promotion Ordinance has designated the 7th of every month as [Shiroishi Umen Day] to help expand consumption. Furthermore, there is [Shiroishi Umen Calisthenics], often seen at Shiroishi City nurseries, preschools, and events, as well as on a video channel run by the city that shows the children perform.
The Shiroishi City Chamber of Commerce is engaged in a project that promotes the [Shiroishi Sanpaku], which consists of umen, washi paper, and kudzu, and has been developing products and disseminating information.

Main consumption method

The noodles are boiled for three minutes in plenty of water, then strained, and sliminess is removed with cold water before being drained well. It can be eaten with the same soy sauce-based soup as for somen, or with sesame or walnut sauce.
Shiroishi umen is also used for the [okuzukake] served during the equinoctial week or for the Obon festival in southern Miyagi Prefecture. [Okuzukake] is a regional dish in which ingredients, such as vegetables, tofu, fried tofu, and mamefu, are simmered in broth (such as shiitake mushroom stock) before adding Shiroishi umen and thickening with kudzu or potato starch.
In addition to traditional ways of eating this noodle, many enjoy it chilled and served as salads, or stir-fried like yakisoba noodles.

At-home recipes：Okuzukake umen

Ingredients

Shiroishi umen

2 bundles

Chicken thigh

100 g

Shimeji mushroom

1 pack

Long green onion

1/4 stalk

Grated ginger

1 pc.

[A] Soup broth: 600 cc Soy sauce: 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Salt: 1/2 teaspoon Mirin: 2 tablespoons Sake: 1 tablespoon

[B] Starch powder: 2 teaspoons Water: 2 teaspoons

How to make

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, break shimeji mushroom into smaller bunches, and cut long green onion diagonally into thin slices.

Heat the ingredients from A, add the chicken from 1, and boil the soup. When it boils and the chicken is cooked, add the shimeji mushroom and the long green onion and boil briefly. When the soup boils, add the starch-and-water mixture from B while stirring the soup.

Boil water, put and boil Shiroishi umen according to the recipe on the package, drain off the hot water, and put the noodles in a bowl.

Pour the soup from 2 on top of the noodles from 3, and top with grated ginger.