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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Ise
Ise udon
Very thick, soft udon served with almost no broth, topped with a dark, thick tamari–dashi sauce and scallions. A dish from the city of Ise, served for centuries to shrine pilgrims.
Traditional dish from Ise, Mie
Also known as: 伊勢うどん, Iseudon
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Ise udon — Ise, Japan
Ise udon is made with a very thick wheat noodle, about three times the thickness of ordinary udon, cooked for a long time until very soft. It is served with almost no broth, covered by a dark, thick sauce of tamari soy and dashi, and chopped scallions. Everything is mixed in the bowl before eating.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Japan, the Ise region long made a thick, soft udon without the labor of stretching the dough, eaten with a tamari miso-based sauce. When pilgrimages to Ise Shrine became popular in the Edo period, shops began keeping the noodles always cooked so they could serve pilgrims immediately with the sauce poured over them.
The way of eating is old, but the name is new. For a long time the dish was simply called udon. The name Ise udon spread after a well-known radio lyricist mentioned it, and in 1972 the city’s pasta restaurant association officially adopted the name.
For Ise residents, it’s everyday food, served year‑round and also as school lunch. Many Ise udon shops are found in the city, including along the shopping streets in front of the shrines, and cooked noodles and sauce packets are sold to take away.
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Where it comes from
Ise , Mie
A dish from the city of Ise, served to shrine pilgrims.
Ingredients
Very thick, soft wheat udon, tamari soy sauce with dashi, scallions.
How it is eaten
The noodles are mixed with the dark sauce and scallions in the same bowl; there is little or no broth.
When it is eaten
Year‑round.
Your questions
Questions about Ise udon
Why is Ise udon so soft?
The noodles are very thick and cooked for a long time until very soft. That’s how Ise shops kept them ready to serve immediately to pilgrims.
Does Ise udon have broth?
It has almost none. The noodles are covered by a dark, thick sauce of tamari and dashi with scallions, and everything is mixed in the bowl.
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Beyond the guide
