User:Giancarlo Subervi/Gotō udon

Goto udon (五島うどん) is a variety of udon noodles produced on the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. It is also referred to as "Goto Tenobe Udon" (五島手延うどん, literally "Goto hand-stretched noodles").

The noodles are known for being thin yet firm, as well as being coated in camellia oil as a preservative. Representing Nagasaki Prefecture, Goto udon is considered one of Japan's "big three" varieties of udon alongside Sanuki udon and Inaniwa udon. As Goto udon lacks familiarity across Japan, the prefectural office of Nagasaki plans to promote its popularity.

There are several theories as to its origins. One theory states that the recipe was brought back from the Chinese mainland during the Japanese missions to Tang China.

Summary
While ramen is a popular choice among Kyushu noodle dishes, udon and somen also receive high praise. This is because geographically, this area was very easily influenced by the Chinese mainland and many of its prefectures have thriving wheat production industries. While Hakata udon and Goto udon both originate in the northern Kyushu subregion, Hakata udon features distinctively thick, soft noodles, whereas Goto udon features thin and elastic noodles. Although the noodles are distinctive for their firmness, they've been described as being less firm than Sanuki udon.

While ramen is a popular choice among Kyushu noodle dishes, udon and somen also receive high praise. This is because geographically, this area was very easily influenced by the Chinese mainland and many of its prefectures have thriving wheat production industries. While Hakata udon and Goto udon both originate in the northern Kyushu subregion, Hakata udon features distinctively thick, soft noodles, whereas Goto udon features thin and elastic noodles. Although the noodles are distinctive for their firmness, they're typically less firm than traditional Sanuki udon.

The noodles are mainly made by hand. Goto udon is mainly sold dry in Shin-Kamigotō. On the lower half of the archipelago (Gotō), the noodles are also packaged and sold fresh.

Origin
The Goto Islands are where udon was passed down to Japan from China.However, there are several theories as to how it was passed down.


 * 1) The Japanese missions to Tang China brought it back between the 7th and 9th century.
 * 2) During the mongol invasions of Japan in the Kamakura period, a Goto resident learned how to make the udon from a prisoner of war.
 * 3) It was passed down from Chinese traders in the mid 15th century.
 * 4) In the Genroku Period during the Edo Period, it was passed down from the mainland as a non-perishable food for those making a roundtrip journey to Edo.
 * 5) A udon maker from Shikoku came to Goto and shared the recipe at some unknown point in time.

Goto udon (五島うどん) is a variety of udon noodles produced on the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. It is also referred to as "Goto Tenobe Udon" (五島手延うどん, literally "Goto hand-stretched noodles").

Origin
While ramen is a popular choice among Kyushu noodle dishes, udon and somen also receive high praise. This is because geographically, this area was very easily influenced by the Chinese mainland and many of its prefectures have thriving wheat production industries. While Hakata udon and Goto udon both originate in the northern Kyushu subregion, Hakata udon features distinctively thick, soft noodles, whereas Goto udon features thin and elastic noodles. Although the noodles are distinctive for their firmness, they are often described as being less firm than Sanuki udon.

During the Edo period, households would commonly pound wheat into flour using stone mortars for comissioned manufacturers that would use it to make Goto udon. As Goto udon was all made by hand at this time, it was served at important ceremonies.

The noodles are known for being thin yet firm, as well as being coated in camellia oil as a preservative. Representing Nagasaki Prefecture, Goto udon is considered one of Japan's "big three" varieties of udon alongside Sanuki udon and Inaniwa udon. As Goto udon lacks familiarity across Japan, the prefectural office of Nagasaki plans to promote its popularity. .

Growth in Production
There are several theories as to its origins. One theory states that the recipe was brought back from the Chinese mainland during the Japanese missions to Tang China.

While ramen is a popular choice among Kyushu noodle dishes, udon and somen are also very popular. This is because geographically, this area was very easily influenced by the Chinese mainland and many of its prefectures have thriving wheat production industries. While Hakata udon and Goto udon both originate in the northern Kyushu subregion, Hakata udon features distinctively thick, soft noodles, whereas Goto udon features thin and elastic noodles. Although the noodles are distinctive for their firmness, they've been described as being less firm than Sanuki udon.

After the second world war, Goto udon outside of Nagasaki prefecture.In the 1980s, it was typically sold in bundles of 400g, with a length of 18.5 cm.. At this time, the noodles still had the reputation of being a secret of Nagasaki's remote islands. In 1984, The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency awarded the Kamigoto Chamber of Commerce ​the "Promotion and Stimulation of Local Small Businesses" grant, leading to the invention of "aosa udon", a variety of Goto udon with sea lettuce kneaded into the noodles.

Summary
The noodles are mainly made by hand. Goto udon is mainly produced as dry noodles in Shin-Kamigotō. On the lower half of the archipelago (Gotō), they are produced fresh.

Summary
The noodles are around 2mm in diameter, and thus more closely resemble the round, thin noodles of somen than traditional udon. Camellia oil is spread onto the surface of the dough to keep the noodles from becoming soggy and preserve its unique texture.

During the Meiji era, flour became a popular salse product, which manufacturers used to start mass production and invest in retail. At the time, the noodles were most commonly bought in bundles of 600g. Many theories exist as to when and how Goto udon was passed down from China to Japan through the Goto islands.