Locals in Kagawa Prefecture absolutely adore udon, and their per-person consumption of the noodles is number one in Japan.

Sanuki udon offers a variety of styles and flavors. One of the joys of the noodles is being able to choose different temperatures of noodles and dashi broth.

Sanuki udon establishments can be broadly divided into three types. There is the “general” type in which the staff comes to take your order at your seat like a regular restaurant, the “self-service” type in which you bring your food to your seat yourself after paying, and the “noodle factory” type in which you can eat freshly-made udon in a section of the factory.

Kake-udon is the most basic udon. It is a simple style in which dashi broth is added to noodles that have been cooled down in cold water and then blanched. The ingredients differ according to the restaurant, but it often features negi green onion, tenkasu crunchy bits, and other simple ingredients.

Bukkake-udon is noodles that have been boiled and cooled in cold water and then directly receive a splash of strong tsukedashi broth. It is standard to vigorously mix together all the ingredients.

Kamatama-udon is noodles that are boiled in a kama pot and then, without being cooled down with cold water, moved to a bowl to receive toppings of a raw egg and soy sauce. Mixing the dish with chopsticks produces an exquisite entanglement of the noodles and egg.