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Japanese · Kiryu, Nagoya

Himokawa and Kishimen Wide Noodle Traditions

Japan's noodle culture extends beyond the familiar soba, udon, and ramen categories to include extraordinary wide, flat noodle traditions: himokawa (from Gunma Prefecture's Kiryu city—extremely thin, ribbon-wide wheat noodles, sometimes 10–15cm wide and paper-thin), and kishimen (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture—wide flat udon-related noodles 3–4cm wide and 2mm thick). Both traditions challenge the dominant round-noodle paradigm of Japanese cuisine, representing local wheat-flour cultures that developed independently of Sanuki's round udon standardisation or Tokyo soba's thin round convention. Kishimen is particularly significant as the defining noodle of the Nagoya food culture (Nagoya-meshi)—served in a light soy-dashi broth with katsuobushi shavings, green onion, and ofu (wheat gluten), the broad flat surface absorbs the broth differently from round udon, creating a silk-on-palate sensation. Himokawa noodles from Kiryu are so extreme in width that they are draped and poured over hot broth rather than placed conventionally—a dramatic and whimsical contrast to their delicate texture.

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ServesFour portions
Sourced1of 8 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

400 g
kishimen noodles
dried flat wheat noodles, 3–4 cm wide, 2 mm thick; domestic hard wheat preferred
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the dashi broth
1.2 l
water
Your own market
15 g
kombu
wiped clean with a damp cloth
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
25 g
katsuobushi
for the dashi base
Origin · United StatesNot yet stocked in British Columbia
3 tbsp
usukuchi soy sauce
light soy; do not substitute dark soy
Purely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
For the garnish
20 g
katsuobushi
fresh shavings, for tableside finishing
Origin · United StatesNot yet stocked in British Columbia
2
green onions (negi)
finely sliced on the diagonal
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
ofu (wheat gluten)
sliced; soaked if dried form
Not yet stocked in British Columbia

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II

The Method

1
Place the kombu in the cold water and bring slowly to just below a simmer. Remove the kombu before the water reaches a full boil. Add the katsuobushi, bring briefly to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow to steep for 4 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve. The broth should be clear, pale amber, and carry a clean ocean-smoke scent.
2
Return the strained dashi to a clean pot. Add the usukuchi soy sauce. Warm to just below a boil (approximately 80–85 °C). Add the sliced ofu and hold at this temperature. The broth should remain visibly pale and clean — a dark or murky broth signals the dish has moved away from the Nagoya character.
3
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Add the kishimen noodles. Cook 8–10 minutes from the moment of adding, testing frequently from the 8-minute mark. The flat noodle is done when it is fully tender through its cross-section with a just-firm bite at the centre — the flat form is less forgiving than round noodles; a further 90 seconds beyond this point renders the noodle irretrievably soft. This is where the dish lives or dies.
4
Drain the noodles immediately. Divide into four warmed deep bowls, allowing the noodles to settle flat and separated rather than bundled. Ladle the hot dashi broth generously over the noodles — kishimen requires more broth than an equivalent weight of round udon, as the flat surface absorbs and wets faster; err toward a full, deep pool of broth. The noodles should be fully submerged.
5
Distribute the ofu pieces across each bowl. Scatter the sliced green onion. At the table, place a mound of fresh katsuobushi shavings directly on the noodle surface. Serve immediately: kishimen cools and becomes sticky more rapidly than round noodles, and the dish is correct only at near-boiling temperature (80 °C and above). The katsuobushi shavings should visibly tremble from the broth heat — this is the signal to eat.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Kishimen from Yamamotoya Honten (established 1907, Nagoya) — the documented benchmark producer; dashi from hand-selected Rishiri kombu and hon-karebushi; katsuobushi shaved tableside from a whole block.
02
Estate — Dried kishimen from a named Nagoya producer using domestic hard wheat; kombu-katsuobushi dashi made from whole dried ingredients; packaged katsuobushi shavings of single-variety tuna.
03
Market — Commercially dried kishimen noodles available from Japanese grocery suppliers; dashi from quality instant dashi powder (kombu-katsuobushi blend); usukuchi soy from a reputable producer.
04
House — Any available flat wide wheat noodle of comparable dimensions; teabag dashi; light soy sauce diluted to approximate usukuchi character. The flat surface area, at minimum, must be preserved — round udon is not a substitute.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Smell. The strained dashi carries a clean, layered ocean-smoke scent with no murkiness or bitterness — the sign the kombu was removed before boiling and the katsuobushi was not over-steeped.
◇Sight. The finished broth in the bowl is pale amber and transparent — heavy or dark colour indicates incorrect soy or a soy heavier than usukuchi.
◇Touch. At the 8-minute mark, a noodle pinched between thumb and forefinger shows full tenderness through its flat cross-section with a just-perceptible firmness at the centre.
◇Sight. Fresh katsuobushi shavings placed on the noodle surface tremble visibly from the broth heat — confirming the bowl has been served at the correct near-boiling temperature.
◇Where it lives or dies. Kishimen's flat geometry is unforgiving: overcook by 90 seconds and the noodle becomes irreversibly soft, erasing the silk-on-palate surface tension that defines the dish.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Aramasa No. 6 X-type Junmai Ginjo
Aramasa Shuzo · Yamagata
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Sake
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Without alcohol

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The whole pairing
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Sourced through Provenance

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