Yakisoba is Japanese stir fried noodles. It is served with Yakisoba sauce, similar to Tonkatsu or Okonomiyakisauce. Yakisoba is usually fried with sliced pork and vegetables like cabbage and bean sprouts. It is a very popular casual food (or snack) everyone likes in Japan. You can find Yakisoba at many places like Okonomiyaki restaurants, festivals, supermarket delis, and of course, home.
Yakisoba is a great light or quick meal. Kids stop at a little shop for Yakisoba after school, and people stop for it at a food court in a mall during shopping. One of the best Yakisoba can be found at summer night festivals. Street vendors cook Yakisoba on a big grill. I don’t know what they do to it, but they make superb Yakisoba. If you are making your own Yakisoba, you can put your favorite meat and vegetables; chicken, beef, or even squid. The must-have toppings are Aonori and Benishoga. The fragrance of Aonori and spicy Benishoga accentuate the flavor of Yakisoba so well. Even when your Yakisoba is mediocre, they can upgrade the dish for you.
We use Chuka Men, Chinese style noodles, in Yakisoba, but the dish is not Chinese at all. It is actually very Japanese, and nothing like Chow Mein other than they are both noodle dishes. Yakisoba sauce is very similar to Okonomiyaki sauce (you can even substitute Okonomiyaki sauce for Yakisoba sauce), though it is a little bit more like Worcester sauce and thinner. We made the Yakisoba sauce using Tonkatsu sauce and Worcester sauce which are in our pantry. You can of course purchase Yakisoba sauce if available, but this may be a good alternative.
Chuka Men for Yakisoba is usually sold as packages offresh noodlesin the refrigerated section at Japanese or some Asian markets. Each package of noodles (square) is for one serving, and sometimes comes with Yakisoba seasoning powder. The seasoning powder is a convenient thing and doesn’t taste bad, I admit, so you may opt to use that as your Yakisoba sauce. For people who do not have access to any Asian markets at all, dried spaghetti can be used instead of Chuka Men. Similar to what we did in Ramen, boil dried spaghetti in boiling water (2L) with baking soda (2Tbsp), and cook according to the package. You may not want to use fresh pasta because it may be too soft to stir fry after boiling. We know it is not exactly the same as Chuka Men, but it can be a pretty good substitution for those who cannot get Chuka Men.Get all the ingredients ready, fry them together, and enjoy your own Yakisoba!
(We recommend using a non-stick pan to make Yakisoba to avoid noodles getting stuck on the pan.)
Cut sliced pork into bite size pieces. Prepare the vegetables: slice onion, carrot, and bell pepper thinly; cut cabbage into 2″squares; wash and strain bean sprouts. Mix all the ingredients for Yakisoba Sauce.
In a large frying pan, add oil and heat at medium high heat. Cook meat first until browned. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper and cook about 1-2 minutes. Then add cabbage and bean sprouts, and cook until vegetables are wilted. Once water seeps out from vegetables, add Chuka Men, stir under the vegetables, lower heat and cover, and cook about 2 minutes until noodles soften.
When noodles get loose and soft, keep stirring to mix with vegetables, then add sauce and coat the whole thing for a couple of minutes. (Season with salt and pepper to taste.)
Place Yakisoba on the plate; sprinkle with Aonori and put Benishoga on top.
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AboutJapaneseCooking101
Noriko and Yuko, the authors of this site, are both from Japan but now live in California. They love cooking and eating great food, and share a similar passion for home cooking using fresh ingredients.Noriko and Yuko plan and develop recipes together for Japanese Cooking 101. They cook and shoot photos/videos at their home kitchen(s.)
Boil 220ml of water in a pan and add the noodles. On a medium heat, cook for 30 seconds and flip the noodles, be sure to disentangle the noodles well. Before all the water evaporates, add the sauce powder and turn up the heat a little. It's ready to eat when the sauce is well mixed in.
Yakisoba's irresistible appeal lay in its perfect balance of flavors, textures, and its humble origins. The true magic, however, lies in the sauce. There are many different recipes, but yakisoba sauce has been refined over generations, and is a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy.
Yakisoba actually originated from Chinese chow-mein which is also a stir-fired noodle dish. The difference between the two noodle dishes is that yakisoba uses Worcestershire sauce which adds a sour taste that complements the ample amount of cabbage added.
Yakisoba (Japanese: 焼きそば, [jakiꜜsoba], transl. 'fried noodle'), is a Japanese noodle stir-fried dish. Usually, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, but soba in yakisoba are Chinese-style noodles (chuuka soba) made from wheat flour, typically flavored with a condiment similar to Worcestershire sauce.
Yakitori refers to pieces of chicken meat on skewers of wood. This can be enjoyed with only salt Yakitori Shio (salt) or Syoyuu (soy sauce/teriyaki sauce). Yakisoba is noodles stir fried with some vegetables and garnished with laver.
Which is Healthier, Udon or Soba? With its wholegrain like appearance and buckwheat heavy base, Soba is the healthier choice when it comes to your Asian noodle game. This is because buckwheat is lower in carbohydrates and lower in calories so it's a good choice for those trying to cut back.
The answer is ” SOBA” , the buckwheat noodle. 100% buckwheat soba noodle soup – colour of soba is darker! Why? Udon, ramen, yakisoba and somen noodle are all made from white flour and can be made with bleached refined flour which doesn't have many nutrients and high GI – a recipe for overweight and disease!
What is Yakisoba Sauce Made Of? Yakisoba sauce is a sweet, savory, and tangy mix of soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings. Some yakisoba sauce recipes include oyster sauce, which has a more rich umami flavor. I also added sriracha to my yakisoba sauce because I like things a little spicy!
Lo mein is similar to yakisoba, the dish our noodles were designed for, but the sauce is as simple as oyster sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce, rather than a more complex, fruit-based concoction you find with yakisoba.
Like ramen, yakisoba noodles are made of wheat, water, and kansui which gives it the yellow color and distinct taste. I prefer to use pre-cooked yakisoba noodles, which is the most common. You can find them in the refrigerated section in any Asian food market.
Bring 2½ cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan.Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes.Add the flavor packet, stir, and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
In order to eat the ramen, bring water to boil in a pot, and then pour the water into the cup.Add the seasoning packet and wait for about 5 minutes for the noodles to soften and cool down before eating.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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