Uchikomi-jiru (Udon and Vegetable Miso Soup)
Uchikomi-jiru (Miso Soup Simmered with Unboiled Hand-Made Udon and Vegetables)
Uchikomi-jiru is a simmered soup of udon noodles and vegetables that has been eaten in winter in farming villages throughout Kagawa Prefecture. Noodles made by kneading wheat flour with water alone are not boiled separately; instead, they are put straight into a dashi broth in which daikon radish, carrot, taro, aburaage (deep-fried tofu) and other ingredients have been simmered, and cooked together. The name is said to come from 'uchikomu' — putting (literally 'throwing in') the freshly made noodles directly into the pot. It is basically seasoned with miso, though some households make it with soy sauce. Sanuki Udon is well known in Kagawa, but whereas hand-made udon was made on hare no hi (days of celebration and special events), uchikomi-jiru has been made easily as an everyday winter dish. Because the noodles are stretched by hand, their thickness is uneven, and this is said to be part of the fun of the dish. It is also fondly known as 'Uchikomi Udon,' and it is still made in homes when winter comes.
Origin
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 'Uchi no Kyodo Ryori' (Our Regional Cuisine) introduces uchikomi-jiru as a soup made quickly on cold winter days in farming villages. Kagawa Prefecture was a land well suited to growing wheat. In addition, Japanese anchovies (the raw material of iriko, dried small fish), used to make dashi, were caught in abundance in the Seto Inland Sea, centered on Ibukijima Island. These conditions are explained as the background that made udon a familiar dish.
History
Uchikomi-jiru was made as a supper for cold winters in farming villages, using plenty of seasonal vegetables, and was a menu that families enjoyed. Even today, it is made in farming households when winter comes. In the prefecture it has been included in school lunches, and at schools that train nutritionists it is used as material for cooking practice, passing the recipe on to younger generations. In the cold season, udon for uchikomi-jiru is also sold at farmers' direct-sale markets.
Features
Wheat flour and water are quickly kneaded into a dough, and while it rests for a short time, the ingredients are cut. Daikon radish, carrot, taro, burdock root, aburaage and other ingredients are simmered in dashi broth, and when it comes to a boil, the rolled-out and cut noodles are added. Once the noodles are cooked, the soup is seasoned with miso and topped with green onion. Because the noodles are not boiled separately, it can be made quickly in a single pot. The ingredients can be changed according to the season and personal taste, and chicken, pork, shiitake mushrooms and so on are said to be added in some cases.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
In Kagawa, hand-made udon was served on days of celebration and special events, while uchikomi-jiru was made for ordinary winter suppers. It is a dish rooted in rural life, a soup that can be made quickly by simmering seasonal vegetables and noodles together in one pot.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
Home-made uchikomi-jiru is an everyday dish made with whatever vegetables are available at the time. In the uchikomi udon served at restaurants, each shop adds its own touches, such as using noodles made from 'Sanuki no Yume,' a wheat variety grown in Kagawa Prefecture, or simmering a white miso-based version in an iron pot and serving it as is.
Famous Shops
八十八庵（やそばあん）
香川県さぬき市多和兼割93-1
A restaurant in front of the gate of Okuboji Temple, the 88th temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Its signature dish is uchikomi udon in a white miso broth served in an iron pot, in which noodles made from Kagawa-grown 'Sanuki no Yume' wheat are simmered without boiling, together with pork, daikon radish, taro and other ingredients. A 2025 feature article gives the price as 950 yen per serving.
FAQ
Q. How are the noodles in uchikomi-jiru different from Sanuki Udon?
A. Kagawa's hand-made udon is made by kneading wheat flour with salt and water, treading the dough and letting it rest, and it is boiled before eating. The noodles for uchikomi-jiru are kneaded without salt and are put directly into the soup and simmered without being boiled first. Another difference is that, in contrast to hand-made udon for special occasions (hare no hi), uchikomi-jiru has been made as an everyday winter dish.