Miyagi

Hand-kneaded, oil-free healthy noodles - shorter than regular noodles, easier to eat

U-men

Shiroishi City, located in the south of Miyagi Prefecture, is famous for its specialty noodle, U-men. It has a 400-year history, always hand-kneaded since the beginning, and is unique in its unusual length of about 10 cm. U-men does not contain oil, made from wheat flour and salt water only, hence easy to digest, making itself popular among children and the elderly. Its origin is said to date back to the early Edo period, when a son learnt from a travelling Buddhist monk how to make oil-free noodles for his father who was suffering from stomach problems and could not eat any Somen noodles, which are usually made with oil, although he very much liked to. The son’s efforts paid off and he was able to serve his father a very warm bowl of noodles. According to this story, U-men, which literally translates as “warm noodles”, was named after the son’s warm heart to make the wish come true for his father.