Tochigi

Udon noodles served in ayu sweetfish broth - a taste of the Edo era in the present time

Ayu Udon

About 350 years ago during the Edo era, Sukekiyo Fukuhara, the lord of Sakuyama Domain (in current day Tochigi Prefecture), had an unforgettable bowl of udon noodles in a flavourful broth made from dried ayu sweetfish while he was away from his domain on duty. He loved the dish so much that after coming back to Sakuyama he himself dried sweetfish caught in a nearby river, and made his people cook Ayu Udon as a specialty of his domain. Since then, the noodle became popular and famous in and around Sakuyama, where a number of udon restaurants were established. Today, by using dried sweetfish only for the broth, the same taste is carefully reproduced and served in the area.