Ise-Shima food culture area (Ise City, Toba City)

Ise udon, Ise udon soup (sauce) (made from kombu (kelp), dried sardines, mirin (sweet cooking sake), tamari soy sauce, and sugar)

In the Ise food culture, people used to make thick udon noodles without the time and effort to stretch them, and eat them with miso dashi (miso paste). In the Edo period (1603-1867), when Ise visits became popular, restaurants began to serve noodles that had been continuously boiled and were ready to eat after being dipped in miso dama (miso paste) so that they could be eaten at any time by visitors to the Ise Shrine. Kokichi Mikimoto of Mikimoto Pearl had an udon store at his home, and from the fact that the hand-salted plates used at the store have been left behind, it is said that people took a small portion of the udon at that time. It was not long ago, around the beginning of the 1960s, a famous lyricist who had eaten "Ise udon" spoke on the radio, "Ise udon is a rare type of udon from Ise, so it should be called Ise udon. In 1972, the Ise City Noodle and Restaurant Association decided on a unified name and listed it on the menu list for its members.
Thus, it is a typical example of a local dish that is old in the way it is eaten, but new in name.

Ise udon, characterized by its thick, soft noodles and black broth, is the soul food of Ise citizens, and is sold in supermarkets and eaten all year round.
In 1968, the development of small bags of boiled noodles and sauce made it possible to eat Ise udon at home, whereas before it was eaten at restaurants, and it quickly became popular at home.

Because the noodles are thick, perhaps three times as thick as regular udon, it takes a small hour to boil fresh udon noodles. Since this is not practical, commercial products are sold as "boiled noodles. You can also make your own sauce for Ise Udon and store it in the store, or you can use a commercial product that is sold in individual portions. The taste varies slightly from store to store, so it is best to find the one you like best. Using "boiled noodles" and a packet of dipping sauce, even children and inexperienced cooks can make this dish easily.

The Ise Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ise Udon Council certify stores that aim to provide delicious udon as "authentic and particular Ise udon stores" to pass on the tradition and improve their attractiveness. It appears on the menu as a local dish in school lunches in Ise City.