Shiroishi Umen (Warm noodles)

Shiroishi umen is a healthy noodle that keeps the flavor of wheat flour without using oil.

It is said that the noodles started to be made during the Edo period, when a child who had a father with a stomach illness was taught how to make the noodles by a travelling monk. Kojuro Katakura of Shiroishi Castle named the noodles “umen (warm noodles)” in honor of the “warm heart of compassion” of a child devoted to his/her parents.

The noodles are as short as 9 cm, which makes it easy to boil even in small pots. It is slightly thicker than somen noodles and has a distinctive taste of noodle.