Hokkien noodles VS udon, you might not pay attention to the differences between these Chinese and Japanese noodle dishes. Both have clear differences and you should know it. Surely, it is so interesting to learn and you will be ready to make it alone at home.
Hokkien Noodles VS Udon: How Many Differences You Can Find Out?
Hokkien noodles and udon noodles are two popular Asian dishes and are easy to find everywhere. Why must you know the differences between the dishes? What is the difference between Hokkien and udon noodles?
Looking for the differences between Hokkien VS udon noodles should be started with the definition. Primarily, it relates to the noodles.
Hokkien Noodles
Hokkien noodles are a Chinese noodle dish that originated in southern Fujian. It includes one of the egg noodles types and it is made with wheat flour and egg yolks. The noodle strand has a bright yellow color and according to Hokkien noodles VS udon, it has some characteristics:
- The texture is chewy in round form and it resembles spaghetti.
- Hokkien noodles also resemble Japanese udon and Italian spaghetti. This egg noodle has the same thickness as udon and cooked spaghetti.
- The noodles are suitable to make stir-fried noodle dishes and Aussie-style stir-fry recipes. But, some noodle soups also use this kind of noodle.
Hokkien noodles are used in many Southeast Asian Cuisines. It often emerges in traditional Hawker-type dishes. Even, you can easily find it in the Hawker center of Malaysia and Singapore.
Where do you buy the Hokkien noodles? You can get this egg noodle fresh, pre-cooked, and vacuum-packed. Besides that, it is available in the fridge section of Asian supermarkets packaged air-tight with some moisture in the bag.
Udon Noodles
Udon is one of the Japanese noodle dishes and the noodles are made with wheat flour, water, and salt. The difference between Hokkien noodles VS udon is seen in the ingredients. They are different in the use of eggs and water.
What are the characteristics of udon noodles? Look at below:
- The color is pale with a slippery and chewy texture.
- Udon noodles have a square-ish or round shape with a thickness that resembles Hokkien.
- The taste of udon noodles is light (less flavor). So, it is suitable to mix with fragrant ingredients and rich sauces.
- Udon noodle is suitable to make hot soups, stir-fried noodle dishes, and cold salads.
- Udon noodle is easily found in Asian groceries in the fresh, dried package, vacuum pack, and semi-dried pack.
How to Cook Hokkien And Udon Noodles
How to cook those types of noodles? Hokkien noodles have so simple way to cook only by boiling the noodles for 1-2 minutes. After that, you separate the noodle strands before draining them using tongs.
Meanwhile, udon noodles have some cooking ways depending on the type. Hokkien noodles VS udon today have been summarized below:
- Fresh udon noodles do not need to boil but they are quite soaked in boiling water in a few minutes. Untangle the noodle strands by stirring them using chopsticks or tongs. Remember to drain your noodles well.
- Semi-dried udon noodles must be boiled for 5-8 minutes.
- Dried udon noodles need 10 minutes to cook it.
Can You Substitute Hokkien Noodles And Udon Noodles?
Hokkien noodle dishes either soups or stir-fry can use any kind of egg noodles. Even, you can also substitute this Japanese noodle with whole egg spaghetti.
Udon noodles can be substituted for ramen or soba noodles. But, the noodles have different textures and thicknesses. Therefore, you should choose thicker ramen noodles to make dishes with broth.
Recipes Of Hokkien Noodles And Udon Noodles
Hokkien noodles VS udon presents easy recipes to try at home. Firstly, you got a recipe for teriyaki beef noodles. Such as below!
Terriyaki Beef Noodle Recipe
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil (2 teaspoons)
- Rump steak to cut into thin strips (500 grams)
- 1 Carrot, halved lengthways and thinly sliced diagonally
- 1 red capsicum (deseeded and thinly sliced)
- Snow peas in halved lengthways diagonally and trimmed (100 grams)
- Green onion to be thinly sliced diagonally (4)
- Passage to Asia Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry Sauce (200grams)
- 450g Hokkien noodles, cooked, drained (450 grams)
- Toasted sesame seeds, to serve
- Extra thinly sliced green onions, to serve
4 Steps of cooking instruction:
- Use 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to cook steak in a wok over high heat. Cook it for 2 minutes or it is looked brown. Add more oil if you feel to need it and then transfer to a bowl.
- Add carrots and capsicum to stir fry for 2 minutes. Then, add broccolini and snow peas while tossing them until combined. Also, pour 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are just softened.
- Put the steak on the pan along with green onions and Passage to Asia Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry Sauce. Stir until they are combined and keep cooking for 2 minutes or heated through.
- Hokkien noodles VS udon add the instruction to insert noodles on the wok and toss to combine. Serve it with sesame seeds and green onion as the toppings.
Read more Zucchini Noodles VS Pasta
Fresh Kitsune Udon
The Udon noodle dish present kitsune udon with fresh flavor. The dish just needs less than 60 minutes (50 minutes) to serve the Kitsune udon.
Ingredients:
- Dashi: 1-ounce kombu (Japanese dried kelp), 5 cups cold water, and ¾ cup bonito flakes
- Kitsune Udon: 2 ounces aburaage (frozen, defrosted fried tofu cakes), 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, divided, 2 tablespoons mirin, divided, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 pound frozen udon noodles, and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
Kitsune udon dish has several steps to cook in 30 minutes. However, it will not share the direction because it is easy to make by your way. Kitsune udon has slightly fishy broth coming from the seaweed.
Final Words
Hokkien noodles VS udon show some differences between both Asian noodle types. They come from Japan and China. Use your knowledge today to serve the best soup or stir-fried noodle dish at home with a new taste and experience.