Name: Plum Mozuku Somen
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: Somen noodles 2 bundles; Fresh mozuku seaweed 50g; Okra 2; Myoga ginger 1; Umeboshi (pickled plum) 1; Shiso leaves 3; Water 200ml; Japanese dashi powder 1 tsp; Mirin 2 tbsp; Soy sauce 2 tbsp; Bonito flakes 1 handful; Toasted sesame seeds to taste; Rice vinegar 1 tsp; Grated ginger a pinch; Salt (for rubbing) 1 tbsp

About "Plum Mozuku Somen"

A refreshing summer somen noodle recipe combining fresh mozuku seaweed, pickled plum (umeboshi), okra, myoga ginger, and shiso leaves. The key to the flavor is chilling the homemade dashi broth (infused with extra bonito flakes) in the fridge. Thoroughly washing and chilling the somen in ice water dramatically improves its texture and aroma. With the tartness of the plum, the slimy texture of the mozuku, and the fragrance of the herbs, you won't be able to stop eating!

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Tips for Making "Plum Mozuku Somen"

Dashi Broth
- Heat water, dashi powder, mirin, and soy sauce. Turn off the heat just as it starts to simmer (do not boil), then add a handful of bonito flakes ('oi-katsuo') to extract deep umami. Let it cool, then chill thoroughly in the fridge.
Prep (Okra)
- Shave off the tough calyx of the okra and rub with 1 tbsp of salt to remove the fuzz. Boil for 50 seconds to keep it firm, cool immediately in ice water, and slice into rounds.
Prep (Mozuku)
- Place fresh mozuku in a strainer and wash thoroughly under running water while rubbing gently to check for debris. Drain well and cut into bite-sized lengths.
Prep (Plum & Shiso)
- Remove the pit from the umeboshi and mince it. Dry the shiso leaves with a paper towel, julienne them, and toss lightly to release their fragrance.
Washing Somen
- Immediately drain the boiled somen and wash thoroughly under cold running water, then shock in ice water. This washing process is crucial, determining about 20% of the final flavor.
Finishing
- Pour the chilled dashi into the bowl with okra, myoga, and plum. Add mozuku and sesame seeds, mix well, and add vinegar and ginger to taste. Pour over the somen and top with shiso.

Ingredients for "Plum Mozuku Somen"

15 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

Somennoodles 2 bundles
Freshmozuku seaweed 50g
Okra2
Myogaginger 1
Umeboshi(pickled plum) 1
Shisoleaves 3
Water200ml
Japanesedashi powder 1 tsp
Mirin2 tbsp
Soysauce 2 tbsp
Bonitoflakes 1 handful
Toastedsesame seeds to taste
Ricevinegar 1 tsp
Gratedginger a pinch
Salt(for rubbing) 1 tbsp

How to Make "Plum Mozuku Somen"

1
[Make the dashi broth] Put 200ml of water in a pot, add 1 tsp of dashi powder, 2 tbsp of mirin, and 2 tbsp of soy sauce, and heat. Turn off the heat just as it begins to simmer (do not let it boil), and add a handful of bonito flakes. Once it cools down, chill it thoroughly in the refrigerator.
2
[Prep the okra] Trim the tips of the okra and shave off the tough calyx around the stems with a knife. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of salt and rub them on a cutting board to remove the fuzz. Boil in boiling water for 50 seconds to keep them firm, plunge immediately into ice water to cool, and slice into rounds.
3
[Prep the myoga] Slice 1 myoga ginger into thin rounds.
4
[Prep the umeboshi] Remove the pit from 1 umeboshi (pickled plum) and finely mince it with a knife.
5
[Prep the shiso] Thoroughly dry 3 shiso leaves with a paper towel and julienne them.
6
[Wash and cut the mozuku] Place 50g of fresh mozuku seaweed in a strainer and wash it thoroughly under running water while gently rubbing it with your hands. Drain well, and cut into bite-sized lengths on a cutting board.
7
[Boil the somen] Bring a generous amount of water to a boil, add 2 bundles of somen noodles, and boil for about 1 minute (aim for 50 seconds as explained in the video). Once boiled, immediately drain in a strainer, wash thoroughly under cold running water, shock in ice water to firm them up, and drain well.
8
[Combine broth and ingredients] Put the okra, myoga, and minced umeboshi in a bowl, and pour in the chilled dashi broth. Add the fresh mozuku and toasted sesame seeds, and mix well to dissolve the plum into the broth. Add 1 tsp of vinegar and a pinch of grated ginger, then mix again.
9
[Plating] Place the drained somen noodles in a bowl and generously pour the broth with the ingredients over them. Top with the julienned shiso leaves to finish.

Detailed Commentary on "Plum Mozuku Somen"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Introduction to Plum Mozuku Somen

Hello, I'm Barb Satake. Today, I'll introduce a quick and incredibly delicious somen recipe perfect for the hot summer: 'Plum Mozuku Somen.' Somen is a summer staple, but it's easy to get tired of it. With this recipe, however, you'll want to drink the broth down to the last drop. For the noodles, we're using the classic 'Ibo no Ito.' Let's make it delicious, keeping that famous catchphrase in mind. Before boiling the noodles, we'll start with the special dashi broth, which is the key to the flavor. Anyone want to go to Ichiran Ramen with me? Let's start cooking while having some fun chit-chat!

Golden Ratio for Homemade Dashi Broth

First, let's make the special dashi broth for the somen. Some of you might be thinking, 'What? No store-bought mentsuyu? How annoying!' But homemade broth tastes exceptionally good, so please give it a try. Put 200ml of water in a pot and add a dash of Japanese dashi powder. Add 2 tbsp of mirin and 2 tbsp of soy sauce, then heat. If you boil it too much, the aroma will escape, so the key is to heat it just until it starts simmering. Turn off the heat immediately once it simmers, and throw in a handful of bonito flakes. This extra addition of bonito flakes ('oi-katsuo') greatly enhances the umami of the dashi. Let it sit until it cools down, then chill it thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Prepping the Herbs and Ingredients

Next, let's prep the ingredients. First, 2 pieces of okra. Trim the tips and shave off the tough calyx around the stems with a knife. You could use the shaved calyx as fake eyelashes so nothing goes to waste—just kidding! Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of salt and rub them firmly on the cutting board. This removes the fuzz and makes them vibrant green when boiled. Boil them in boiling water for 50 seconds to keep them firm, plunge immediately into ice water to cool, and slice into rounds. Next, slice 1 myoga ginger into rounds. They say eating too much myoga makes you forgetful, so if you forget something inconvenient, you can blame it on the myoga! Also, remove the pit from 1 umeboshi and mince it, and julienne 3 shiso leaves after drying them well with a paper towel, tossing them lightly to release their fragrance.

How to Wash and Cut Fresh Mozuku

Now, let's prepare one of our main ingredients: fresh mozuku seaweed. We're using 50g of 'Ryukyu Fresh Mozuku' today. If you can't find fresh mozuku, seasoned mozuku works too, but you'll need to adjust the amount of vinegar added later. Place the mozuku in a strainer and wash it thoroughly under running water. Sometimes small pebbles or debris can be mixed in, so gently rub it with your hands to check. As an old guy, I'm pretty sensitive to stones! Once washed, drain well and lightly cut it on a cutting board to make it easier to eat. Now we have myoga, okra, plum, and mozuku—a powerful lineup of healthy ingredients that feels like a superhero squad.

The Secret to Washing Somen Noodles

Time to boil the somen. Bring a generous amount of water to a boil and add 2 bundles of Ibo no Ito. Somen is surprisingly high in calories, but worrying about calories in the summer is nonsense! Boil them in plenty of water for 1 minute. There was a popular life hack saying 'don't boil somen,' but being pure and earnest makes me want to boil them even more when told not to. Once boiled, immediately drain in a strainer and wash thoroughly under cold water. It's no exaggeration to say that this washing process determines 20% of the flavor. It makes a huge difference, so trust me and wash them in ice water for twice as long as you usually do to firm them up.

Assembling and Plating the Dish

With everything ready, let's move on to the final step. Pour the ice-cold special dashi broth from the fridge into the bowl containing the prepped okra, myoga, and minced umeboshi. Add the drained fresh mozuku and a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Mix well to dissolve the minced plum into the broth, then add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of grated ginger to taste. Now we have an incredibly delicious broth. Place the 2 bundles of somen, thoroughly chilled and drained, into a serving bowl, and generously pour the ingredient-packed broth over them. Finally, top with the fragrant julienned shiso leaves, and your visually refreshing 'Plum Mozuku Somen' is complete!

Tasting: An Unstoppably Delicious Flavor

Now, let's eat! Slurp it up vigorously, coating the noodles in the broth. The moment you take a bite, you'll want to shout, 'It's instantly delicious!' The refreshing tartness of the plum, the savory aroma of soy sauce, the depth of the Japanese dashi, and the rich umami of the extra bonito flakes match perfectly. On top of that, the smooth texture of the mozuku, the stickiness of the okra, and the refreshing aroma of the myoga and shiso will keep your chopsticks moving. I could eat this every day until December—well, actually, maybe not that long. It's a superb somen recipe that you can easily finish even on days when you have no appetite. You must try it this summer!

About 夕方食堂

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