What are these things? (Patreon)

I learned something today. I learned something called sōmenfushi or fushimen exists.

We all know sōmen noodles, right? Very, very thin noodles made from wheat flour that are often used in soups, for dipping, or in salads. 

While usually not colored, I kind of like the pastel-colored ones. 

Very often you'll find them portioned into little bundles and served with a cold dipping sauce. People like sōmen in the summer because it's light and refreshing. 

But did you know (I didn't!) that the otherwise not so perfect cut off pieces are collected and sold, too?

A friend went to Nara and brought back these omiyage for us. 

Not your typical sōmen, right? 

Well, sōmen are made in long strands and hung over wooden dowels to dry and get them perfectly straight. 

But the part that is draped over is weirdly shaped.

Like old fashioned hair pins or clothes pins, actually. 

But there's nothing wrong with the taste. As a matter of fact, I read that this part of the noodle is *better* tasting, chewier, and considered lucky. When people made their own noodles they'd save these bits for guests or for the New Year's celebrations by making fushijiru which is fushimen cooked in soy sauce, dashi, with any other ingredients like tofu, mushrooms, chikuwa, carrots, and negi. Bascially, fushimen soup. 

I'm saving one bag for oshogatsu. My friend told me to just drop some in anything, miso soup...anything. Well, it just so happened it was nabe night. 

Homemade chicken and tofu balls, oysters, hakusai (napa cabbage), long onion, tofu, mushrooms, aburaage tofu with mochi stuffed inside...the soup was just chicken stock with a little soy sauce. You can't tell but put some habenero that we have never seen here, but found up in Hokkaido in a small stand right next to the Okiku Haunted Doll. The old lady who sold them to said they were just nasty, terrible peppers. I don't think she likes spicy. Anyway, nabe...

...and...

...a handful of the fushimen! 

Cook two minutes and they're done. 

So these little cuties are called fushimen, sōmen fushi, or even kiriotoshi (which means "cut off"), depending on where you buy them. Be careful because kiriotoshi can mean anything that's been cut off, like pieces of meat, but also dried daikon. The latter might look similar to the noodles but has a totally different taste. That would be an unpleasant surprise, thinking you're getting sōmen and getting daikon pieces. 

So if you ever run across these weird things, it might be fun to give them a try. They're lucky and delicious! 

XO, 

t