When To Use Soba Vs Udon Noodles In Your Dishes

Noodles are a crucial ingredient across Asia, with national dishes like pad thai in Thailand and pho in Vietnam revolving around saucy and soupy rice noodles. Japan's beautifully crafted cuisine features noodles that are as world-famous as their neighbors. You've surely delighted in consuming various types of ramen, but soba and udon noodles are just as delicious and popular while also being different in composition, taste, and texture. So, when do you use each noodle in your homemade dishes? We consulted Chef Koj, a private chef and food writer, for his opinion on the best applications for soba vs udon noodles.

"Ultimately this comes down to personal preference – some people don't like the squidgy texture of udon noodles," he said. "In my opinion, soba noodles suit thinner sauces better and udon are best coated with thicker curry-style sauces."

Made of a simple wheat flour and water blend, udon noodles are thick, long, and tubular, with a bouncy and chewy texture. The "squidgy" texture Chef Koj refers to is easily masked by a thick, creamy sauce. Japanese curry is actually the country's national dish that's typically served over rice, but curry udon is a comforting recipe that transforms the thick curry sauce into a soup. 

In contrast, the nutty, dense yet al dente, and slightly grainy texture of soba noodles is worth accentuating. So thin broths and cold salad sauces will ensure that soba's taste and texture are front and center.

Despite their notable differences, soba and udon noodles can be used interchangeably in a lot of instances. They are both served hot or chilled and traditionally in a dashi-based broth. Dashi encapsulates every aspect of umami, made with the oceanic tastes of kelp, seaweed, bonito flakes, funky soy sauce powder, and dried mushrooms. It's a pungent and flavorful base for broth and stock that you can thicken with curry sauce to make way for the bouncy, soft, and chewy udon. Dashi is sold in packets that you can use to flavor stocks for soup or as a seasoning packet for sauces.

To that effect, you could use dashi to season a creamy sauce made with coconut milk or dairy cream to pair with udon noodles. This spicy peanut sauce recipe with creamy peanut butter is a thick, hearty sauce that'll taste great over udon. You can use udon instead of Italian pasta shapes like linguini or spaghetti to toss with cream sauce or this bright and fresh pesto sauce.

Soba noodles are just as versatile; they can be incorporated into a simple dashi broth as per tradition to slurp up with plenty of vegetables and tofu. Soba noodles are also popular for stir-fries with light stir-fry sauces. Cold noodle salads like this silken tofu and soba recipe or this cold noodle salad with shrimp, mango, and tomato are delicious recipes that fit in with Chef Koj's recommendations.