325. Udon or Ramen? What Fukuoka Locals Actually Eat | うどん派？ラーメン派？

<p>After spending two months in India, I landed in Japan craving one thing: a warm bowl of udon. I'm originally from Kagawa, known as <em>Udon-ken</em> (Udon Prefecture — where udon is practically a way of life), but these days I live in Fukuoka, the city famous around the world for tonkotsu ramen. Here's the surprising part: when I asked people here "udon or ramen?" — the answers weren't what you'd expect from the ramen capital of Japan.</p><p>In this episode, I take you through Fukuoka's udon culture — the famously soft noodles that locals joke "never run out," the sweet and savory <em>niku udon</em> made with Kyushu's distinctive soy sauce, <em>gobo-ten</em> (burdock root tempura — the topping you'll find everywhere here), and my slightly embarrassing but genius way of ordering at a local udon chain. I also finally share something I was too nervous to talk about while living in Kagawa: what udon really means to people from the Udon Prefecture.</p><p>🎧 Full transcript, video, and more: <a href="https://sayurisaying.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://sayurisaying.com</a> </p><p>Search by episode number (e.g., “EP 120”) to find what you need!🐧 Join the Penguin Family for bonus content &amp; support the show! Your support helps keep this podcast alive and means a lot to me. Thank you for considering!</p><p>🩷 Support this podcast </p><p><a href="https://sayurisaying.com/support" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://sayurisaying.com/support</a></p>