Cold Noodles at Japanese Convenience Stores from July to September!

From July to September, Japan is hot, and summer products fill the shelves of convenience stores. Let me introduce you to some of them.

Cold Noodles at Japanese Convenience Stores from July to September!

From July to September, Japan is in the height of summer. Convenience stores are stocked with cold noodle dishes.

• Zaru Soba: Japanese Soba Noodles

Zaru Soba is a dish made from Japanese soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat flour. You pick up the noodles with chopsticks and dip them in a soy-based dipping sauce called “mentsuyu” before eating. You might have heard of “Wanko Soba,” but Zaru Soba is the most popular way to enjoy soba noodles in Japan.

Next, there’s a dish called Bukkake Tororo Soba, which is soba topped with grated yam (tororo). You mix it with dashi (broth) and eat it. In Japan, yam is considered a good remedy for summer fatigue, making this dish particularly popular during the hot months. The slimy texture might not be for everyone, but it’s worth a try if you’ve never had it before.

• Cold Udon

Udon is another popular noodle in Japan. Made from wheat flour, salt, and water, cold udon dishes vary from those mixed with tempura bits to those served simply with dashi, or topped with abura-age (fried tofu). The chewy texture of the noodles will likely win you over.

• Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Chinese Noodles)

Hiyashi Chuka is a dish made with cold Chinese-style noodles, served with vegetables, ham, and a tangy sauce. It’s a staple of Japanese summers. At convenience stores, it usually comes with a soy-based dressing, but it’s also common to eat it with a sesame sauce.

• Cold Pasta

Cold pasta is an Italian dish adapted for the Japanese palate, appearing at convenience stores during the summer. Typically, each store offers two to three varieties of cold pasta. While it doesn’t have a distinctly Japanese flavor, it’s seasoned to suit Japanese tastes. Why not give it a try if you’re curious?

• Cold Ramen

Cold ramen is a dish that appears in Japanese convenience stores during the summer. It’s a unique Japanese take on ramen that might feel quite novel to people from other countries.

There are various types, such as shio (salt) ramen, shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, and miso ramen, so you can enjoy each different flavor.

If you visit Japan between July and October, you’ll find the products mentioned above at convenience stores. Be sure to give them a try!