Soba vs. Udon Noodles: What’s the Difference?

Soba noodles are long, thin noodle strands made from buckwheat flour and water. They are light to dark brown and have a nutty flavor. In Japanese, “soba” means buckwheat, and traditional soba noodles contain 100 percent buckwheat flour. Gluten-free buckwheat is hard to work with, so many packaged brands add wheat flour to the recipe to ensure stability. Soba noodles are the star of various Japanese noodle dishes, like salads and soups, served both hot and cold. (Despite its name, the popular stir-fry dish yakisoba does not contain soba noodles.) Some of the more popular dishes featuring Japanese buckwheat noodles include:

• Kake soba: This soba dish features soba noodles served in kakejiru, a hot soup broth made with bonito flakes, niboshi (dried sardines), and kelp.
• Tempura soba: Tempura soba is a bowl of soba noodle soup topped with crispy tempura.
• Zaru soba: This dish features cold soba noodles served with a soy- and mirin-based dipping sauce called tsuyu. Learn how to make zaru soba.

Udon are chewy Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, water, and salt, typically served in a simple dashi-based broth. They’re thicker than buckwheat soba noodles—typically two to four millimeters—and can be either flat or rounded. Udon dough can be difficult to knead, and some cooks will even stomp on the dough to relax it. Udon wheat noodles typically come as noodle soup in a hot broth, but you’ll also find them served as cold noodles with a dipping sauce. Some of the more popular udon dishes are:

• Kake udon: Like kake soba, kake udon is a simple noodle soup featuring dashi seasoned with soy sauce and mirin.
• Miso nikomi udon: This hearty udon stew features vegetables, noodles, and a softly boiled egg floating in a miso paste broth.
• Curry udon: This popular dish features thick noodles coated in Japanese curry roux. Learn how to make curry udon.
• Kitsune udon: One of the most popular udon soups, this Japanese dish features udon noodles and inari age (seasoned fried tofu) floating in a dashi broth. Learn how to make kitsune udon (“fox udon”) at home.
• Udon suki: Udon suki is a type of sukiyaki (hot pot noodle dish) featuring udon noodles, bean curd, bamboo shoots, green onions, eel, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, mochi, daikon radish, spinach, and chicken.
• Yaki udon: This dish consists of cooked udon noodles stir-fried with soy sauce, sesame oil, and veggies like scallions and napa cabbage or bok choy.

Soba and udon are two of Japan’s most popular types of noodles, but they have different qualities and get used differently in Japanese cuisine. Here’s what to know when ordering at a Japanese restaurant or shopping at an Asian supermarket.

1. 1. They have different ingredients. Soba noodles contain buckwheat, which is a relative of rhubarb. Despite its name, buckwheat is not a wheat variety and is therefore gluten-free. Udon noodles are wheat-based. Their only ingredients are flour, salt, and water.
2. 2. They have different textures and colors. Udon noodles are thick and white in color, with a chewy texture. Soba noodles are thin, like spaghetti, and have a brown color.
3. 3. They get served differently. Udon is often served in noodle soups with hot broth, though occasionally you can find it cold with sauce. Soba noodles are more often served warm or cold with a sauce—less often in soups.

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