The Yuzu Cold Somen Kit is a two-piece chilled noodle set: Takada Shoten's Ibonoito premium hand-stretched somen — ultra-thin wheat strands with a silky, firm bite — and YOU YI CUN's Madou yuzu soy dressing used in place of bottled mentsuyu. Somen boils in about 90 seconds and eats cold, so this is a two-minute summer dinner that never heats your kitchen.
What's in this bundle?
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Takada Shoten Ibonoito Premium Grade Hand-Stretched Somen — 300 g (Japan). Ultra-thin hand-stretched wheat noodles, clean and lightly sweet with a firm bite. Roughly 3 servings.
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YOU YI CUN Pomelo Soy Sauce Dressing — 550 g (Madou, Tainan, Taiwan). Brewed soy sauce and vinegar with real Madou yuzu pulp — visible fruit pieces, low-salt and zero-fat formula, SGS certified. Ready to use straight from the bottle. Contains soy. Labelled "pomelo" on the bottle; see the FAQ below.
2 items. Toppings not included.
How do you cook somen so it doesn't turn gummy?
The rinse is the step everyone skips and the one that decides the texture.
- Boil a large pot of unsalted water — at least 2 L per 100 g of noodles. Somen is already salted in the dough.
- Fan the strands into the water and cook 90 seconds, or per the pack.
- Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water, rubbing the strands between your hands to strip surface starch.
- Plunge into an ice bath for 30 seconds, then drain thoroughly.
- Serve with about 4 tbsp yuzu soy dressing per person as a dipping sauce, or pour it over the noodles directly.
Toppings that work: shredded cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, a soft-boiled egg, shiso, myoga, toasted sesame, or a few slices of chilled tofu.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Japanese yuzu?
Not quite. The dressing is made with Madou pomelo (文旦柚) from Tainan, Taiwan — a citrus in the same family as Japanese yuzu (Citrus junos), used the same way and for the same reason: a fragrant, faintly bitter citrus that cuts salt and richness. Taiwanese yuzu is rounder and more floral, with less acidic bite, which is why it works poured straight over cold noodles.
What is Ibonoito somen?
Ibonoito (揖保乃糸) is hand-stretched somen from Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, graded by strand fineness. Higher grades use thinner strands and a longer stretching process, which is what gives premium somen its silky surface and firm centre.
Do I need to dilute the yuzu dressing like mentsuyu?
No. It is a finished dressing, not a concentrate — use it straight. Mentsuyu usually needs 2–3 parts water; this does not.
Can I serve this hot?
Somen is traditionally chilled, but the same noodles work in a hot broth (called nyūmen). Cook 30 seconds less and skip the ice bath.
