When it comes to the idea of catching your own food, fish probably comes to mind. Noodles probably don’t. But during summertime in Japan, that’s exactly what some diners fish for when participating in a hands-on eating custom called nagashi somen.
@foodwtf Catch your #noodles at📍Hirobun Nagashi Somen in #Kyoto #Japan 🎥 @Empty Japan #kyotofoodguide #foodtravel #japanfoodie #foodtiktok ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
What is nagashi somen?
Nagashi somen is an interactive dining ritual that involves catching long strands of noodles as they float down a bamboo chute filled with cold water. Groups sit around the chute and take turns catching clusters of somen (thin wheat-based noodles that resemble vermicelli) with their chopsticks. The idea is that you can keep your noodles cold and prevent them from getting soggy by eating them bite by bite as you catch them from the chute. It’s a practice that takes place between May and October when the outside heat has a habit of stifling the appetite.
