Goto Udon: Slender, Springy Noodles Kissed with Camellia Oil

Goto udon is a hand-stretched noodle dish handed down in the Goto Islands of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is characterized by stretching the dough thin while coating it with camellia oil, giving noodles that are astonishingly fine yet firmly springy, with a smooth, slippery texture. The camellia oil is often sourced from Goto itself and also helps keep the noodles from drying out or oxidizing. Paired with a broth made from roasted flying fish (ago) caught in nearby waters, it becomes a humble yet deeply flavorful bowl.

Highlights

The greatest appeal is the distinctive fragrance from the camellia oil and the strong firmness of the fine noodles. Locals cherish an eating style called jigokudaki, in which you take the noodles straight from a bubbling pot and slurp them piping hot after dipping in flying-fish broth or raw egg. The smoothness that comes only from painstaking hand-stretching is unforgettable once tasted.

Enjoying the Seasons

Jigokudaki savored in a warm broth is exceptional in the cold season, but in summer it is also lovely chilled and slurped smoothly. Visit the islands and you can enjoy it while gazing at the sea, paired with seafood in season.

Access and Basic Information

Goto udon can be enjoyed in places such as Shinkamigoto Town in the upper Goto Islands, where dried-noodle making thrives, and the lower Goto area that includes Fukue Island. From central Nagasaki or the Fukuoka area you reach it by ferry, high-speed boat or plane, and it is served at island eateries and inns as well as sold as dried noodles to take home.

Practical Travel Notes

Because the Goto Islands are remote, ferries, high-speed boats and flights run a limited number of times a day. Rather than a day trip, staying overnight lets you savor the island food at a relaxed pace. Dried noodles and flying-fish broth are available at port kiosks and island souvenir shops, and since they keep at room temperature they travel easily. Eateries and inns serving jigokudaki can be few in number, so if you are set on trying it, check opening days and availability in advance for peace of mind.

A Quick Tip

Since jigokudaki is served straight from the pot, enjoy it piping hot while minding the heat. If you take dried noodles home as a souvenir, buy the flying-fish broth too so you can recreate the authentic flavor at home. The noodles are thin and cook quickly, so the trick is to watch them and lift them out before they overcook.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main areas where it is served: The Goto Islands (Shinkamigoto Town and Goto City). The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also introduces jigoku-daki in its Our Local Cuisine project as a dish of the Goto Islands.
• Public facilities where you can buy it: Shinkamigoto Town Tourism and Products Centre (428-31 Arikawago, Shinkamigoto Town, Minamimatsuura District) / 8:30-17:00, closed only on 1 January. Tel. 0959-42-0964. Three minutes on foot from Arikawa Port.
• On the Fukue Island side: Roadside Station Kentoshi Furusatokan (3150-1 Hamanokuri, Miiraku-cho, Goto City) / 9:00-18:00, closed over the New Year period. Lunch at the restaurant is served 11:30-14:00, and the days it operates are announced month by month on the official website.
• Background to the flavour: Camellia oil is rich in oleic acid, which prevents the noodles from oxidising. The ago dashi is made from yaki-ago, flying fish caught in autumn and grilled over charcoal.

* Opening hours and prices vary from one individual restaurant to another.

(Sources: Shinkamigoto Town Tourism Navi, Nagasaki Prefecture Convention and Tourism Federation "Nagasaki Shimatabi Ikou", Goto Tenobe Udon Cooperative Association official website, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Our Local Cuisine: Jigoku-daki (Goto Udon / Shimabara Somen)")

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourist information for Nagasaki Prefecture together with information published by the individual establishments. Prices, menus and seasons are subject to change, so please check the official information of each establishment for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: From a few hundred yen a bowl, and dried noodles make an affordable souvenir
• Where to eat it: The Goto Islands, restaurants elsewhere in the prefecture, and souvenir shops
• Recommended time of day: Mainly at lunchtime. Jigoku-daki is the local speciality
• Avoiding the crowds: It gets busy in the tourist season, so shift your timing
• Enjoy it together with: Jigoku-daki, ago dashi as a souvenir, and a tour of the churches of Goto