Nissin’s new Donbei premium udon is the chewiest instant udon ever

When it first came out in 1976, Nissin's Donbei Kitsune Udon was the world's first ever bowl-shaped instant noodle and it has been a familiar comfort food in Japan ever since.

For those who don't know it, kitsune udon is udon soup topped with abura-age 油揚げ (sometimes abbreviated as o-age) a thick square of deep-fried tofu which has been seasoned in a sweet and savory broth. Recently, Donbei Kitsune Udon has enjoyed renewed popularity with a commercial series featuring actress Riho Yoshioka as a fox girl and actor and singer Gen Hoshino. Nissin cleverly capitalized on the origin of the name "kitsune udon," a Japanese folk belief that kitsune (foxes) love abura-age, and created Dongitsune as a mascot character.

Here's an example of one of their commercials from last year:

While instant noodles often take a few minutes, because udon noodles are thicker, it takes 5 minutes for standard Donbei Kitsune Udon noodles to cook through properly.

However, Nissin is now releasing a premium version of their Donbei Kitsune Udon requiring an 8-minute wait, and for good reason: These are Nissin's chewiest udon noodles ever.

The secret is mochigome 糯米, a type of particularly glutinous rice used in the making of mochi rice cakes, which has been blended into each noodle.

On sale from: Nov 16

Price: 205 yen + tax

Donbei website

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