Have you ever heard of hiyashi chuka before? Its a cheap, popular summertime meal that Japanese people love using common summer ingredients! Hiyashi chuka is a staple in convenience stores and supermarkets because its simple and delicious, filling, and surprisingly refreshing, too. It has even made appearances in anime such as Koufuku Graffiti and King of Prism! Are you interested yet? Keep reading to find out more about this dish - and how to make it yourself this summer, too!
Not Your Typical Ramen
Japanese people love to eat hiyashi chuka for lunch or dinner, and its actually quite filling without leaving you feeling heavy even though its noodle-based. And while the name “hiyashi chuka” translates directly to “chilled Chinese,” we promise this dish is 100% Japanese in origin.
As long as you are able to find some fresh ramen noodles at your local Asian supermarket, the rest of the ingredients should be easy enough to pick up anywhere. We especially recommend using cucumbers and tomatoes as your main vegetables as they are the most refreshing for a summer meal, but as you’ll see in the recipe, hiyashi chuka can be catered to whatever your tastes may be and to what you are able to find. Now that you know what hiyashi chuka is, let’s get onto how to make it!
Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen Salad) (can be vegetarian friendly, too!)
What you need:
For the dressing
For the usuyaki tamago (shredded egg)
For the salad
Optional:
Bean sprouts (blanched), wakame dried seaweed, sesame seeds, imitation crab meat, or any other salad toppings you like!
How to Cook It:
1
First, combine all of the dressing ingredients in one bowl and whisk them together. You can leave the dressing in the fridge for now to chill, and it will be much more refreshing later!2
Next, combine the egg, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and pour into a frying pan with a little oil. You want to make it very thin, like an egg crepe, so spread it out across the bottom of the entire pan and cook both sides thoroughly. When it’s finished cooking, let it cool and then slice the usuyaki tamago into thin strips and set it aside.3
Now its time to prepare the other salad toppings. If you haven’t yet, cut the cucumber, tomatoes, and ham. Gather any other optional ingredients you want to add.4
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the ramen noodles. Be sure to separate the noodles as much as possible before adding them to the water. Cook them according to the instructions on the package, drain, and rinse. Then soak the noodles in cold water to cool then off, and rinse one more time.5
Finally, divide the noodles in two bowls and top with your desired topping ingredients. Pour the cold dressing over everything just before serving and enjoy!
Yum!
Final Thoughts
Did you enjoy our recipe for hiyashi chuka? How did yours turn out, and what toppings did you end up using? Are there any other Japanese summer foods you would love to learn how to make? Let us know your comments and questions below!
Author: Jet Nebula
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