Every food has its season, and every season its food -- and the arrival of the big heat means that, more than ever, this is the time of year for noodles.
Luckily, there's no shortage to choose from. Somen and hiyamugi are the regular summer fare, insubstantial but refreshing, as is the ramen equivalent, hiyashi chuka. Zaru soba is the old Edokko standby, although strict purists insist you should wait until the autumn buckwheat harvest is in.
Any of the above are welcome in this trying season, but few fit the bill better than inaniwa udon. These wheat noodles hail from Akita and there was a time when, in the eyes of some city folks, they were about as sophisticated as grits and black-eyed peas. But in truth, they are far more elegant and delicate than the better-known (and far bulkier) varieties from the udon heartland of Kansai and Shikoku.