Somen noodles date back to the eighth century, when they were brought over from China.
Made from wheat, good somen is thin, smooth and white. Somen is commonly eaten in summer. One such dish is hiyashi somen, which is served chilled with dipping sauces that can either be mirin, miso or sesame-based, and topped with condiments such as spring onions.
Eating nagashi or “flowing” somen is another wonderful Japanese foodie experience. You sit by a bamboo or plastic pipe flowing with icy water, then pick up the noodles with chopsticks as they slide by. Nagashi somen is served in restaurants, but some people are even known to construct their own bamboo pipe for summer somen parties in their backyard!