For Tsukimi, or the Moon Viewing Festival in Japan, people enjoy making food that is reminiscent of the full moon. This Tsukimi Udon is extremely easy to make, warms your soul, and captures the beauty of the full harvest moon.

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Many people are familiar with the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival, but did you know Japan celebrates this change of seasons as well? It is called Tsukimi (月見), the Moon Viewing Festival.

What is Tsukimi?

Tsukimi is the Moon Viewing Festival and takes place mid-autumn, usually falling between mid-September to early October. It is to celebrate a good harvest as well as good health. Displays of Susuki (pampas grass), Tsukimi Dango (Moon Viewing Mochi), and other seasonal foods such as chestnuts or persimmons are put out in homes as offerings to the lunar gods.

To celebrate, meals that reflect the full harvest moon are also enjoyed. This Tsukimi Udon has a bright, round egg yolk that looks like the moon. A lot of people will make Tsukimi Nabe or Tsukimi Sukiyaki (hot pot with an egg yolk in the middle) or even Tsukimi Pasta!

What is udon?

Udon (うどん) is a thick, round noodle that is made from wheat flour. It is a very popular noodle among both adults and children. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served, but most commonly and simply is in a hot broth with a variety of toppings.

Topping recommendations:

Here are some topping ideas to include in your udon. Remember, to make it specifically Tsukimi Udon, you will need to include something round and yellow (like an egg yolk).

green onions
wakame (seaweed)
tenkasu (tempura bits)
shrimp tempura
kamaboko (fish cake)
boiled spinach

Recipe notes

I am including in the recipe for how to make the broth from scratch, but if you want to make it even easier, you can buy pre-made mentsuyu (concentrated soup base).

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5 from 1 vote