Noodles are just one of several unusual ingredients in this very Japanese topping.
In Japan, Pizza Hut and Domino’s are known for their constant rivalry, often resulting in unusual and creative pizza offerings. This time, Pizza Hut has taken an innovative step by introducing a pizza topped with udon noodles.
Named the “Aromatic Dashi Meat Tempura Gobo Udon Pizza,” this new creation features several distinctly Japanese ingredients. The main topping is beef, which is marinated and slowly stewed in a sweet and spicy sauce, giving it a rich flavor. This beef is complemented by wakame seaweed and cheese, enhancing the umami taste.
The udon noodles, made from 100-percent domestic wheat, have a smooth and chewy texture. To stay true to traditional udon dishes, Pizza Hut has added a special soy sauce broth. This broth is made with bonito flakes, dried sardines, kelp, and shiitake mushrooms, providing a sweet flavor typical of soy sauce-based broths from Kyushu. This combination successfully recreates the taste of “Fukuoka udon,” a specialty from Fukuoka Prefecture.
The final unique ingredient is tempura gobo, or deep-fried burdock root. This element completes the Fukuoka udon flavor profile, as tempura burdock is a common addition to udon dishes in the region. It is a beloved dish in Fukuoka Prefecture.
This special pizza is a collaboration with Udon Map, a television program on TNC TV West Japan. The show features Akira Okazawa, known as “The Udon Guy,” who has introduced viewers to over 800 bowls of udon. Okazawa is famous for his “udon exercises” and dance videos, which are popular with local children.
Fukuoka is renowned as a “noodle mecca” due to its famous tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen. This pizza aims to celebrate the local udon culture in a fun and memorable way.
Due to its focus on Fukuoka udon, the pizza is only available in Fukuoka and Saga prefectures. Noodle lovers elsewhere will need to travel to these regions or attempt to create their own version at home.
The pizza is priced at 1,980 yen (US$13.51) for a medium size and will be available from August 10 to September 15.