Just Dissolve It in Cold Water: Ryuji's "Ultimate Lazy Dashi Somen" and Chicken-Stock Nori Cucumbers

The project coincides with Ryuji's somen appearing on the front of Marudori Gara Soup's summer packaging. According to Ryuji, the photo on the front has finally been updated, but the back still has an old photo, making it a "mismatched package." The QR code on the back reportedly leads to somen recipes that have used the product in the past.

Because the seasonings are all Ajinomoto products, such as Hondashi, kombu dashi and Hi-Me, Ryuji jokingly called this "Collusion Somen." Ryuji also explained, however, that this isn't a case of sucking up to the company. Apparently products sell well when they partner with Ryuji, and that's why the requests keep coming. Ryuji then added with a laugh, "There's a little sucking up, too."

The ingredients are somen, garlic, Marudori Gara Soup, Hondashi, Hondashi Kombu Dashi, Hi-Me, pepper, salt, sugar and olive oil. Ryuji recommends hand-stretched somen. It doesn't have to be hand-stretched, but hand-stretched noodles go down more smoothly. The dish works without garlic, but Ryuji felt it tasted better with it, so it's included.

What sets this somen apart is that it uses three kinds of dashi. Ryuji asks viewers to have at least Marudori Gara Soup and Hondashi on hand. Kombu dashi adds depth if you have it, but you can "make do" without it. Hi-Me is added to boost umami and can also be left out, though Ryuji stresses that "it's better with it." Ryuji's guidance is that those who have all four should make the full version, while those who don't can substitute Hondashi for the kombu dashi and still make it delicious without Hi-Me.

Many people eat somen with mentsuyu dipping sauce in summer, but Ryuji encourages viewers to learn this soup-style somen made with cold water. Put 250 cc of cold water in a bowl and add all the seasonings. The amounts are as follows:

• Marudori Gara Soup: 1 1/3 teaspoons
• Hondashi Kombu Dashi: 1/2 teaspoon (substitute Hondashi if you don't have it)
• Hondashi: 1/3 teaspoon
• Hi-Me: 3 shakes (3 shakes of Ajinomoto also works)
• Pepper: 5 shakes (powdered type if possible)
• Grated garlic: 5 g (about 8 shakes if using garlic powder)
• Salt: 2 pinches
• Sugar: 1 pinch
• Olive oil: about 1 tablespoon

Ryuji says combining Marudori Gara Soup, kombu dashi and Hondashi makes a delicious broth that tastes as if you really made dashi from scratch. You can use Ajinomoto instead of Hi-Me, but Hi-Me has stronger umami and gives a more refined flavor. Five shakes of pepper is a bit spicy, so Ryuji recommends adjusting by eye. As for salt, Ryuji added that since they personally like strongly salty flavors, most people may not need even two pinches.

When stirred, the chicken stock dissolved completely, even in cold water. Ryuji presents this as a "selling point" thanks to Ajinomoto's technology. Since it dissolves in water, there's no need to boil the broth, and boiling would just be a hassle. Other oils are fine instead of olive oil, but Ryuji used J-Oil Mills olive oil because it's a group company product. The finished broth goes into the fridge to get "ice-cold."

There are so few steps that Ryuji feigned surprise: "It's already almost done." Ryuji also said that being this "lazy" is fine once in a while, and if it feels lacking, you can toss in steamed chicken or salad chicken or whatever, and it'll taste great.

While the water was heating, Ryuji made a side dish with cucumbers that were on the verge of going bad. Ryuji explains that swollen spots and whitish patches are signs of an old cucumber, and as it loses moisture, its shape becomes misshapen. Even so, it's perfectly fine to eat.

Cut the cucumber into irregular chunks. You can also smash it by hand, but Ryuji used a knife. Add a pinch (about 3 g) of crumbled nori and about half a teaspoon of Marudori Gara Soup, and massage it in. Massaging cucumbers draws out water, and normally that wateriness dilutes the flavor. With nori added, though, the nori soaks up that moisture. The nori softens and adds flavor, so you get a chicken-stock-flavored dressed side dish in a "rational" way, Ryuji explains. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil. Those who want more protein can add something, and if it needs more flavor, add a pinch of salt.

Ryuji gives two key points for boiling somen. First, always bring the water to a full boil. Boiling in water that isn't boiling results in sticky, gummy somen, a common beginner's mistake. Second, always have ice water ready. Ryuji believes that people who find homemade somen unappetizing usually aren't chilling it in ice. Noodles are "absolutely better" when shocked in ice, so Ryuji recommends not cutting corners here and making or buying ice in advance.

For the boiling time, Ryuji uses a method learned from cooking expert Higashiyama and has been making it this way since last year. Put the somen into boiling water and pull it out after about 40 to 45 seconds. The package usually says 2 minutes, but you don't even need to wait a minute. At this point the noodles are still "crunchy," but Ryuji stresses that this firm texture really shines when the noodles are soaked in the broth.

Still, they're too hard as they are, so soak them in ice water for 1 minute. Meanwhile, checking the cucumbers from earlier, no water had pooled at the bottom of the bowl. Ryuji explains this is because the nori absorbed the moisture. After 1 minute, squeeze the noodles firmly and put them into the chilled broth. Finally, neaten the noodles a little and add a bit more olive oil to make it glisten and give it a "sense of accomplishment." Ryuji also said that in the end, cooking is all about how close you can get it to your own taste.

On tasting it, Ryuji's verdict was "This is viral-level good." Ryuji wants everyone to know that layering different dashi makes a broth like you'd get at a restaurant. Ryuji also said it's so refreshing that during the hot summer they could end up eating nothing but this.

Of the nori cucumbers, Ryuji remarked that the nori flavor is a really nice addition and that one person could easily eat a whole cucumber. Ryuji also offered the view that the potassium in cucumbers helps flush salt from the body, making them a good match for salty somen. Ryuji added that the channel has featured a lot of elaborate dishes lately, so eating something like this once in a while really hits the spot.

Adding a few drops of lemon juice partway through makes the somen more refreshing, with a flavor like naengmyeon cold noodles. Garlic is optional, and if you leave it out, Ryuji recommends adding a fruity note like lemon for better flavor.

Ryuji says this dashi combination was originally developed in an attempt to make restaurant-level shio ramen. Ryuji thought it would be great as somen, tried it, and found it "insanely good." There are a fair number of seasonings, but you can skip the ones that can be skipped. Ryuji's conclusion is that since mentsuyu alone gets boring over the summer, this is definitely a dish worth learning to make.

Finally, Ryuji explained the product's features. Marudori Gara Soup dissolves easily on vegetables and in water. Ryuji says they've used other companies' chicken stock too, but this product has the finest granules. Because it dissolves without heat, Ryuji considers it well suited to summer cooking. Noting that this video had little idle chatter and few steps, Ryuji looked back on it as being "about the pace of a video from four years ago," and wrapped up by saying videos like this are nice too.