The nostalgia infused in one New Yorker's favored noodle dish

WNYC News

Food has a way of connecting us to our past. WNYC's Community Partnerships Desk set out to hear from New Yorkers across the city about the memories that come to mind from certain family recipes. This week we hear from Aiko Cascio, a resident of Manhattan, and cooking instructor with The League of Kitchens.

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

I'm living in Manhattan, originally from Japan. I was born in a place called the Kagawa Prefecture. It's the middle part of Japan, close to Osaka. People are nice over there. Small community. The Kagawa Prefecture is very famous for the udon noodle. We have more udon noodle restaurant than the convenience stores.

Ramen noodle is popular in the United States now. But I like udon noodle better than ramen noodle because udon noodle doesn't have, so much oil, like ramen noodles. The broth, udon noodle broth, is made with dried sardine. People think about the sardine broth, it's ew. My husband don't like it, because of fish. But I like it.

Growing up, my father loved udon noodle and if he find out some place is good, he take us there the weekend. My grandmother used to make homemade noodles. We didn't have a machine. She just make a dough, and put in a plastic bag, and then she put the clothes on the top, and then the step on it, and make a flat. I think twice a week, or three times a week, we have udon noodle.

Even though, you know, I've been living in the United States a long time, I still have kind of like a nostalgia. Now, when I'm eating udon noodle, I'm making it by myself. The noodle is not easy. So, I buy the noodle and then make a broth, but still not popular in my family. So, I'm only the one eating.