A CULINARY staple of Nagasaki will make its debut in Cairns tomorrow, when the Japanese city’s most iconic local dish, ‘Sala Udon,’ is available at the Japanese Bon Dance Festival in Cairns.
Sala Udon is a crispy fried noodles dish topped with a thick, savory vegetable and seafood sauce.
It will be available at a food stall being organised by Nagasakitoau – a community-driven group of Japanese importers pursuing cultural and culinary exchange.
Founder of Nagasakitoau, Takaaki Shingu, said the dish had been produced by the Sato Seimenjo noodle manufacturer, which has nearly 100 years of tradition behind it.
“Local residents will get their very first taste of Sala Udon,” he said.
“Despite its strong presence in Japan, this is the first time the dish would be officially introduced to the Australian market.
“Representing Sato Seimenjo in person will be Ms Chie Sakamoto, the fourth-generation successor of this historic company.”
For the past two years, @nagasakito.au has been importing and distributing Japanese green tea and matcha to cafes and grocery stores across Australia.
“This latest development marks a new step in our cultural exchange and business journey,” Mr Shingu said.
“The noodles will be officially available for purchase at You-Mart Japan (Cairns) with plans for ongoing local sales.”
News of the event has travelled, with the Nagasakitoau story recently featured in a local newspaper in Japan, the Nagasaki Shimbun.
With the heading “Nagasaki Noodles Go Global” the article states the Sato Seimenjo noodle manufacturer, had “taken its first step into overseas markets” by introducing its flagship product, Sala Udon, to Australia.
The article said the move had the support of the Nagasaki Chamber of Commerce and Nagasaki Prefecture’s Small Business Support Centre
The Bon Dance Festival is a showcase of Japanese traditional cultural performance with traditional drum and dance held by the Japanese Society of Cairns (JSC) in conjunction with the Consular Office of Japan in Cairns.
The festival will be held from 12.30pm to 8.30pm on Saturday, August 16 at Fogarty Park.
