Adachi-na Udon & Adachi-na Pasta
Adachi-na Udon & Adachi-na Pasta
We manufacture healthy green komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) noodles and other modern Tokyo delicacies using time-honored techniques passed down for over a century. Our noodles are rich in nutrients and suit a variety of dishes.
Adachi Ward’s komatsuna is of superior quality, containing 30 percent more iron than other regions (per a survey conducted by Tokyo Denki University). According to historical records from Kokudo Annonji Temple in Shimane, Adachi Ward, a dish of grilled tofu and adachi-na komatsuna (known as “aona” at the time) was served to the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, who greatly enjoyed it, and the vegetable came to be called “komatsuna.”
In his diary, the Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa notes that fresh vegetables were grown all year round in Adachi and sent to the Tokugawa family at Edo Castle via Senju Market.
Komatsuna is known to have three times more calcium than spinach. Among its varieties, adachi-na is particularly rich in minerals such as iron and zinc, and boasts a vivid green color. After two years of development, our Adachi-na Udon contains more than 50 grams (out of 100 grams) of fresh powdered/pureed adachi-na kneaded into it to achieve a vivid color and flavor without using synthetic coloring or preservatives. The powdered komatsuna is prepared by workers at social welfare facilities and is combined with other ingredients using the traditional water roux kneading method at the only dry noodle factory in Tokyo’s 23 wards. This method involves kneading the ingredients in 92°C boiling water before slowly drying the noodles, which takes four times longer than the average drying time. The package is decorated with Sukeroku, a famous figure from the kabuki play of the same name and whose grave mound is enshrined at Igyoin Temple in Adachi Ward alongside Agemaki—the play’s other titular character.
Adachi-na Pasta is made using 100 percent durum wheat, which contains vitamins such as B1 and B2, supports healthy metabolism, curbs post-meal blood sugar spikes, and prevents severe thiamine deficiency. The package design features Agemaki, whose experience in the art of romance led her to fall madly in love with Sukeroku, the character pictured on Adachi-na Udon. The dried pasta, weighing 100 grams, includes over 50 grams of adachi-na, and is made using the water kneading method to preserve the traditional pasta texture. The noodles are also kneaded with 100 percent durum wheat, just like fresh noodles, making them rich in nutrition.
Adachi-na is kneaded into a powder/puree.
Noodles Made with Nutrient-Dense Komatsuna Sourced from Adachi Ward
A specialty of Tokyo crafted using traditional methods passed down from the Edo period (1603–1867) and dry-aged for an extended period at Edo Tamagawaya Inc.'s noodle factory, the noodles are kneaded with komatsuna grown in Adachi Ward.
It is made using the traditional water roux method. Adachi-na is transformed into both a puree/powder before being kneaded into the dough. The noodles are then dry aged for four times longer than the standard drying period at the only dry noodle factory in Tokyo's 23 Wards. Each 100-gram package of dried noodles contains a minimum of 50 grams of fresh adachi-na.
As a new delicacy developed in the Adachi Ward of Tokyo, these noodles won the top prize at the 3rd Cooking Competition Using Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products Sourced from Tokyo. Our goal is to make Adachi-na Udon a genuine Tokyo specialty from Adachi Ward, and we appreciate your continued support in sharing our story.
Produced at a noodle factory that has received the Tokyo Governor's Award, the noodles were carefully crafted through a process of experimentation and kneaded using fresh ingredients rather than dried ones, to maintain the vibrant color, aroma, and taste of the adachi-na.
Komatsuna grown in Adachi Ward.
What Is Adachi-na?
Adachi-na refers to the Adachi Ward of Tokyo, which has a long history of cultivating fresh vegetables dating back to the Edo period. The Senju Market, known for its variety of vegetables, has played a significant role in this tradition. Among the many vegetables grown in Adachi Ward, farmers have always focused on komatsuna. Even today, Adachi Ward remains one of the leading producers of komatsuna in Japan.
According to a study carried out by Tokyo Denki University, komatsuna produced in Adachi Ward is more nutrient dense compared to komatsuna grown in other areas, containing approximately 30 percent more iron. The high-quality komatsuna grown in Adachi is renowned for its excellent taste, aroma, color, and flavor, and is affectionately known as "adachi-na."
Society members talking with the mayor of Adachi Ward
A Non-Profit Organization That Helps Support Contributions to the Local Community
Our objective is to build on the success of the Adachi New Local Gourmet Creation Project by creating and supporting additional projects and businesses in the community through the development and popularization of local gourmet foods that take advantage of the unique traits of Adachi Ward. To accomplish this goal, we recognized the need for collaboration with the government and relevant organizations and thus decided to become a non-profit organization in December 2015.
To make sure that our organization's activities are open to everyone, and since our projects are not focused on making a profit, we determined that obtaining the status of a designated non-profit corporation would be the ideal solution for our organization. Doing so allowed us to establish and develop our organization, raise awareness about the farmers and agricultural products of Adachi, both locally and beyond, and boost the supply and demand of agricultural products. We believe this will revitalize the local economy, promote regional development, and strengthen the connection Adachi Ward residents feel to their hometown, ultimately making a positive impact on the community as a whole.
- URL (Japanese): https://adachina.tokyo/production/