Ramen Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing

The dish is hiyashi chuka (冷やし中華, chilled Chinese), invented in 1937 at Ryutei restaurant in Sendai or 1933 at Yosuko Saikan in Tokyo's Kanda — sources differ — as a summer adaptation of Chinese cold noodles for Japanese tastes. The sesame dressing version (goma-dare) emerged in the 1970s; the soy-vinegar (shoyu-dare) version is the older default. The Western-menu name 'ramen noodle salad' appears with US Japanese delis in the 1980s.

Hiyashi chuka — 1937 Sendai's Ryutei restaurant claim, post-war Tokyo's Yosuko also claims it. Cold ramen with neri-goma, rice vinegar, soy. Summer-only by tradition; Tokyo shops hang the 'hiyashi chuka hajimemashita' sign in May.

Cold wheat noodles tossed with shredded carrot, cucumber, scallion, sometimes ham or chicken, and a thick beige sesame dressing. Nutty and slightly sweet from ground white sesame, mirin, and rice vinegar. Top with toasted sesame seeds. Built for hot summer days when hot ramen broth is unbearable. Not a traditional dish — closer to a deli-counter rendition than a kitchen-table classic.

Cold-water shock after boiling is non-negotiable: it stops residual cooking, washes off surface starch (which would gum the dressing), and tightens the noodle into the squeaky-firm texture cold ramen needs. Sesame dressing must be loose enough to coat — too thick and it clumps on the noodle, leaving the rest dry. Build the dressing with a splash of pasta water or extra rice vinegar.