Even with temperatures slowly dipping, September is still plenty hot and humid. Of all the various cold noodles enjoyed in Japan — such as soba, udon and hiyashi chūka — sōmen is the quickest to make.
The most important thing with sōmen is to not overcook it, which is easy to do since the noodles are so thin, and to rinse them several times in fresh, cold water after cooking to remove any surface starch. Here are three easy recipes for the accompanying dipping sauce — just pick the one that suits your mood. I've also included a tasty way to use up any leftover noodles.