Ngo-10 ekuseni, isiphithiphithi sedolobha sasingakavuki ngokuphelele. Ngahamba ngendlela engavamile, ekugcineni ngathola indawo yokudlela encane yaseJapan ifihliwe phansi kwesakhiwo sokuhlala. Yayisivuliwe iminyaka emihlanu. Isitolo sasiphansi—empeleni sasinobuhlakani kangangokuthi abadlulayo babengasibuka kalula ngaphandle kokuthi babesifuna ngenkuthalo.
Ngesikhathi ngivula umnyango, ngamukelwa yiphunga likafulawa kakolweni.
UKung, umnikazi, wayesematasa ekhishini. Lo somabhizinisi owayeneminyaka engu-85 ubudala wayemi phambi kwenkampaniI-HICOCAumshini we-udon, enakekela ngokucophelela zonke izinyathelo—ukuxova, ukucindezela, ukugingqa, nokusika—ngokugxila okungantengantengi. Isitolo sasingakavulwa ngokusemthethweni, kodwa wayesevele egxile ezweni lakhe: izwe le-udon.
"Bengilokhu ngicwaninga ngalokhu iminyaka emihlanu."
UXiao Kong akazange abheke phezulu, amehlo akhe agxile emabhulokini enhlama kancane kancane
isuka emshinini. Inhlama ephumule ngokuphelele ibonise ukuguquguquka okuphelele, ukuthungwa kwayo kuthambile njengesikhumba somntwana.
Izigaba ezingu-12 zokugingqika.
LokhuI-HICOCAIsici somklamo esihlaba umxhwele kakhulu. Akukhona ngokubumba okungacwengekile, okunesinyathelo esisodwa, kodwa inqubo yokugoqa eqhubekayo, elingisa ngesandla. Ukucindezela ngakunye kuvusa inethiwekhi ye-gluten ngaphakathi kufulawa, kuyiluke ibe yinethiwekhi engabonakali—kodwa eqondakala kalula—yokunwebeka.
Lapho uXiao Kong ethinta isikrini sokuthinta kancane, imicu ye-udon emhlophe yawa ngokulinganayo isuka kumshini wokusika yaya kuthreyi yokuqoqa. Ngaleso sikhathi, ngabona ukukhanya emehlweni akhe.
Kwakuwukukhanya kwengcweti ebona iphupho layo ligcwaliseka.
“Bheka,” wathatha inqwaba yama-noodle asanda kusikwa wadonsa kancane. Agxuma kabili emoyeni. “Yile ndlela i-udon okufanele ibukeke ngayo.”
Wagcoba ama-noodle ngesitashi ngobuchule ukuze anganamatheli, wabe esewafaka emabhokisini. Ukunyakaza kwakhe kwakuhamba kancane, njengokungathi wayekwenze lokhu izikhathi eziyizinkulungwane.
Esikhathini esingaphansi kwehora, amakati angu-50 (cishe amakhilogremu angu-60) e-udon abekwe kahle.
Uma kwenziwa ngesandla kuphela, leli nani lingadinga ingcweti ukuthi isebenze ingayeki usuku lonke. Lapha, ukusebenza kahle kanye nekhwalithi kwakungasafani.
“Bengilokhu ngifuna ukugxila ku-udon,” uXiao Kong wagcina ephakamise amehlo, esula umjuluko omncane ebunzini lakhe. “Kodwa angikwazanga ukuthola imishini efanele. Imishini emakethe yenza ama-noodle abe lukhuni kakhulu, ayinazo izinongo, noma yazizwa ingasebenzi kahle—ingenampilo.”
"Ngize ngihlangane nowakho."
Ngamomotheka, ngingasho lutho. Ngaleso sikhathi, ngangilangazelela kakhulu isitsha sama-noodle esasizophakelwa.
I-Thai Golden Curry Prawn Udon
Imizuzu emihlanu yokulinda ayimide, kodwa kumuntu owayesanda kubona yonke inqubo, umzuzwana ngamunye wawubuhlungu.
Ekugcineni isitsha safika.
Iphunga le-curry langena emakhaleni ami ngamandla. I-shrimp ehlafunwayo enososo lwegolide, kuyilapho umlingiswa oyinhloko—i-coil ye-udon—ilele buthule esitsheni, ilinde izinti zami zokudla.
Ukulunywa kokuqala.
Ngingakuchaza kanjani lokho kuthungwa?
Ngangidle esitolo esidumile eTokyo, ngibizwa ngokuthi ngingomunye “we-Japane's Three Great Udon,” futhi ngacabanga ukuthi ngiyazi ukuthi i-udon ilungile. Kodwa lokhu kudla kwangimangaza.
Kwakungewona nje “ukuhlafuna”. Igama elithi “ukuhlafuna” lincane kakhulu ukuchaza ukumelana okuncane okuzwakalayo lapho amazinyo esika i-noodle. Futhi kwakungelula futhi kunamafutha amaningi, njengoba lelo gama lihluleka ukuchaza iphunga likakolweni elihlanganisiwe kanye nokunambitheka okumnandi okuphuma ngesikhathi sokuhlafuna.
Kwakuwukuqina, umswakama, Ubushelelezi, Ukukhuluphala.
Kwakuyi-symphony emangalisayo yale mizwa ehlangana emlonyeni. Ngokunembile, umshini wawuphinde “imbangela” yokwenza ngezandla, waveza “umphumela” owadlula lokho. Inethiwekhi ephelele ye-gluten, eyakhiwe ngezigaba ezingu-12 zokugoqa, yaqinisekisa ukuthi yonke i-noodle igcina ukucindezeleka okulungile ngemva kokupheka—kungaba okuxegayo nokungaguquguquki noma okunzima nokuhlafuna. Yagxuma kancane phakathi kwamazinyo, futhi njengoba nje wawusuzoyikhohlwa, yakhipha iphunga lokugcina likakolweni.
"Amakhasimende ethu avame ukuthengisa."
UXiao Kong wahlala phambi kwami, engibuka ngidla ngokwaneliseka. Ukumamatheka okuhlukile kubanikazi bezitolo—okwaneliseka ngokuphelele—kwasakazeka ebusweni bakhe.
“Abanye basibiza ngokuthi ‘isitolo esidumile kwi-inthanethi’ futhi bafuna sikhangise kakhulu kuXiaohongshu nakuDouyin,” esho, enikina ikhanda. “Kodwa ngenqabile.”
“Kungani?” ngibuza.
“Ngoba igama elithi ‘isitolo esidumile kwi-inthanethi’ liyisihlamba kithi.” Iphimbo lakhe lalizolile kodwa liqinile. “‘Izitolo ezidumile kwi-inthanethi’ zixosha ithrafikhi kanye nokuthandwa okwesikhashana. Esikuxoshayo ukuthi, eminyakeni emihlanu noma eyishumi kusukela manje, abantu basazovuma ukuwela lo mgwaqo ikakhulukazi ukuze badle isitsha sama-noodle.”
"Siphila ngekhwalithi. Siphila ngenhliziyo."
Ngabeka phansi izinti zami zokudla ngabheka insizwa eyayiphambi kwami ngobuqotho. Eminyakeni emihlanu edlule, wavula isitolo esincane kuleli kona elifihliwe, eqaphe ukuzinikela okuqinile ekudleni kwaseJapane. Eminyakeni emihlanu kamuva, ekugcineni wathola imishini efanele, evumela iphupho lakhe leminyaka emihlanu le-udon ephelele ukuba likhule. FuthiI-HICOCAwaba nenhlanhla yokuba yingxenye yaleli phupho.
Abanye bathi imishini ayibanda, ayisebenzi, futhi ayinamphefumulo. Kodwa abazi ukuthi imishini iyithuluzi nje. Umphefumulo uhlala uvela kumuntu oyisebenzisayo.
UXiao Kong wayengasebenzisi lo mshini ukukhiqiza imikhiqizo ejwayelekile, yomugqa wokuhlanganisa. Wayekha isitsha sama-noodle ayesicwaningile iminyaka emihlanu. Wayelawula isikhathi sokuxova, eqapha ukuhlunga kwenhlama, elungisa ingcindezi yokugoqa, futhi efaka ukuqonda kwakhe kuyo yonke imininingwane. Kwakuwukunemba komshini, kuhlangene nokuzinikela komuntu, okwadala lowo mzuzu wenjabulo enkulu.
Njengoba ngihamba, ngaphenduka ngabheka okokugcina esitolo esincane. Indawo yesitolo yahlala ingabonakali, indawo isafihliwe. Kodwa ngangazi ukuthi ngemuva kwalowo mnyango, insizwa yayipheka isitsha sangempela se-udon ngendlela "eyisiwula" kodwa ehlakaniphe kakhulu ngangokunokwenzeka. Yayilinde iminyaka emihlanu ukuthola umshini ofanele, yabe isisebenzisa ukuzinikela kwayo kwansuku zonke ukuguqula lokho kulinda isikhathi eside kube惊艳(injabulo emangalisayo) etholakala esitsheni ngasinye sabantu abadlayo.
Lesi akusona isitolo "esidumile kwi-inthanethi".
Lesi isitolo okufanele siwele ingxenye yedolobha ukuze usivakashele.
I-Postscript
At I-HICOCA, sihlangane nabantu abaningi embonini yokudla neziphuzo. Abanye bajaha isivinini, benethemba lemishini esheshayo ngangokunokwenzeka; abanye babeka phambili izindleko, befuna izinketho ezishibhile ezitholakalayo; kanti abanye bafuna izinto ezilula, befisa imishini "engaphuthi" ngangokunokwenzeka.
Kodwa sihlangane nabantu abanjengoXiao Kong.
Abaphishekeli okusheshayo, okungabizi kakhulu, noma okushibhile kakhulu. Abakufunayo yilokho kunambitheka "okulungile".
Umshini wethu we-udon noodle wazalelwa ngqo abantu abanjalo. Ngezigaba ezingu-12 zokugoqa lokho okulingisa ungqimba lwezandla ngesendlalelo, amapharamitha aqondile alawulwa ngokuhlakanipha, kanye nesibonisi esisebenziseka kalula—yonke inketho yokuklama yenziwe hhayi ukuze kuthathelwe indawo ubuciko, kodwa ukuze kuvunyelwe iphupho lochwepheshe ukuba linambitheke ngabantu abaningi.
Uma ungumuntu onjalo, uma nawe unesitsha sama-noodles osulinde isikhathi eside ukuze uphelele—wamukelekile ukukhuluma nathi.
Mhlawumbe lokho okulindile akuyona nje umshini.
Mhlawumbe okulindile ngumlingani ongadlulisela ngokwethembeka ukuzinikezela kwakho, ngokuphelele, kubo bonke abadlayo.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Mashi-14-2026