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Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and shops around Japan are already getting out their red and pink goods. Not white though, those are saved for a whole other day. Candy and flowers are usually the items of choice for this romantic day, but if your Valentine has less of a sweet tooth and finds flowers uneventful, we have the perfect substitution for you: LOVE Kitsune udon!

Traditional Valentine’s Day gifts in Japan come from the heart. What is especially coveted is hand-made chocolate carefully prepared by that special someone. Even if the results look obviously hand-made (read: messy), the loving feelings can be felt through the gesture alone.

You know what is easier than making chocolate? Making udon noodles! Is udon romantic enough for Valentine’s day? You bet your cherubbutt it is. Thanks to Osawaya, a popular restaurant in Shibukawa, Gunma, you can prepare this lovely, romance-filled bowl of yummy goodness.

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It warms your core and fills your stomach! You can’t ask for anything more! This clever food is a lovely adaptation of kitsune udon (“fox udon”) and takes the important piece of fried tofu and shapes it into a perfect heart.

▼It’s called Kitsune Udon because of an old wives’ tale that foxes love fried tofu

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In the coldest month of the year, this hot bowl of udon will be the most amazing Valentine’s Day gift ever. If you can’t get to Osawaya don’t worry; a box containing all you’ll need to put the dish together can be purchased both directly from the restaurant and via their online shop. For only 730 yen (about US$6.20) you will get a gift that will be talked about for years to come. Be one of the first to serve up this unique kitsune udon and stay warm this Valentine’s Day!

▼You can even get it pre-wrapped just like this.

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Source: Entabe
Images: Osawaya, Flickr (Toshiyuki IMAI) edited by RocketNews24