Real Ramen
December 16th, 2005 :: noodleson
“Real” ramen is a greasy, slurpy, splashy noodles and well-seasoned broth concortion found in crowded eateries all over Japan, and if you’re lucky - a good Japanese-style eateries near you!
Ramen is not exactly a health food, but it had inspired a whole nation to embrace it as a new national dish. Of course, not having these exquisite tasty cuisines, we settle for instant ramen.
In the U.S. market, most of the “real” tastes are left out in instant ramen due to consumer concerns with labelings. Anything authentic tasting are served in resturants only, like other fine rich foods.
Ramen may be considered a simple food, but to a real ramen chef, it is not easy at all.
“Making the broth can take anywhere from several hours to an entire day, and constant attention is required to control the temperature, strain the broth, and make sure the ingredients are added at the proper time…”
“…Watch as they make the broth and you’ll see them putting a huge dollop of lard into it and if you want a graphic demonstration of this, linger over your noodles and watch as a five-millimeter layer of grease forms on the top. Grease, however, is not the worst part of a bowl of ramen. What makes nutritionists really cringe is the salt. There are about five grams in your average bowl, half of a person’s recommended daily intake so think twice before drinking down the broth after finishing your noodles.”
Excerpts from: Ramen Nation
Ramen Nation is a very revealing must-read essay on the ramen culture in Japan. Nicely presented, with pictures and lot of interesting details.
http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/ramen_nation.htm
“Real” ramen is a greasy, slurpy, splashy noodles and well-seasoned broth concortion found in crowded eateries all over Japan, and if you’re lucky - a good Japanese-style eateries near you!
Ramen is not exactly a health food, but it had inspired a whole nation to embrace it as a new national dish. Of course, not having these exquisite tasty cuisines, we settle for instant ramen.
In the U.S. market, most of the “real” tastes are left out in instant ramen due to consumer concerns with labelings. Anything authentic tasting are served in resturants only, like other fine rich foods.
Ramen may be considered a simple food, but to a real ramen chef, it is not easy at all.
“Making the broth can take anywhere from several hours to an entire day, and constant attention is required to control the temperature, strain the broth, and make sure the ingredients are added at the proper time…”
“…Watch as they make the broth and you’ll see them putting a huge dollop of lard into it and if you want a graphic demonstration of this, linger over your noodles and watch as a five-millimeter layer of grease forms on the top. Grease, however, is not the worst part of a bowl of ramen. What makes nutritionists really cringe is the salt. There are about five grams in your average bowl, half of a person’s recommended daily intake so think twice before drinking down the broth after finishing your noodles.”
Excerpts from: Ramen Nation
Ramen Nation is a very revealing must-read essay on the ramen culture in Japan. Nicely presented, with pictures and lot of interesting details.
http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/ramen_nation.htm
