Ramen is yet another delicious dish that originated from China but gained a distinctly Japanese touch. It consists of boiled egg noodles cooked in a salty broth topped with various ingredients, and aficionados will wait in line before a ramen shop for a fragrantly steaming bowl prepared by a ramen chef who honed his craft for years.
Ramen are usually classified based on the broth and the toppings served with it, and some Japanese regions are famous for the unique flavor of their ramen.
The flavors of Ramen
Shio is a clear, transparent salt soup made with a simple chicken broth. This may be the simplest kind but it’s also the healthiest due to its lower salt content.
Shoyu ramen is similar to shio except it is soy sauce-based with seafood stock. Most ramen made in the Kanto region are shoyu-based.
Tonkotsu ramen uses a milky opaque broth made with crushed pork bones boiled for hours. This is a Kyushu specialty usually served with cha su, or thinly sliced roasted pork.
Miso ramen has a soup stock of combined chicken broth and fermented soybean paste. It is usually served with pan-fried vegetables, and originated from Sapporo.
Ramen are often served with a variety of toppings. Some of the more common toppings are moyashi or bean sprouts, chashuu (pork slices), menma (dried bamboo shoots), eggs served either raw or boiled, hourensou (spinach), meat dumplings, nori and spring onion. These toppings are added after being cooked so they would not affect the flavor of the soup. More delicious ramen variations are being created everyday, so you should try to see which one you like best.
[tags]food,noodles,ramen,japan[/tags]