Have you ever imagined eating a complete meal with the right ingredients and within the right time? Well, Ramen Noodles dish is much more than that. You see, this food gives you the right nutritional value while giving your taste buds a treat which allows you to slowly eat and digest your food.
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Ramen Noodles Origins and Techniques
Historians trace the dish’s origin to Chinese immigrants who came to Japan in the late 19th century. They brought the techniques of “pulled noodles”. This method relies on the number of times the dough is pulled and on the weight of the mixture itself. These factors determine the thickness of the noodles as well as their length.
Many ingredients can be used to create the flour of the noodles. However, the most common is the wheat. Although, you may find other varieties in different regions of Asia.
Perhaps the most significant factor of the noodles would be the Kansui. This ingredient is similar to alkaline salt which provides the dough with fragrance and texture.
As for the soup, it usually consists of protein based broth. These range between meat like beef, chicken or seafood and vegetarian varieties. Also, vegan types are available on demand, as this type of soup is enjoyed by all people.
Ramen Noodles Types
The viscosity and appearance of the soup determines the type. Each of these has its unique flavor. Notably, the Miso is the all time favorite and easily earns “the best seller” when it comes to Ramen. This is due to the tangy flavor that stimulates your tongue once the spoon hits it.
Other varieties of the flavor includes Shōyu which is mostly a clear soup. On the other hand comes Tonkotsu Ramen. This type brings a cloudy thick mixture, not for faint-hearted foodies. Contrastingly, Shio is very pale and clear, so you get to have a visual segregation of the ingredients.
Also, many other varieties exist and it really takes good mathematical skills to determine the infinite combinations… However, one thing is certain and fixed, which is the great flavor.
Reasons for Ramen Noodles' Popularity
The reasons for this dish’s popularity is as old as the Orient itself. Westerners have always had a fascination towards Asia. This love for the Asian culture best manifests itself in the love of this continent’s food. Therefore, Ramen came as a poster child, depicting Asia in one plate.
Also, the Japanese empire has had many impacts throughout the world. Few of these are direct influences, where it has colonized some neighboring countries. There, the Japanese culture is still seen today. Therefore, Ramen acts as an ambassador for the Japanese traditions in these nations.
On the other hand, Asian immigrants helped in spreading this food to the USA, Canada and Australia. Moreoever, many other countries consider Japan a model to follow. Consequently, the food becomes part of the model. Finally, Ramen can be an active dish for diet adherers. Therefore, following a diet has never been this amusing…
