Ramen at Home: Crafting Japanese Noodle Perfection
Today, ramen is undoubtedly the most popular type of noodle dish in Japan. However, its fame doesn’t end there. People from all over the world enjoy Japanese ramen at home and in restaurants.
The dish has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the traditional ramen shops of the 1910s. We can now enjoy ramen in noodle bars, Asian restaurants, food stalls, and other eateries. Thanks to the convenience of instant ramen, enthusiasts are now recreating different flavors at home.
This post is the ultimate guide to making, selecting, and enhancing Japanese ramen for household enjoyment. Whether you’re making noodles for yourself or as a family meal, our tips and tricks will ensure that you get the most delicious and authentic results.
The Basics of Japanese Ramen
Although there are many different types of ramen, all of them still consist of the same basic components. Japanese ramen is made up of noodles, broth, toppings, and seasonings (tare sauce).
1. Noodles: Typically, ramen noodles are made of wheat flour, water, salt, and kansui. Kansui is alkaline water that is added to noodles to prevent them from melting during the cooking process. It also gives the noodles a unique yellow color and springy texture. Ramen noodles may be thick or thin. They may also be straight, wrinkled, or wavy.
2. Broth: This is the liquid base used to make ramen soup and is a defining property of the dish. It’s often made by combining umami-rich fish or vegetable stock with dashi soup stock. Common components of ramen broth are katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), kombu (edible kelp), shiitake mushrooms, seaweed, and chicken bones.
3. Toppings: Ramen is often garnished or decorated with various meats, seafood, and vegetables. Popular toppings include green onion, pork, soft boiled egg, pickled plum, butter, dried seaweed, and squid.
4. Seasonings: Tare, also known as the sauce, is the main source of seasoning for ramen noodles. Often mixed with broth to create the soup, this sauce can be made with three types of bases. Salt, soy sauce, and miso are the three main bases. To create any type of tare, the base is mixed with additional seasonings such as sugar, bean paste, sake, or spices.
Decoding Types of Ramen
Now that you have a clearer understanding of the basic ramen components, we can dive into its different styles. The following are popular types of ramen:
- Shoyu ramen: This is one of the oldest types of ramen in Japan. The dish is seasoned with soy sauce, giving it a savory and tangy flavor. It’s often topped with scallions (green onions) and nori seaweed.
- Miso ramen: This type of ramen hails from Sapporo in Hokkaido. It’s main ingredient is miso, a fermented soybean paste that’s quite popular in Japanese cuisine. The type of miso used will impact the broth’s taste and texture.
- Tonkotsu ramen: First created in Fukuoka, this ramen type has a creamy-white broth made by simmering pork bones for many hours.
- Shio ramen: Also known as salt ramen, it’s made by boiling pork or chicken bones and adding high-quality salt. Wakame seaweed, scallions, and bean sprouts are some of the popular flavors.
- Tantanmen ramen: This is a sesame-based ramen that originated in China. The sesame paste in the broth gives it a nutty taste and creamy texture.
- Tsukemen: This variant uses thick ramen noodles immersed in cool water. You need to dip it in tare sauce or seasoned broth to enjoy.
The Rise of Instant Ramen: A Culinary Staple
Instant ramen, also known as instant noodles, is a pre-cooked and dried noodles in block form that becomes instantly edible after soaking it in warm water or boiling it. They typically come in a packet or cup alongside seasoning oil or flavor packets. Instant ramen was invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Foods. He wanted to make ramen noodles in an instant form so that more people could enjoy it at home.
The first ever instant ramen product was chicken-flavored. Its popularity grew throughout Japan, to Asia, and then to Western countries like the U.S. Today, there are hundreds of instant ramen brands all over the world. The versions of ramen they sell are highly nutritious, easy to prepare, long-lasting, and extremely diverse in flavor and seasonings.
Selecting the Best Instant Ramen
There are several factors to consider when looking for high-quality ramen. Your first consideration should be the ingredients. This will give you a good idea of the flavor, nutritional value, and potential toppings for the dish. Next, consider the shelf life by looking at the expiry date, especially if you plan on stocking up your pantry with these foods. We highly recommend that you explore Bokksu Market's premium selections. We provide a wide variety, such as tonkotsu ramen and miso ramen, in packets and cups. Plus, we also provide detailed information about the ingredients, ideal toppings, and shelf life of each product.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Must-Try Ramen Flavors.
Salt, sesame, miso, and soy sauce are the classic ramen flavors. However, the invention of instant ramen and cup noodles has created a wide variety of innovative ramen tastes. Protein-based flavors like chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork are popular worldwide. Vegetable flavors, which are less common, include onion, soy, and tomato.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Elevating Your Instant Ramen Experience
Although packaged ramen is a popular snack, many people worry about missing out on the quality of restaurant-grade ramen. However, by using the following premium ingredients and simple culinary techniques, you can enhance the flavors and textures of instant ramen at home:
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Undercooking your ramen by a minute or two will keep it from getting too mushy.
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You can top your ramen with uncooked noodles for an extra crunchy meal.
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Add some cheese and mayo for a creamier, more flavorful dish.
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Add frozen mixtures of herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil for more flavor.
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You can poach eggs in the broth while cooking ramen or whisk them in.
DIY Ramen: How to Make It from Scratch
The best part about making ramen from scratch is that you can customize it according to your tastes. To make simple ramen, all you need are instant ramen noodles, ginger, chicken or vegan stock, soy sauce, shiitake mushrooms, chopped carrots, and eggs or grilled chicken (feel free to add other toppings). The following is a simple process of making homemade ramen:
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Heat sesame oil (or spicy chili oil) in a large pot, then cook garlic, ginger, and shiitake mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes.
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Add chicken or vegan stock, soy sauce, and water. Boil and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes.
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Add chopped carrots and other vegetables. Simmer for 2 minutes.
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Add noodles. You may turn off the heat if the package instructions require warm water. You can also add the content of the seasoning packet.
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Transfer ready noodles to a serving bowl and top with eggs and other ingredients of your choice.
Top Toppings: Customize Your Bowl
Toppings allow you to complement the flavors of the broth and noodles. They also give you a chance to create nutritional balance or customize your ramen. Classic ramen toppings are chashu (braised pork belly), eggs, seaweed, and scallion. More creative toppings include chicken, pork, shrimp, ham, and clam. Other toppings you can try are bean sprouts, bok choy, sweet corn, sesame seeds, and mushrooms.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Pairing Beverages with Ramen
You can also enhance the dining experience by pairing your ramen with the appropriate beverage, which is typically wine, beer, or sake. For shoyu ramen, we recommend dark ale, pinot red wine, and dry sake. Shio ramen tastes great with stout beer, while miso ramen is best paired with cider.
The Cultural Significance of Ramen in Japan
Ramen plays a major role in the average Japanese diet. It’s a cultural icon that once served as an affordable yet satisfying meal for citizens during World War II. People of all ages love ramen, even outside of Japan. To many of them, the noodle dish has become a symbol of the Japanese culinary tradition and cultural identity.
Where to Find Top Ramen Ingredients
If you want to make authentic Japanese ramen, you can find high-quality ingredients in Asian grocery stores, supermarkets, and shops. You may also order items like instant noodles, soy sauce, and dashi soup stock on a reliable online platform like Bokksu Market.
Mastering Ramen at Home
Now that you’re equipped with all of the knowledge you need to understand ramen, it’s time to put what you’ve learned to good use. Start by exploring Bokksu Market for all of your ramen needs. Next, combine all of the ingredients in your kitchen and start making your own ramen at home.
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