Recipe notes
You can use whatever you like to garnish your ramen! For example, chicken, vegetables, an egg, a few leaves of nori seaweed...
WHAT ARE RAMEN?
Ramen are Japanese noodles of Chinese origin, served in a bowl of broth, usually miso. They can be accompanied by various ingredients such as meat, vegetables or eggs, offering an infinite variety of flavors. There are many ramen restaurants in Japan serving these delicious noodles.
Instant noodles are a very fast, industrial version of the classic ramen. They can be found in bags or cup noodles at very affordable prices in Japanese grocery and other stores.
WHERE DOES RAMEN COME FROM?
Noodles have a thousand-year-old history, deeply rooted in Asian cultures. Their origins date back over 4,000 years to China, where the first traces of noodles were discovered. They then spread throughout Asia, notably to Japan and Korea, adopting different shapes and textures according to local traditions. Japanese ramen, thick and chewy udon and buckwheat-based soba all bear witness to this diversity. Today, noodles are popular the world over, thanks to their ease of preparation, affordable price and incredible ability to absorb the flavors of broths and sauces. Instant noodles, invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, have further enhanced this popularity by offering a convenient, tasty and accessible meal for everyone, becoming a staple of fast, comforting cooking.
WHICH NOODLES ARE USED IN RAMEN?
There are two types of ramen noodles: smooth and wavy. They are made from wheat flour, water, salt and kansui (alkaline water). Somen noodles are often used for ramen.
SOMEN
Somen are thin, long, white wheat noodles. These noodles are little known outside Japan, yet they're quick and easy to prepare. These are the noodles most often used to prepare ramen!
THE UDON
Made with soft wheat flour, udon are a popular type of noodle in Japanese cuisine. Although thicker and more fragile than ramen noodles, they can also be eaten in a bowl of broth. They are one of the most popular noodles, along with ramen and soba.
