Ramen

Originally, ramen was brought over to Japan from China. The hard, dry noodles kept well for travel and was very useful for a quick snack. Because the noodles could be softened quickly, they were also much more time efficient than a stew or soup. Ramen also kept travelers warm during winter, as it could be a cheap hot meal.

Instant ramen today is usually freeze-dried or dehydrated noodles that are packaged with pre-prepared seasoning, and sometimes dehydrated vegetables. It's popular today because it's a very cheap hot meal. This instant ramen has become popular in America, Japan, China, and many other countries.

In Japan, however, ramen is a traditional meal. When ramen came over to Japan from China, it became integrated into their culture as a common meal. Ramen in Japan is made with fresh ingredients and homemade noodles. Sometimes the stock for ramen is boiled for days to create many layers of flavor. There are many types of Japanese ramen, such as shoyu (soy sauce) or shio (salt). Soy sauce ramen has soy sauce in the broth, and salt ramen has a base without soy sauce. Some ramen also has pork, chicken, or beef broth.

Usually ramen also has many different ingredients besides noodles and broth. A typical ramen dish has some type of meat, usually beef or pork on top. Ramen also has many vegetables. It can have green onions, daikon (radish), turnip, and mushroom. Ramen is a very forgiving dish, so you can really put anything in it and it will still taste good due to the strong broth.


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