Ramen: Japanese Noodle Soup

Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup that actually comes from China and has become a very popular dish in Japan. The Japanese also call ramen as chuka soba or shina soba because soba or o-soba in Japanese often also means noodles. Nearly every region in Japan has its own variation of ramen, from the tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen of Kyushu to the miso ramen of Hokkaido. Characteristic of ramen is a thin and yellow noodle form is the result of handmade or machine-made.

The handmade or machine-made noodles are put into the sauce made from different types of broth. There is shoyu flavor that comes from the typical Japanese soy sauce. Ramen sauce that uses shoyu as the basic ingredients will be brownish and transparent. Next sauce using miso as its basic ingredients. This type of ramen has broth karin and brownish yellow. It comes from a mixture of miso paste with chicken or pork broth. The resulting flavor of the sauce has a more savory taste. Then there is also a sauce that uses shio (salt) as its basic ingredients. Ramen that uses shio has a clear color of gravy. In addition there is also a sauce that uses tonkotsu. This ramen sauce comes from pork bone broth. The gravy is fatty and colored with a very tasty flavor.

Noodles that have been given the sauce is then given various kinds of toppings such as; boiled egg, spring onion, nori, naruto, assorted meats and vegetables. Many various kinds of toppings for ramen can be also seasoned and flavored, including but not limited to:

• Chāshū (sliced barbecued or braised pork)
• Scallions (spring onions)
• Seasoned boiled egg
• Bean or other sprouts
• Menma (lactate-fermented bamboo shoots)
• Kakuni (braised pork cubes or squares)
• Nori (dried seaweed)
• Narutomaki/kamaboko (formed fish paste)
• Corn
• Butter
• Wakame

Ramen in every region has its own peculiarities. For example, Tokyo Ramen based katsuoboshi broth plus shoyu. Kyoto Ramen has different flavor of sauce like soy sauce salty, greasy and strong sauce very thick and oily. Next there Hakodate Ramen which has a shio flavor or salty flavor ala Hakodate which also uses cheese powder as flavoring. Kobe Ramen is served with slices of sliced ​​meat on it. In addition, the accompaniment is pickled radish and vegetable chives.