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| Ramen!!!; A lot of you forgot about my obsession!! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 31 2006, 04:43 PM (251 Views) | |
| Deleted User | Dec 31 2006, 04:43 PM Post #1 |
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Deleted User
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I see that a lot of you forgot and some of you never knew about my obsession! Also, don't listen to the 'Alert!' thread from Azmar, he was just saying that to not make you have it, but what he said was true, but as long as you don't have that much, what he said won't happen to you! Now here's the history: History Ramen originated in China and was used in Chinese cuisine. It is a relative newcomer to Japanese cuisine. While Tokugawa Mitsukuni reportedly ate ramen in the late 17th century, it was only during the Meiji period that the dish became widely known ¡ª perhaps because, for most of its history, the Japanese diet consisted mostly of vegetables and seafood rather than meat. The introduction of American and European cuisine, which demanded increased production of meat products, played a large role in ramen's increased popularity. Though of Chinese origin, it is unclear when, from where and by whom ramen was introduced to Japan. Even the etymology of the term "ramen" is a topic of debate. One hypothesis is that "ramen" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese: ÀüM (lamian), meaning "hand-pulled noodles." A second hypothesis proposes ÀÏüM (laomian, "old noodles") as the original form, while yet another states that ramen was initially ûuüM (lumian), noodles cooked in a thick, starchy sauce. Finally, others peg “ÆüI (Cantonese: Lo mein, Mandarin: l¨¡o mi¨¤n), meaning "stirred noodles," as the origin of "ramen." There are also anecdotal origins: one story purports that the name was originally ÁøüM (liumian), meaning "Liu's noodle," with Liu being the cook who ostensibly popularized the dish. In the early Meiji period, ramen was called shina soba (Ö§ÄǤ½¤Ð, literally "Chinese soba") but today ch¨±ka soba (ÖÐÈA¤½¤Ð, also meaning "Chinese soba") is the more common, not to mention politically correct, term. By 1900, restaurants serving Chinese cuisine from Canton and Shanghai offered a simple ramen dish of noodles (cut rather than hand pulled), a few toppings, and a broth flavored with salt and pork bones. Many Chinese also pulled portable food stalls, selling ramen and gy¨za dumplings to workers. By the mid 1900s, these stalls used a type of a musical horn called a charumera (¥Á¥ã¥ë¥á¥é, from the Portuguese charamela) to advertise their presence, a practice some vendors still retain via a loudspeaker and a looped recording. By the early Sh¨wa period, ramen had become a popular dish when eating out. After World War II, cheap flour imported from the U.S. swept the Japanese market. At the same time, millions of Japanese troops had returned from China and continental East Asia. Many of these returnees had become familiar with Chinese cuisine, and subsequently set up Chinese restaurants across Japan. Eating ramen, while popular, was still a special occasion that required going out. In 1958, instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando, the founder and chairman of Nissin Foods. Named the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century in a Japanese poll[citation needed], instant ramen allowed anyone to make this dish simply by adding boiling water. Beginning in the 1980s, ramen became a Japanese cultural icon and was studied from many perspectives. At the same time, local varieties of ramen were hitting the national market, and could even be ordered by their regional names. [edit] Types A wide variety of ramen exists in Japan, with geographical and vendor-specific differences even in varieties that share the same name. Ramen can be broadly categorized by its three main ingredients: noodles, soup and toppings. [edit] Noodles fresh ramen noodlesMost ramen noodles are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water and kansui (¤«¤ó¤¹¤¤). Originally, kansui was water from Inner Mongolia's Lake Kan, which contains large amounts of potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate as well as a small amount of phosphoric acid. Making noodles with kansui lends them a yellowish hue as well as a particular flavor. For a brief time after World War II, low-quality kansui that was tainted or thinned with water was sold, though kansui is now manufactured according to JAS standards. Eggs may also be substituted for kansui. Some ramen noodles are made with neither eggs nor kansui, and should only be used for yakisoba. Ramen noodles come in various shapes and lengths. They may be fat, thin, or even ribbon-like, as well as straight or wrinkled. According to Nissin, there are five traditional types of noodles: "hand-stretched noodle," "oiled and stick-stretched noodle," "cut noodle," "pushed noodle" and "rice noodle." [edit] Soup Ramen soup is generally made of stock based on chicken or pork, combined with a variety of ingredients such as kombu (kelp), katsuobushi (skipjack tuna flakes), niboshi (dried baby sardines), beef bones, shiitake and onions, and then flavoured with the likes of salt, miso or soy sauce. The resulting combination is generally divided into four flavors (though these are sometimes mixed together to produce new, original variations): Shio ("salt") ramen soup clear, almost transparent. is probably the oldest of the four and, like the Chinese maotang (뜫), is a simple chicken broth. Tonkotsu ("pork bone") ramen is usually white. It is similar to the Chinese baitang (°×œ«) and is a thick broth made with crushed pork bones that have been boiled for hours. It is a specialty of Ky¨±sh¨± and is often served with beni shoga (pickled ginger). shoyu ("soy sauce") ramen soup is made by adding a soy-based sauce to a stock usually made from chicken and various vegetables. It is popular in Honsh¨±. Popular seasonings are black pepper or chilli oil. Miso ramen is a relative newcomer, having reached national prominence around 1965. This uniquely Japanese ramen, which was developed in Hokkaid¨, features a broth that combines chicken stock with a fermented soybean paste. Often topped with sweetcorn and butter. (It's worth noting that inventive chefs continue to push the boundaries of ramen cuisine: by 2006, Hokkaido's regional curry ramen had leapt to national prominence, and restaurants from Sendai to Kobe have for years offered a ramen based on the made-in-Japan Chinese dish of ebi chili sauce, or "shrimp in chili sauce.") Some seasonings commonly added to ramen are black pepper, butter, chile pepper, sesame seeds and garlic. Soup recipes and methods of preparation are a closely guarded secret in many restaurants. [edit] Toppings Miso ramen, showing negi, boiled egg and ch¨¡sh¨± toppingsRamen are almost invariably topped with finely chopped negi (a type of scallion), menma (fermented and pickled bamboo shoot) and sliced ch¨¡sh¨± (char siu, ²æŸ† or Ÿ†ëà: traditionally a barbecued pork but usually a thinly sliced braised pork when used as a ramen topping). Popular additional toppings include boiled egg (sometimes marinated), naruto (a type of kamaboko), nori, spinach, bean sprouts, wakame, deep fried scallion, or kimchi. Hokkaido-style miso ramen is often topped with sweetcorn. In most cases, toppings are added after having been already cooked so as to not change the flavor of the soup. [edit] Regional variations Standard versions of ramen have been available throughout Japan, however in the last few decades a multitude of regional specialities have cropped up. Below are some of the most nationally known ones. Sapporo, from the capital of Hokkaid¨, is especially famous for its ramen. Most people in Japan associate Sapporo with its rich miso ramen which was invented there, and is perfect for Hokkaido's harsh, snowy winters. Sapporo miso ramen is typically topped with sweetcorn, butter, beansprouts, finely chopped pork and garlic, and sometimes local seafood such as scallop, squid and crab. Kitakata in northern Honshu is known for its rather thick, flat, curly noodles served in a pork-and-niboshi broth. The area within its former city boundaries has the highest per-capita number of ramen establishments. Ramen has such prominence in the region that locally, the word soba usually refers to ramen, and not to actual soba which is referred to as nihon soba ("Japanese soba"). What is known as Tokyo style ramen consists of slightly thin, curly noodles served in a soy-flavoured chicken broth. The broth typically has a touch of dashi, as old ramen establishments in Tokyo often originate from soba eateries. Standard toppings on top of chopped scallion, menma and sliced pork are kamaboko, egg, nori and spinach. Ogikubo and Ebisu are two areas in Tokyo known for their ramen. Ie-kei (¼Òϵ) ramen is from Yokohama and consist of thick straight-ish noodles served in a soy-pork broth. Hakata-menHakata ramen originates from Hakata district of Fukuoka city. It has a rich, milky, pork-bone tonkotsu broth and rather thin, non-curly and resilient noodles. Often, distinctive toppings such as beni shoga (pickled ginger), sesame seeds and picked greens are left on tables for customers to serve themselves. Many restaurants operate a system known as kae-dama (Ì椨Óñ), where customers who have finished eating can ask for additional bundles of noodles to be put in their remaining soup for cheap. Hakata ramen stalls in Hakata and Tenjin districts are well-known. Recent ramen trends have made Hakata ramen one of the most popular types of ramen in Japan, and these days several chain restaurants specializing in Hakata ramen can be found all over the country. [edit] Related dishes There are a number of related, Chinese-influenced noodle dishes in Japan. The following are often served alongside ramen in ramen establishments. They do not include noodle dishes considered traditionally Japanese, such as soba or udon, which are almost never served in the same establishments as ramen. Nagasaki champon. Champon is topped with a variety of ingredients, mostly seafood, and covered in a starchy sauce. Abura soba ("Oil-noodles"). Essentially ramen noodles and toppings served without the soup, but with a small quantity of oily soy-based sauce instead. Tsuke-men ("dipping noodles"). The noodles and soup are served in separate bowls. The diner dips the noodles in the soup before eating. Can be served hot or chilled. Tantan-men (µ£µ£üM). Japanese version of dan dan noodles. Ramen noodles in a reddish, spicy chilli and sesame soup, usually containing minced pork, garnished with chopped scallion and chilli and occasionally topped with the likes of spinach. Hiyashi-ch¨±ka ("chilled chinese"). Also known as reimen, esp. in western Japan. A summer dish of chilled ramen noodles on a plate with various toppings (typically thin strips of omelette, ham, cucumber and tomato) and served with a vinegary soy dressing and karashi (Japanese mustard). It was produced in a Chinese restaurant the Ryutei in Sendai. Many ramen restaurants also serve gyoza, fried rice, shumai and similar Chinese-derived dishes, which customers frequently order along with ramen. Combinations such as ramen and rice and even kimchi ramen are quite popular. [edit] Ramen outside Japan Ramen, of Chinese origin, has been exported back to China in recent years where it is known as ri shi la mian (ÈÕʽÀÃæ, "Japanese lamian"). Popular Japanese ramen chains serve ramen alongside distinctly Japanese dishes such as tempura and yakitori, something which would be seen as odd in Japan. Wagamama, a successful pan-Asian chain with establishments mainly in European cities, are known for their noodle soups marketed as ramen (but quite different to ramen in Japan). |
 
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Neo Metallix
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Dec 31 2006, 06:53 PM Post #2 |
~Doomsday Overlord~
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Lol, great detail! We had a discussion awhile back about the glue from the packages gets into your noodles and it has a hormone suppression in it.. |
   Puncture the Porcupine, my fancharacter! | |
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| Deleted User | Jan 1 2007, 09:08 AM Post #3 |
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yeah, as long as you don't have TOO MUCh, that stuff he said won't happen to you, but what he said did actually happen to me.. |
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Neo Metallix
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Jan 1 2007, 10:11 AM Post #4 |
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~Doomsday Overlord~
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That sucks! I don't eat too much, but it's good when I do. I like trying all the different flavors. |
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Puncture the Porcupine, my fancharacter! | |
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| azmarthehegdehog | Jan 1 2007, 10:36 AM Post #5 |
AZMAR SMASH!!!!
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He knows about the discussion, he saw me type it. |
| Sig under construction! ^^;[casino]550,1,0,bank=No,0[/casino] | |
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Neo Metallix
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Jan 1 2007, 11:32 AM Post #6 |
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~Doomsday Overlord~
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Oh. lol So you know eachother in real life? |
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Puncture the Porcupine, my fancharacter! | |
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| azmarthehegdehog | Jan 1 2007, 04:06 PM Post #7 |
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AZMAR SMASH!!!!
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He's my little brother. |
| Sig under construction! ^^;[casino]550,1,0,bank=No,0[/casino] | |
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| Deleted User | Jan 1 2007, 04:50 PM Post #8 |
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Wow, I didn't know few people knew about this... |
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| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
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