Archive for September 2015

I think I made it clear that I love Ramen and I could write pages about it on this blog. However, I would like to start out with my first Ramen post (yes it took this long to muster strength and write something about my favourite food) by introducing the basics of this dish. I would like to say that this is not a comprehensive guide for Ramen because that is difficult to pull off but I will try my best to share what I know with everyone.

With the many variations out there, it can be confusing to choose what type of Ramen one should try.

First things first, Ramen (ˈrɑmən) ([sometimes with sing. v.]) is a Japanese noodles of wheat flour, usually served in broth with pieces of vegetables and meat (American English Dictionary). Ramen is a noodle in soup dish which originally made its way from China into Japan when the country reopened its borders during the Meiji Restoration. (Types of Ramen, Styles of Ramen , 2013)

WHY I LOVE RAMEN

I discovered Ramen a few years back when I was on a diet (thinking it was the answer since it was just soup). Since then it has become a staple whenever we are in a Japanese Restaurant along with Kani Salads and Gyosa.

Ramen has a lot of characteristics I love about food but here are the top three things that make it my favorite dish:

1. It is a complete meal

By complete I mean it has a lot of elements in it from various food groups – carbohydrates in the noodles, protein from the broth and meat slices (I like the thin shoulder cuts of pork in my Ramen) and vegetables.

2. It has many variations

Every restaurant I’ve been to whether it be Karate Kid fastfood Ramen or the more fancy Ramen Nagi chain, offer their own version of Ramen. This makes it an exciting endeavour of trying out Ramen dishes in restaurants.

3. Hell, It is amazing

From its roots as a Chinese dish, it has evolved into almost national dish identified with Japan, they even have a Ramen Museum there. It is made from alkaline noodles which is why it is yellowish in a way and has been adapted into many cultures making it a very universal dish (case in point, Korea has a version of Ramen called Ramyeon, which is quite spicy for my palate but nonetheless very tasty).

There are also some eccentricities with eating this dish. According to some friends who have been to Japan, people line up in cramped up restaurants to eat this dish. Traditionally you have to slurp it with sounds and it is rude to the chef if you add more seasonings and cut the noodles when you eat.

Ramen has four basic ingredients: Noodles, Broth, Meat and Toppings. From its beginnings as a knock-off Chinese dish, Ramen has become a very popular and distinct dish.

TYPES

There are various ways to classify Ramen but to simplify things I will enumerate based on the soup flavour and seasoning, later on with upcoming posts we’ll tackle other ways of classification. (Alt, 2013)

Shio – literally means salt, Shio is the oldest and most basic of all Ramen flavors. It is the most flavorful and the soup is light and clear. Pork bones are used for the broth and this is usually accompanied with thin straight noodles.

Shoyu – is a Soy Sauce based soup and is the second oldest type of Ramen. It is a chicken based broth and is moderately thick. With the addition of light soy sauce it is sweeter than Shio. Much like Shio, this is usually accompanied with thin straight noodles.

Miso – opaque in appearance because of the addition of Miso Paste, this type of Ramen is popular in the Southern Islands of Hokkaido. Because of Miso Paste giving it a fermented flavor, very thick and full in texture and usually served very hot. Noodles for this soup style is usually thick and curly.

Tonkotsu – is a pork broth almost similar to Shio but only thicker and creamy since the pork bones are slow cooked longer that the collagen dissolves in the broth. The noodles for Tonkotsu since it is relatively similar to Shio are straight and thin.

Whoah, that made me crave for Ramen. Next time I'll be reviewing Ramen Houses in Metro Manila that I love especially now that the weather is perfect for a bowl of hot Ramen.

Did you like this article? Perhaps share it with your friends and feel free to comment.

Cheers!

References

Alt, J. L. (September, 2013). The Serious Eats Guide to Ramen Styles. Retrieved from Serious Eats: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/09/the-serious-eats-guide-to-ramen-styles.html

American English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from Collins Dictionary: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/american/ramen

Types of Ramen, Styles of Ramen . (5 May, 2013). Retrieved from Kobi's Kitchen: https://kobikitchen.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/types-of-ramen/

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By the time you are reading this I am boarding a plane to some place I want to cross out of my bucket list - just kidding, I’m leaving in a few days actually and my bucket list has been missing for the longest time. I have been sick because of colds and its twin symptom of fever for the past few days (I should stop this tradition) and here I am resting in bed preparing my traditional birthday blog post since I came back to blogging this year, yes – it’s my birthday!

I was born at around 2 am in the morning of September 14 through natural delivery after hours of painful labor. My mother was in her mid-30’s by the time I was born and I was not an expected baby (see, I am surprising people since conception). But I will cut the story there, I will not narrate my quarter life in one single blog post for a birthday post, that’s too easy.

Instead, I will be sharing 25 life lessons, mantras, commandments or principles, whatever you may call them, that I have learned through my experiences and the people who have been part of my life for the past 25 years.

Love yourself
Love and take care of your family
“Lahat ng bagay napapag-aralan” (Everything can be learned)
If you can do something, never let a friend feel lonely.
Let go of things that hurt.
Everything is a choice including happiness.
Choices are bad.
No bad intentions (NBI) and apologize always.
I am smart, strong and sensual.
Take risks.
Face fear in the face every day.
Put value in the world.
You have no monopoly of feelings in the world.
Travel the world.
Embrace your feelings for a time and let go.
Live every day.
Inspire people with your actions.
Be grateful, others have it worse.
Be a sore loser – never let failure stop you.
Read a good book.
Tell the truth but lie when needed.
Less is better.
At some point, the people you love will hurt you. It’s a choice between one mistake and a lifetime of love.
Never stop learning.
Live, love, laugh.

It has been a fruitful 25 years so far and I am just starting to understand the things I can do.

I would like to leave this here for posterity. To the people who have been a part of my life, thank you.

Cheers!

WHY I LOVE RAMEN

TYPES

References

Photo Sources

@rdvlsco

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