CEBU, Philippines - While many would be quick to think of instant noodles when the word ramen is mentioned, there’s really more to the Japanese noodle dish than colorful packaging and “flavor†choices.
Essentially a Japanese noodle dish with Chinese origins, ramen continues to be one of the world’s more well-known Japanese culinary specials, a status that wasn’t just propelled by the popularity of instant ramen when it was unveiled in the 1950s, but also by its infusion into mainstream Japanese pop culture – from Japanese movies to manga titles.
Made in different varieties and versions, there’s actually more to ramen than the “beefâ€, “pork†or “chicken flavors†many have become familiar with.
Here’s a quick take on three of what’s widely viewed as the “top†ramen variations:
Shio (Salt)
As a ramen variation, shio ramen is generally considered to be one of the oldest, with its broth typically made using a combination of salt, fish, seaweed, vegetables and chicken as base ingredients.
Generally, “straight†noodles are used in the making of shio ramen, though the use of “curly†noodles in its making is also known to be.
The clear and light quality of shio ramen’s broth is widely viewed as the ramen variation’s more distinct quality, with different areas in Japan having their own respective take in its making.
Tonkotsu (Pork Bone)
With boiled pork bones and fat often used in making its broth, tonkotsu ramen’s more definitive quality as a ramen variation can be found in its thick (at times, even “creamyâ€) consistency.
In most tonkotsu ramen recipes, high heat and the boiling of pork bones and fat is crucial in achieving its broth’s thick pork-infused flavor, with some variations known to include the use of vegetable stock, chicken or soy sauce as ingredients, along with the use of different flavor-complementary ingredients as toppings.
Thin and “straight†noodles are also generally used in the making of tonkotsu ramen.
Miso Ramen
Noted to have been developed in Hokkaido (making it distinctly Japanese), Miso ramen is one of the more recent ramen variations known to be.
With its broth often made using miso and fish and chicken stock, broth recipes made with pork bone and fat are also quite popular as miso ramen specials.
In combing miso with fish, chicken and/or pork broth, miso ramen tends to bear a tangy flavor that is robust in flavor, a quality that is backed by the use of different ingredients as toppings.
Generally made with thick, “curly†and “chewy†noodles, the more commonly encountered miso ramen toppings includes chopped garlic, cabbage, ground pork, leeks and onions.