Ramen noodle is a dish that originated in China but is more popular in Japan. As per almost all ramen noodle recipes, these are served in a fish or a meat based broth and flavored with miso or soy sauce. Some ramen noodle recipes advise adding sliced pork, green onions and seaweed as toppings to bring out a distinct taste and flavor. It is not clear as to when ramen noodle was introduced in Japan and even the origination of the word is in doubt. Some believe that it is so named as these are hand pulled noodles while others are sure that it refers to the cooking method. These are made out of wheat flour, water, salt and kansui. Their popularity increased manifold in the 1980s, a few years after instant noodles were first introduced in Japan. Nowadays, ramen noodles are popular not just in Japan or Asia, but the entire world.
Types of Ramen in Japan
There are two types of ramen depending upon the geography and vendors. One is Ramen noodles and another is ramen soup. Ramen noodles are made up of wheat flour, salt and water. It may be flat in shape or thin or in ribbon like shape. Ramen soup is made up of chicken or fish broth having other ingredients like onions and corns.