You have to agree that a lot of people love ramen -- whether it's beef, pork, vegetable, etc. It's just so tasty! It's also the perfect match on a cold rainy day. But have you ever wondered just how to eat it properly? Here is your ultimate guide on how to be a professional ramen consumer:
1. FIND A RAMEN SHOP
- This may be in a restaurant or even a stall in the streets. As long as they sell ramen, you're good to go.
2. PLACE YOUR ORDER
- There's a popular culinary equation in Japan: broth + noodles + toppings = ~RAMEN~
In order to do that, you need to make 3 important decisions:
a. Broth Selection
- The most important part of ramen; the body of the dish that takes days to prepare. Did you know, Ramen chefs usually train for a long period of time to be able to prepare a good bowl of fish or meat-based broth and can even take up to 60 hours to boil the perfect one. The basic Ramen broth consists of the following: tonkotsu (white and milky pork-based soup), shoyu (brown, transparent, soy sauce-based soup), miso (brown, non-transparent, miso-based soup), and shio (transparent, salt-based soup)
b. Noodle Selection
- Ramen noodles come in different types: thick, thin, straight, short, and a whole lot more. They're made from the 4 basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui - a type of alkaline mineral water.
c. DIY Ramen
- Now it's time to mess with the toppings. The most popular ones are chashu (barbequed or braised pork belly slices), narutomaki (a Japanese delicacy from white-fleshed fish), ajitsuke tamago (marinated boiled eggs), negi (spring onion), nori (dried seaweed), and shinachiku (fermented bamboo shoots). Time to take your pick!
3. SIT DOWN AND WAIT
- Make sure to grab the first available stool by the counter. Most ramen shops are hectic, so if you have a friend along with you or if you're a group, it's likely that you won't be able to sit together.
4. TANOSHIMU!
- Now that you're done with steps 1 to 3, it's now time for the moment you've been waiting for: time to dig in! Here are the important keys to enjoying your bowl of delicious ramen:
a. Lean toward the bowl and support it with one hand.
b. Grab your chopsticks and start by tasting the noodles first/ The noodles absorb all the flavors from the broth, so get ready for an explosion of taste in your mouth. Contrary to popular belief, slurping noodles are allowed in Japan so it's okay to forget your manners for a while.
c. Slurping the soup is also allowed! Not only is it the ideal way to enjoying a bowl of ramen, but it may be insulting to the chef if you eat your ramen too quietly.
5. COMPLIMENT THE CHEF
- Once you're done with that, don't forget to bow down and say "Gochisousama!", which means 'thanks for the meal'.
There you have it! Go forth to your favorite ramen shop and enjoy a bowl.
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