Ramen

tasty || colorful || kawaii food

Ramen is a delicious Japanese noodle dish that
originated from Chinese noodle dishes, and its name
means "pulled noodles". Ramen comes in various forms in different regions of Japan, for example, Kyushu's tonkotsu ramen which is made from pork bone broth, and Hokkaido's miso ramen. This dish is served hot in deep bowls, and it is
typically eaten with chopsticks and a spoon-like utensil called chirirenge.

Yummy ingredients!

As mentioned before, you can find different types of
ramen, but it usually consists of Chinese-style
wheat noodles (or 中華麺, chūkamen) served in a
broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with
typical toppings including sliced pork (chāshū), nori
(dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions.
Other common ingredients are shiitake mushrooms, boiled
eggs, corn, and the beautiful narutomaki which are thos cute
white things with the pink spiral in the center!

Now a bit of history!

"The origin of ramen is traced back to Yokohama Chinatown in the early 20th century. The dish evolved from southern Chinese noodle dishes, reflecting the demographics of Chinese settlers in Yokohama. Ramen gained popularity in Japan, especially during food shortages following World War II. In 1958, instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando, further popularizing the dish. Today, ramen is a cultural icon in Japan, with many regional varieties and a wide range of toppings." But not only in Japan! For example, in the city where I'm currently living, which is located in Northern Mexico, ramen restaurants are quite popular! Learn more about the history of this yummy dish on Wikipedia.

According to the online encyclopedia, "today ramen is one of Japan's most popular foods, with Tokyo alone containing around 5,000 ramen shops, and more than 24,000 ramen shops across Japan. Tsuta, a ramen restaurant in Tokyo's Sugamo district, received a Michelin star in December 2015."