History of Ramen
Chinese noodles and today's Japanese ramen are two very different things.
When Chinese ramen was introduced to Japan 100 years ago, Japan already had an established food culture of udon and soba.
In Japan, both udon and soba have a history of about 450 years as noodle dishes.
Because Japan had this unique foundation (its own noodle-eating culture) even before the birth of ramen 100 years ago, ramen incorporating these noodles was born in Japan.
Japan's original ramen soup
Japanese ramen soup is a combination of Chinese ramen soup and Japanese buckwheat broth.
In other words, Chinese ramen was introduced to Japan and innovated by fusing it with Japanese soba cuisine.
The biggest difference between Japanese ramen and Chinese ramen is the use of compound seasonings and an aged seasoning with a complex flavor called "motodare.
Kaeshi (an aged mixture of sugar, mirin, and soy sauce) used in Japanese soba noodle dishes is the “motodare” (soy sauce, salt, miso, etc.) that determines the flavor of the ramen soup.
Japanese ramen is characterized by the rich taste and flavor of the combination of broth, motsu-dare and noodles. This makes Japanese ramen a new and innovative food, quite different from Chinese ramen.
As a result, ramen spread throughout the world.
Base soup
The base soup stock is made from seafood, livestock/animal bones, vegetables, and fruits. Vegetables and fruits used include onions, garlic, radishes, ginger, celery, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
It is also made from a base of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and salt, to which seafood (dried seafood: shrimp, scallops, clams, sardines, mackerel, small sardines, etc.) is added.
In addition, the types of oils commonly used are animal, fish, and vegetable oils, and the following ingredients are kneaded into these oils.
Ingredients: dried sardines, shrimp, scallops, clams, sardines, mackerel, small sardines, vegetables, onions, garlic, ginger, celery, green onions, etc.
Summary
Ramen has been in a constant state of evolution since its creation nearly 100 years ago.
Each time it has been accepted by a new market with a different food culture, new innovations and developments have been made.
Let's all enjoy the ramen lifestyle by eating and making different kinds of ramen!
And find your favorite bowl from Cotowaku's collection of ramen bowls.
We are here to support your ramen life!
