How Japan Perfected the Art of Ramen

Everyone loves ramen, but I bet you've never tasted the infamous black broth, visited the most remote noodle shop, or tried instant ramen. Oh, you probably have had that one actually. Come with us as we explore the joys of this beloved dish. There's a ramen shop on Rishiri Island off the northern tip of Japan. To get there from Tokyo, fly two hours to Sapporo. From there, take the train to Wakane, the northernmost city in Japan. You then catch a ferry to Rishiri Island. Make your way to the western part of the island, and once you're there, let's hope you're on time. It's only open two and a half hours a day. But the trip is worth it, because the place is said to have some of the best ramen in all of Japan. When it comes to ramen in Japan, there are a few places whose names will draw people from all around the world. Ramen Miruku is one such place, and visitors come for this special charred soy ramen made with local kombu seaweed broth. My name is Takamasa Esashika. I have been running this ramen shop since 2007. I'm the first generation to own this shop. I wanted to express the taste of the local kombu seaweed broth through my ramen, and I decided to open this shop so that the people of Japan and the world could try it. And this is no instant ramen. Making the dish takes hours. The question, of course, why do you think people come all this way? Our turn. One charred ramen, please. Some people associate instant noodles with broke college students, but instant ramen wasn't created for a bunch of hungry 20-year-olds. The man who invented them was much more ambitious. He set out to solve a hunger crisis in Japan. After World War II, food shortages plagued Japanese cities, so the U.S. supplied wheat flour and encouraged the Japanese to make bread. One man named Momofuku Ando didn't understand why his people would make bread instead of noodles, something that was already part of their culture. Ando decided to take matters into his own hands and create a new ramen made to last. He spent a year trying to figure out how to preserve the noodles. He needed a non-perishable, tasty, and easy recipe, but it was a challenge to maintain the robust flavors and unique texture that most people were accustomed to. It wasn't until his wife was making dinner one night and he threw some noodles in a bowl of hot tempura oil that he realized flash-frying the noodles was the answer he had been looking for. This method not only dehydrated them, it left small perforations that allowed the noodles to recook quickly. And there you have it. Instant ramen noodles became an instant success. Ando's products gained notoriety when he introduced the packaged ramen in the 1950s and later cup noodles in 1978. His company began selling upwards of 40 billion units every year and Momofuku Ando became a culinary icon in Japan. So the next time you heat up a cup of instant noodles, remember, you're slurping down a little piece of history. This is black ramen. And this dish in particular is a five-time national champion. But its origins came from a restaurant a few paces down the road, here. Toyama is a coastal city in the northeast of Japan. It is known worldwide for one thing in particular, and that is its signature Toyama black ramen. The recipe originated back in 1947 from one man. Traditionally, ramen broth is made from pork or miso. When these were not available, Mr. Aoki looked to what was around, and that was soy sauce. Thank you. If you want to try Toyama black ramen, you have to go to Toyama. And one of those is ramen Iroha, whose black ramen, as we said earlier, is often heralded as the best ramen in the country. This signature dish of the region draws in crowds from around the country and the world. And the claim of best ramen in Japan makes the draw that much more intense. Toyama black ramen has become famous in Japan, and in that sense, I think it is the best ramen in Japan.