Episode 6: Japanese Ramen (Japanese Podcast)

Hello everyone Welcome today's Japanese podcast I'm Mai and I hope everyone is doing well I'm feeling great and lately I've been especially hungry Lately I've been feeling an intense craving for Japanese ramen quite often and during that time I had my husband buy Japanese cup ramen online for me Yes it's been a while but I finally had ramen again It was so delicious I couldn't resist eating it all in an instant It was a pork bone ramen but the broth was truly delicious You drank every last drop of the soup didn't you Yes That ramen is popular even among people from overseas and personally I really love it too It's one of my favorite Japanese dishes That's why I've always thought it would be nice to tackle this topic on the podcast someday So today is I would like to talk about Japan's ramen culture Yes ramen is indeed a dish that originated in China though it's now closely associated with Japan Reimagined in a distinctly Japanese style after arriving in Japa But actually ramen isn't that old in terms of history is it About 150 years yes It is said to have begun in the 1880s That's why Ramen began appearing in restaurants around 1912 and street vendor ramen gradually gained popularity This food stall is called a I'm referring to those small shops located on streets or in plazas We primarily sell food and drinks and one of our specialty stalls is known as a street-style ramen stand Selling ramen while transporting ingredients and cooking equipment It's about a ramen food truck Ramen stalls began to spread widely and seriously in the 1940s Special street food ramen was especially popular among hungry workers and ordinary people It's because it's affordable fast and delicious—especially in Fukuoka A cultural tradition has emerged of chatting over ramen at a food stall after work It transformed into a nighttime cityscape This culture continues to this day and Fukuoka ramen is especially renowned throughout Japan And in 1958 Nissin Foods launched its first instant ramen Nissin Chicken Ramen is now available This helped popularize the term "ramen" nationwide Before that there were various names such as Chinese buckwheat but The widespread popularity of this Nissin Chicken Ramen product across Japan led to The term "ramen" became firmly established The inventor of this Chicken Ramen is Momofuku Ando the founder of Nissin Foods It seems that Mr Ando has built a small shed in the backyard of his home and has been conducting ramen research there And the I was wondering how to best store noodles for long-term preservation when It seems she got the idea from watching her wife frying something in the kitchen Chicken Ramen that's ready to eat in just two minutes after pouring in hot water It was considered an impossible food by the standards of the time which is why it was called magical ramen Mr Ando the In 1971 Nissin also invented the world's first cup noodle the Cup Noodles Instant ramen was never just a new kind of food As Japan continued to grow and people increasingly moved to urban areas cities expanded significantly It became a symbol of societal changes such as the growing number of people living alone Thanks to instant ramen the time needed to prepare a meal has been greatly reduced A culture of meals that can be eaten alone and quickly has begun to spread Thus ramen profoundly transformed Japan's food culture That's the kind of ramen we're talking about but just how much are Japanese people actually eating Ramen remains just as popular today as ever According to a survey Japanese people eat ramen about three times a month It's amazing isn't it It's particularly said that people who eat alone most often rank ramen as their top favorite dish Back then saying ramen mea I had this image of men and their food you know It's now hugely popular among women as well Every town always has a ramen shop Conversations like "What kind of ramen do you like " are quite common in Japan It's that kind of feeling like when everyone starts asking about your blood type or where you're from Yes really there are all sorts of different types of ramen People are different so their preferences vary too So what kinds are there The soup's flavor determines the main categories resulting in four distinct types: Soy Sauce Ramen Miso ramen tonkotsu ramen shio ramen—these four varieties First up is soy sauce ramen Soy sauce ramen is easy to eat because it has a light clear soy sauce-based broth It's highly recommended even for first-time ramen eaters A light flavor refers to something that's not overly rich or heavy but refreshingly clear and not cloying The noodles are typically a bit thinner and straight in shape And the ingredients include char siu menma green onions seaweed and more And the second one is miso ramen Miso ramen features a rich savory depth from the miso and a hearty robust broth It includes vegetables making it perfect for those who want to enjoy the rich flavor of miso and the taste of fresh vegetables What is meant by "kok" It means the flavor is rich and savory with a pronounced satisfying taste The noodle type is thick and features many curly strands and the ingredients include butter It contains corn char siu and more The third option is tonkotsu ramen Tonkotsu ramen is A rich cloudy white broth makes this ramen perfect for those who love a hearty satisfying flavor Rich and flavorful with a deep hearty taste I'm talking about a solid well-defined flavor and the noodle type is mostly thin It's a great dish packed with ingredients like wood ear mushrooms green onions chashu pork and pickled ginger Famous ramen chain restaurants known for tonkotsu ramen are extremely popular even among foreign tourists And the fourth one is salt ramen Salt ramen is a clear simple broth so you can truly savor the pure essence and flavor of the ingredients Perfect for those who prefer a light delicate flavor The noodles are mostly slightly thin and straight And the ingredients include chicken green onions menma seaweed and more We've introduced various types of soup but in Japan there are also unique regional ramen styles We call this Go-to-style ramen For example Sapporo ramen from Hokkaido features a miso flavor and thick curly noodles The term "wavy noodles" refers to noodles that are curled or twisted in shape And Hakata ramen from Kyushu features a rich pork bone broth with thin noodles Hokkaido-style ramen features a soy sauce-based broth with flat noodles Flat noodles refer to noodles that are broad and flat in shape And Kyoto ramen is a light-style broth made from chicken bones Chicken stock refers to the bones of chickens After that Goto-ji ramen is crafted to suit regional characteristics and local preferences But Japan offers far more than just a variety of soups Some ramen varieties are also categorized by culture and personality For example family-style ramen eaten with rice There are dishes like extremely large-sized ramen in the Jiro style Family-style ramen—when asked what kind of ramen it is first and foremost its origin is Yokohama Pork bone and soy sauce broth features slightly thick straight noodles And family-style ramen is simply unmatched when paired with rice You can also adjust the flavor intensity oil amount and noodle firmness to your personal preference And when someone asks what exactly a Jiro-style ramen is its origin lies in In 1968 a shop called Miyata Ramen Jiro opened in Tokyo This restaurant is the originator of the Jiro-style ramen and the defining feature of this ramen is The noodles are incredibly thick It's all about plenty of vegetables and an abundance of garlic And the quantity and ordering method are so unique that one might hesitate to place an order It is well known as one aspect of Japan's ramen culture The ramen already contains those vegetables and garlic originally you know When you want to increase the quantity further I'm asking you to keep adding more vegetables and garlic—please keep piling them on Even when you say "increasing and increasing " what does that really mean It means to increase the quantity That's why if you'd like more vegetables please go ahead and add extra vegetables If you want extra garlic just say "more garlic more garlic" when ordering It's fascinating isn't it But there's one thing to keep in mind Erlang-style ramen is really incredibly generous in portion size That's why the quantity is high and then the call The ordering process is also unique so I think beginners might want to proceed with a bit of caution Incidentally I haven't been there myself yet Besides People who are passionate fans of ramen particularly the large-sized ramen known as "Jiro " are called Jiro-yan Jirolian offers ramen with the perfect volume and full flavor naturally reflecting each shop's unique personality There are many stores that sell that ramen Jiro Each shop has its own unique character which is precisely what makes them special And now just enjoy the unique ordering experience called Call Many people are very dedicated about attending regularly Such ramen styles like house-style and Jiro-style ramen are indeed part of Japan's culinary culture yet In Japan there are also unique customs surrounding the way ramen is eaten For example after finishing a bowl of ramen some people order a replacement portion of noodles and enjoy them again Some people even add leftover rice to the soup from their meal and eat it that way When people say "gimmick noodles " they mean ordering extra noodles as a supplement When I ask the staff "I'd like to order a replacement bowl of noodles please " while there's still soup left in the bowl The staff will bring just the noodles and you'll place them into the remaining broth to eat right and while some shops may offer it for free others charge a fee I'd say the typical price is around 100 to 200 yen After that depending on the country people eat noodle dishes when I think there are countries where it's considered unacceptable to make noise while eating In Japan slurping loudly while eating noodles such as ramen or soba is considered a sign of enjoyment and appreciation That is not a breach of etiquette To slurp means to draw noodles and soup into the mouth with noise In Japan it's rather considered acceptable to eat noisily It looks delicious doesn't it Yeah so I just eat it like this making a noise as I slurp it up There's also the idea that you can convey someone eating something deliciously I think this aspect of Japanese culture may come as a surprise to many people overseas This is one of Japan's unique ways of eating That's me There was a period in my early twenties when I was really obsessed with ramen With a friend who loves rame I once tried this thing called "Ramen Hunting" for one day and so I ended up visiting a few stores in Tokyo like this I ate about three times a day I think And at that time I had soy sauce pork bone and salt ramen but It was truly delicious and so much fun too but we had to rush around Tokyo's stores It was actually quite difficult given the distance you know But still There’s a place where you can enjoy various types of ramen all at once even without spinning around too much That's the new Yokohama Ramen Museum located in Yokohama The New Yokohama Ramen Museum allows you to enjoy ramen from various regions all at once It's becoming a theme park so the quantity is on the lighter side The best part is being able to taste and compare ramen from various restaurants and in addition to that there are also exhibits on the history of ramen and other displays You can also learn about ramen culture So if you're a ramen lover be sure to visit at least once Yes today we've been talking about Japan's ramen culture How was it do you think What kind of ramen do you all like If you feel like it please let us know in the comments Thank you so much for listening all the way to the end today as well See you in the next podcast episode bye-bye