That ramen is a far cry from the elevated versions of today that foodies across the United States have to come to adore, like David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar, which serves Hozon Ramen, made with scallion, chickpeas and kale, or Ivan Orkin’s Ivan Ramen, which has Chicken Paitan Ramen, a composition of chicken confit, Schmaltz fried onions and rye noodle. Now, there’s even a ramen museum in Yokohama City Japan, and if you want to read up on the subject, check out Orkin’s book, which comes with several recipes you can make at home.
Here’s a ramen primer; traditionalists can opt to have it one of four different ways:
-Shio Ramen, which is basically served with a salt broth (shio means salt).
-Tonkotsu Ramen, the broth is made from boiling pork bones, fat, and collagen over high heat for many hours.
-Shōyu Ramen, which uses a soy sauce-based broth as its base.
-Miso Ramen, the newest of the classic varieties, made with miso paste.
Once you select which type of base you have, there is a seemingly endless amount of toppings that can be added: butter, scallions, egg, sesame seeds, garlic, Chāshū, menma, bean sprouts, corn, enoki mushrooms, seaweed, potatoes and more. Think of it as a blank canvas that you can decorate with as many flavors as you like. The results can be a culinary adventure, that depending on which way you go, can be thick and hearty, like a stew, or much lighter. We know that it’s our favorite meal on a cold winter day, thanks to the salty, meaty goodness we enjoy with each bite. So go on, head to your closest ramen joint and see what we’re talking about!
