Sushi, for many, is the jewel-like, flirtatious entry point into Japanese cuisine. But it is its culinary counterpart, ramen, that is the reassuring, soulful reason to keep returning.
Ramen is a trusted dish, friendly, familiar and full of character. The distinct, punchy flavours are honed as much from regional ingredients as from the chef’s craft – it is defined more by its many varieties than by its adherence to any recipe book.
For me, a perfect, steamy bowl of ramen triggers reassuring memories of the places and people I last enjoyed it with. It is a warm-hearted, adaptable rule-breaker, a dish with a cult following and many a story to tell.
Sushi and ramen both likely originate from Chinese dishes. Brought in off the back of trade with Japan’s near-neighbour, each was then rethought, developed and perfected, before being sent off again as quintessentially Japanese.
Throughout the Edo period, between 1603 and 1868, and into the mid-20th century, sushi was busy being served and enjoyed in high-end, Tokyo establishments – a treat, for a special occasion. Ramen, meanwhile, was working its way up from the street – an everyday staple.
Its precursor, chuka soba, aka Chinese noodle soup, really became popular during the Meiji period (1868-1912). It was a wholesome dish, the fuel of workers – noodles served in a simple, delicious I’m sure, chicken broth.
In the late 1940s, there was an American fear that lack of food in postwar Japan would lead to political instability. It was believed that the Japanese, hungry and in despair following a rice shortage, might ally with communist neighbours in return for help. So the US began emergency food exports to Japan, in the form of wheat and lard. These two ingredients, along with garlic, formed the basis for ramen, thereby turning the dish into a go-to “stamina food” upon which the country rebuilt itself. Ramen carries this history in each satisfying, nourishing bowl.
Ramen during the 50s and 60s was a part of Japan’s new era of experimentation and industrious acceleration on the world stage. In 1958, what is now Nissin Foods started to produce Chikin Ramen, the first dried, instant ramen variant, marketing it as a simple-to-make family food, to help families eat well at home. This Pot Noodle precursor became a popular export to America and beyond in the late 1970s.
Dried ramen was also eaten by students and office workers away from home, as well as being a staple in emergency food packs, stored in case of an earthquake. No doubt, this all helped cultivate its status as a reassuring food, providing comfort during hard times.
Where to find it
Despite its humble beginnings, ramen enjoys growing international recognition. There are ramen shops in most major cities, and Tsuta Ramen in Tokyo, run by chef Yuki Onishi, has a Michelin star. His dedication to his art is total – his mission, to devise an “only-one” ramen taste that no one can recreate.
At the Chef’s Table featuring Ivan Orkin, which also has branches in New York and across the US, the concept of shokunin – loosely defined as an artisan or craftsman – is captured perfectly. Yes, a shokunin will have technical skills, but it also suggests an attitude and social consciousness alongside a devotion to one’s art. It’s a spirit that gains chefs and their ramen shops cult-like status and a following of dedicated customers, keen to define themselves by their loyalty and dedication to that one best ramen spot.
Ramenistas will also have a favourite regional ramen. Kyushu, in the south of Japan, is home to the now-renowned tonkotsu ramen. Known locally as Hakata ramen, its rich, deeply flavoured broth made from pork bones is distinctive and moreish. Fukuoka is a city that celebrates street food – the steamy scent of grills and broths from its yatai (street stalls) and ramen shops fill the air. I was lucky enough to travel there in 2019, as part of my own mini ramen tour of Japan, to try tonkotsu in its home city. A “tonkotsu cappuccino”, in which the ramen has a lighter, air-filled, frothed topping, is well worth your tastebuds’ time, as is the perfect bowl of tonkotsu served up at Shin Shin Ramen, next to the JR Station.
There are other regions that serve variants of tonkotsu, particularly in the south of Japan where the ramen is generally heartier, richer and creamier – for a unique twist, try the boar broth ramen at Niimi Ramen Ibuki in Okayama prefecture.
Heading north, ramen broth becomes lighter, more of a consommé, but the vital umami is ever present. I grew up in Tokyo and love the regional Tokyo shoyu ramen. A broth made from chicken or pork bones is combined with classic Japanese kombu, bonito and sardine dashi to produce a super-light clear soup, full of umami flavour, topped with pork chashu and sliced bamboo shoots. If you’re in Tokyo, don’t miss Hinodeya, or for a superb, light dashi-based shoyu ramen, try Shinjiko Shijimi Chukasoba Kohaku. For vegan and vegetarian versions, head to one of Kyushu Jangara’s eight outlets in Tokyo; their Shio Yuzu ramen is especially fine.
It is said the best ramen uses the freshest spring water for both noodles and broth, and Kitakata ramen – named after the small city with the highest density of ramen shops per capita in the country – uses only spring water from Mount Iide. Try asa-ra, aka morning ramen, from one of the 100-plus ramen shops in the city, to start the day with something special.
Sapporo, too, nestled in the stunning mountainous landscape of Hokkaido, deserves its place on any ramen tour. Ganso Ramen Yokocho, Sapporo’s ramen alley, home to around 20 hole-in-the-wall ramen shops, is a delight for ramen window shopping. Miso ramen, often called Sapporo ramen, can be found here – ask for Bata-kon ramen if you want it topped with butter and corn.
With so many regional and now international varieties, the differences can be vast. This raises the question of how exactly to define a genuine ramen. It is, in essence, the sum of four parts: a potent sauce (tare), umami-rich broth, noodles, and toppings, such as marinated eggs, spring onions, seaweed nori and seven spices (togarashi). If ramen does have rules, these are the four. Oh, and Japanese like it served hot. Really hot. Like it’s been ladled from a volcano.
Rules are meant for breaking, of course, and each of these four could have its own book. A ramen chef will strive for the perfect broth, boiling bones for hours for rich flavour. Some assess the broth with a microscope to test the density of the soup base. My grandma used to talk about which eggs had the best shells to clarify the distinctive clear broth of the shoyu ramen she would cook.
Kansui noodles are the noodles of choice for most. Alkaline, due to the bicarbonate of soda in the dough, they have a distinctive yellow colour, as well as a chewy texture that helps them hold firm in the broth without disintegrating. Each of these component parts will have been studied and laboured over by the ramen chef.
Closer to home
In the UK, if you’re looking for top ramen, London’s Ippudo does a delicious tonkotsu. In Brighton, Goemon Ramen’s DIY ramen kits help you cook your own.
So how does the story of ramen continue? Vegan ramen is becoming ever more popular and can be a rich, umami-filled treat. I make mine with an umami-rich cauliflower-based topping. Ramen is a simple pleasure to cook at home, microscope not mandatory – unless this signals the start of your own shokunin journey.
I teach shoyu, miso and tan-tan ramen in my Japanese Cooking Classes at Yuki’s Kitchen in south-east London, alongside online shoyu and vegan versions too. Here is my recipe for shoyu chashu chicken ramen. It will not take hours to cook, but it’s a tasty Tokyo-style ramen full of umami. A nourishing, reassuring treat – or stamina food – for you to enjoy at home.
Recipe: Yuki’s shoyu chashu chicken ramen
Ingredients
Chicken stock
Bones of 2 fresh chicken carcasses (or whole chicken bones)
1 small leek or 1/2 large leek
2-3 cloves of garlic
3cm fresh ginger
1 small onion
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
4 tbsp dashi powder or 1 piece of dried kombu (5cm square)
Chicken chashu
2-4 (800-900g) chicken legs and chicken breasts (deboned)
3cm thinly sliced ginger
2tbsp dashi powder or 1 piece of dried kombu (5cm square)
1 whole small garlic
150ml soy sauce
4 tbsp (60ml) sake
4 tbsp (60ml) mirin
35g (2tbsp) dark brown sugar
Ramen toppings
1 sheet of nori (seaweed)
4 spring onions
Shichimi (Japanese seven spice) – optional
2-4 boiled eggs
Chicken stock: method
Clean the carcass bones under running tap water. Put all the bones in a big stockpot and cover with cold water (approx 1.5 litres).
Bring to the boil. After 10 minutes of boiling, skim the scum from the top of the stock.
Cut the vegetables into rough pieces and add to the pot. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for one hour.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve.
Add the 4 tbsp of dashi powder or infuse the dried kombu.
Chicken chashu: method
Use string or toothpicks to hold each piece of meat together. In a very hot pan, sear each piece on both sides, until golden brown.
In a medium-sized pot add all the ingredients, plus 150ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes, then remove the lid and set aside to cool. (Leaving the chicken in the sauce in the fridge overnight, or at least for a few hours, will improve the flavour.)
Take the chicken from the sauce, remove the strings and slice very thinly. It will be much easier to slice when it has cooled. You can warm up the sliced chashu in the oven before serving. Set the sauce to one side: you can use it for marinating the boiled eggs for the toppings and to eat with the ramen.
Serving the ramen and toppings
Pour 2-3 tbsp of sauce into individual noodle bowls.
Reheat the chicken stock by bringing it to the boil in a large pan.
In a separate pan filled with boiling water, add 100g-130g per serving fresh ramen noodles (or 80g-100g per serving if using dried ramen noodles) and cook for 1-2 minutes, according to packet instructions.
Pour 250-350ml of hot chicken stock into each bowl and add the strained noodles.
Put the sliced chashu, half or a whole boiled egg and the other toppings on top to complete the bowl of ramen.
Serve immediately, or the noodles will become soggy.
For more Japan-based experiences, itineraries, trips and tips, visit Japan National Tourism Organization: japan.travel
from Lifestyle | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3tCzpvQ
via IFTTT
comment 0 Comment
more_vert