The culture of eating ramen is in every Japanese, with millions of ramen eateries in Japan ranging from street carts to Ramen speciality shops. Due to the low price and availability of ramen, it is an ideal food for budget travellers to Japan. Ramen restaurants can be found in every corner of Japan, resulting in various exciting elements in this noodle dish.
What Is Miso Katsu Ramen?
Miso Katsu Ramen is basically ramen noodles in a miso-based soup topped with fried chicken. The origin and basis of “Japanese” style ramen came from this dish. The two primary components in the recipe are the soup and noodles. There are three types of soup base which includes Miso, Shio and Shoyu.
The soup is prepared by adding either soup base into meat or seafood broth. As for the noodles, the texture plays an important role. Noodle texture that is too chewy or too soft will affect the quality of the bowl of ramen. Adding baking soda into the water when boiling the noodles will give the noodles the authentic Japanese Ramen flavour. Serving it with gyoza makes it a complete meal for lunch or dinner.
History Of Ramen
Ramen, which originated from Chinese wheat noodles, was said to be introduced to Japan during the 1660s by a Chinese scholar after he became a refugee in Japan. Yet, some people said ramen was introduced by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century at Yokohama Chinatown.
The earlier ramen versions were wheat noodles topped with perfectly roasted pork. Over time, it evolved into various types of broths with different toppings in Japan. The instant noodle version of ramen was invented by Nissin Foods, allowing anyone to enjoy this dish by simply adding boiling water.
Now, ramen is one of the most well-known foods in Japan. There are more than 5000 ramen shops around Tokyo and more than 20,000 shops all across Japan.
Types Of Ramen
The flavours of ramen can be classified into 4 categories which include tonkotsu, shoyu, miso and shio. Tonkotsu is a cloudy white pork bone soup that is full of fat and collagen. The soup has a milky and creamy consistency. Shoyu broth is a clear brown soup with chicken and vegetable stock base with a salty aftertaste. Curly noodles are usually paired together with this soup for better flavour.
Miso ramen was invented in Hokkaido, featuring miso and chicken broth. The soup is thick with a nutty aftertaste. As for a shio ramen, it is full of salt combined with chicken, vegetables, fish and seaweed. It is light and clear as compared to tonkotsu ramen. You have to try it for yourself to see which is your favourite type of broth.
Toppings such as chashu, menma, negi, moyashi, tamago, seaweed, kamaboko, corn and butter are all the usual toppings on ramen. There are also a variety of noodles to choose from its shape, thickness and water absorption.
How To Eat Ramen
Can you slurp when eating ramen? Yes, it is actually a compliment to the chef. Slurping while eating ramen also helps to cool down a ramen a bit, and you can savour the taste of the noodles and broth. Once you are done, you can sit your chopsticks horizontally on your plate and shout a quick thank you to the chef.
Where To Find Miso Katsu Ramen In Malaysia
Miso katsu ramen can be found at Japanese restaurants or specialised ramen restaurants in Malaysia. You may also be surprised to find it at Japanese food stalls that are hidden in neighbourhoods. The Japanese food court at Lot 10, Bukit Bintang also has plenty of Japanese fares for you to explore.
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