Supermarket Gourmet

by Buck Reed

Ramen: How to Order in a Noodle Shop

Japanese raw fish dishes known as sushi have been firmly entrenched in the American food service industry. Learning the Japanese terms for ordering in a Sushi restaurant is almost a part of our own language at this point. Given that Ramen has not only made its place in Japanese restaurants and is even making its way into stand-alone shops, it might be advantageous to get ahead or catch up by looking at and learning the terms used in ordering this seemingly complex dish.

Broth

Ramen is made with various broths, differentiated by what they are made of, richness, and flavor profiles.

Miso – Made from fermented bean paste, this broth has a slightly sweet flavor with a savory umami flavor.

Shio – This broth is the oldest traditional, and is salt-based with a delicate, light flavor.

Shoyu – Broth based on soy sauce, and is clear, brown, and bright.

Tonkatsu – Pork broth is considered the richest broth choice.

 Noodles

Ramen is noodles, so picking the style of noodle for your dish might be worth your consideration. Noodles are made with or without flour and with or without egg, both of which will affect the richness and texture of the noodles.

Firmness – Most Ramen shops in the USA will offer various firmnesses of the noodle you choose: firm, medium, or soft.

Fotomen – Thick, chewy noodles.

Toppings

The broth and noodles in Ramen might be the dish by themselves, but are often upstaged by the toppings.

Ajitama – Soft-boiled egg marinated

Chashu – Pork Belly braised

Garlic – Fresh, roasted, or fried

Kikurage – Wood ear mushrooms

Kyabetsu – Sliced cabbage

Menma – Fermented bamboo shoots

Moyashi – Bean sprouts

Narutomaki – Fish cake

Negi – Sliced scallion

Nori – Dried Seaweed

Americanized – Additions such as corn, spice paste, shitake mushroom

One thing to understand about Japanese cooking is that when you put ingredients all together, there really isn’t one star. It is about making the ingredients harmonize with each other.