What's simpler than making a bowl of instant ramen? What if we told
you you've been doing wrong? Starting to feel like a wet noodle? Watch until
the end to learn how to take your broth from boring to bodacious!
Instant ramen as we know it was originally invented by a Taiwanese-born Japanese
man named Momofuku Ando as a way of feeding his then war-torn nation. He perfected his recipe
for flash-fried cakes of noodles in his work shed and his product debuted in 1958. By 1963,
he was selling more than two million servings a year. Other countries quickly got in on the
action, and now you can buy ramen from many different nations across the world.
Why not try Shin ramen from South Korea, Indomie noodles from Indonesia,
or Mama noodles from Thailand? Every brand of ramen has its own personality, style,
and flavor profile, so eat your way around the world to find out which you like best.
It's easy to order ramen online, so you shouldn't have any trouble tracking down your new favorites.
Of course, you shouldn't miss out on giving Nissin ramen from
Japan a try — they're the creators of that original instant ramen we all know and love.
There are as many flavors of ramen as there are stars in the sky. From the more familiar,
such as pork, beef, soy, and sesame, to the more outlandish, such as cheese curry,
ratatouille, and sea salt olive oil. Brands often release seasonal or special flavors,
or have limited edition runs and collaborations with other food brands or characters. It's crazy
what food science can do: while all of these types of ramen might look the same initially,
a few packets of sauces and powders can make it taste completely different.
Don't make the mistake of staying in your comfort zone and always buying the
chicken flavored instant ramen when there are so many flavors to enjoy.
You can even combine multiple kinds of ramen together to make a dish such as Ram-Don,
a meal made famous in the Western world thanks to its prominent presence in the Oscar-winning film
"Parasite." This ramen combines two kinds of Korean instant noodles, Jjapaghetti and Neoguri.
This is where things really start getting interesting. It's a huge mistake to think
that ramen doesn't need anything added to it apart from the seasonings included in the packet.
Rather, think of a pack of ramen as a base on which to start building a flavor extravaganza.
To start off, simply add some ingredients to your ramen that won't affect the cooking time.
You probably already have a few unexpected options in your kitchen you can use to
give your instant noodles that extra pop. Just a few examples include peanut butter,
lemon and lime juice, sesame oil, miso paste, fish sauce, Thai curry paste,
Sichuan pepper, chili flakes, vinegar — there are no rules!
"There's no rules!"
"Put yo' shirt back on!"
"There's one rule!"
Experiment according to your taste,
but maybe don't add all of that into the same saucepan at once.
"Spicy!"
Not seasoning your ramen is an easy mistake to fix. All you need to do is open up your fridge
and search for ingredients that look as though they might taste good in a bowl of noodles.
If you're throwing your noodles haphazardly into a pot of boiling water and returning a
few minutes later to find that they're mushy and dense, that's a mistake that needs correcting.
You've probably heard of the Italian phrase "al dente" — meaning "to the tooth" — to describe
the ideal consistency of cooked pasta: perfectly chewy, with a bit of bite to it.
Just like pasta, ramen noodles should be toothsome and satisfying to eat rather than soggy.
The Japanese word for this is "shikoshiko." According to Netflix star and chef Roy Choi,
two minutes is the perfect amount of time to let your ramen cook. Timings will vary
depending on the brand, type of noodle, and even how old they are, so the important thing
to remember is always to check the cooking time on the packet and start tasting a little while
before you think they'll be done. This way you'll get perfect, chewy noodles every single time.
Surely everyone knows how to prepare instant ramen,
right? While there's nothing wrong with this traditional method,
it's worth experimenting to find the cooking style that works the best for you.
A recipe popular on TikTok, for example, has you cook the noodles and mix the seasoning
packets with an egg, mayonnaise, and garlic in a separate bowl, making it nice and creamy.
You could also try increasing or decreasing the amount of water you use, for a more or less soupy
version of ramen, or try mixing the seasoning into the water as it boils to deeply infuse the flavors
into the noodles. When a dish is this easy to make, it's very hard to mess it up, so experiment
freely and without fear! And if you do mess it up? Just try again. Ramen is cheap, after all.
A bowl of ramen doesn't just mean a bowl of noodles. Add chicken, tofu, tuna,
cheese, or whatever kind of protein your heart desires to make a more fulfilling plateful.
To keep this a speedy meal, it can be helpful to use pre-cooked proteins as opposed to raw ones.
If you're famished and counting the minutes until your noodles are ready to slurp,
you're not likely to want to wait for a chicken breast to cook from scratch.
Eggs are a great option for this reason alone. You can crack an egg straight into an almost-ready pan
of ramen and feel confident that your protein requirements for this meal are being fulfilled.
Ramen is also the perfect vehicle for sneaking extra vegetables into your diet.
With the delicious broth you're crafting, you'll barely be able to tell that you're
eating a Popeye-esque quantity of spinach. You can either use quick-cooking vegetables
that you add to the same pan you cook your noodles in, such as fast-wilting greens,
peas, or bean sprouts. You can also cook them separately and add them at the end,
if you're adding veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
A fork is a perfectly serviceable implement to use to eat your ramen,
but that's not how the noodles were designed to be eaten.
Chopsticks are the perfect tool for gripping your ramen noodles with minimal slippage.
We recommend you invest in a pair of reusable chopsticks that you like,
and use those as opposed to disposable ones. With China alone going through 40 billion
disposable chopsticks a year, it's good not to add to the waste by using utensils that
you know you'll throw away after your meal. Plus getting your own chopsticks means you can choose
a cute pattern and design that you like and can use them indefinitely for years to come.
One important point to note, however, is the positioning of your chopsticks once you've
finished your ramen. In Japanese culture, it's considered impolite and exceptionally
bad luck to place your used chopsticks inside your bowl. To avoid this faux pas,
place your chopsticks next to your plate or along the rim of your bowl instead.
We're not saying you should burn your tongue in your haste to slurp your noodles,
but not eating your ramen when it's piping hot is basically a crime.
"Got your noodles all ready? Be careful, it's really hot."
Apart from the fact that hot food is never as good once it's allowed to cool down,
waiting to eat could ruin the texture of your noodles.
Chef Ivan Orkin, who ran two highly successful ramen joints in Tokyo, says you have only a short
window to eat your ramen before your noodles start to lose their deliciousness. Letting
cooked noodles sit around in hot broth means they start to release their starch, making everything
mushy and upsetting the delicate balance between noodles, soup, and toppings. Taking Orkin's advice
to eat your noodles right away shouldn't be hard to do when you've used all the previous tips to
create an exceptionally well-seasoned and perfectly cooked bowl of noodles.
One of the advantages of ramen is its adaptability, and this goes for
accompanying drink options as well. Before we get to the more exciting drinks options,
make sure to grab a glass of water to sip as you eat your noodles. Instant ramen is
pretty high in sodium, often hitting up to 70% of your daily allowance, and will leave
your mouth feeling like the Sahara desert if you don't ensure that you're well hydrated.
Beer is a classic choice, with the flavors complementing the salty savoriness of the noodles,
and the carbonation helps make everything feel light. Surprisingly enough, wine is
also a popular option. If that sounds appealing, try choosing your wine depending on the flavors
and toppings you're using. Pinot Grigio is a wine with a body and light sweetness that matches well
with most types of ramen. Tea can also be a great match, if you don't want a drink with alcohol.
In Korea, barley tea is often served alongside meals, and it's said to help with digestion.
Ramen should be slurped noisily and that's all there is to it. This isn't the moment to be shy,
and there are genuine reasons why it's recommended. Slurping your noodles helps
them to cool down faster, meaning they're less likely to become mushy because they've sat in
your bowl for too long. According to Discover Magazine, aerating the noodles also helps to
enhance the flavor of the ramen, as it means you're using all five senses to enjoy your bowl.
There's even evidence that says slurping increases the amount of oxygen in your mouth as you eat,
changing the flavor of your food for the better. So go ahead and slurp away with enthusiasm.
After all, there's nothing quite like getting a face full of great-smelling
steam as you bend over your bowl of noodles. Slurping increases the
sensory nature of eating and is perfectly acceptable — nay, encouraged! — in Japan.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite foods are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.