A ramen bowl can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, especially when you can create your own at Ejji. The majority of people are unaware that there is a method to the chaos. There is a reason why particular kinds of noodles are frequently served with particular broths. We’re going to share some insider information about ramen chefs’ specialties, which cater to the majority of palates.
The conventional wisdom regarding thick noodles is that they should be thicker the thinner the broth is. When it comes to adhering to this principle, miso ramen is the star of the show. Because they best capture the nuttiness of the fermented soybean found in miso broth, thicker noodles are typically paired with miso. In comparison to thin, straight noodles, thick, curly noodles absorb more miso broth with each bite, giving your tastebuds little jolts of joy.
Due to the way that each curl holds the broth, thin and curly noodles are ideal for thicker broths like Tonkotsu or Tsukemen. Thin and straight noodles tend to stick together. When the noodles adhere in this manner, they form a scoop shape that traps mouthwatering broth in each bite. Though thinner noodles typically don’t absorb as much broth as thicker ones do, this can serve as the ideal justification for ordering more noodles to finish your broth.
Ramen is a pretty versatile dish. Various topping combinations can improve the texture and flavor of your bowl. You are free to put whatever you want in and on top of your ramen at Ejji. To customize your ramen bowl, choose from a variety of vegetables, proteins, and sauces. Here are some of Chef Ten’s favorite broth and sauce pairings if you’re looking for inspiration:
View our menu to see what other eye-catching toppings Ejji has to offer.
5 Answers 5
Sorted by:
Yes, they can be found in a curly form, is the quick response. The various fresh noodle varieties used in ramen can be categorized primarily based on thickness and shape.
There are three types of noodles: the straight sutorto-men (), the curly chijire-men (), and the more uncommon flat hirauchi-men (). The extra thick gokubuto-men, the thick futo-men, the middle thick ch-buto-men, the middle thin ch-boso-men, the thin hoso-men, and the extra thin gokuboso-men are all different degrees of thickness, with the flat type being the exception. The amount of water in the dough of the thin types further distinguishes them.
The type of ramen and the chef’s preference determine the type and thickness of noodles used. For instance, Ippd typically uses straight gokuboso type for their hakata rmen (), but the same franchise uses chijire gokuboso type for their spicy rmen and chijire gokubuto for their tsukemen. Likewise, yokohama tonkotsu-shōyu （横浜豚骨醤油）, also known as ie-kei（家系）, uses chijire-gokubuto.
Numerous factors influence the type of noodle you choose, but cooking time is a crucial one. Because topping up your noodles (kaedama) is a common practice in hakata rmen, one needs to be able to cook the noodles quickly, which is why the noodles are so thin. Thicker types of noodle need longer cooking time (aprox. They are only used by rmen traditions that don’t provide a noodle refill (10 minutes for gokubuto-men).
The type of broth is another variable that affects the type of noodles. Noodles should be straight or curly depending on the thickness of the broth.
However, since rmen is a type of creole food created from combining Japanese and Chinese cuisines, these are not inflexible rules. According to some, there is no right or wrong in rmen and anything is possible. But if you visit rmen shops in Japan, you will find what I’ve just described because it’s customary.
By the way, not all Japanese rmen dishes use freshly made noodles. Takeoka rmen is a type of rmen that is native to Chiba Prefecture. It was first prepared by part-time old ladies hired from the neighborhood and uses dried (what you might call instant) noodles because they are simpler to prepare.
I once attempted to make spaghetti using an egg-based pasta recipe, but I didn’t give it enough time to dry out and rest. Because the noodles were cooked to be so moist, the texture was identical to ramen (even without the kansui, or bicarbonate solution).
After cooking, the pasta maintained its curly shape, likely as a result of the lack of rack drying; instead, it was simply allowed to cool in clumps of flour to prevent the noodles from sticking to one another. My wife, who has spent a sizable portion of her life eating ramen in Japanese ramen shops, remarked that we appeared to have made ramen with tomato sauce.
In my experience, real ramen noodles cook fairly curly (although there are different types). You may have seen racks of ramen outside a shop in the film Tampopo; they are typically made with water, flour, and kansui and, like my hurried pasta, are typically dusted with flour and allowed to sit already slightly twisted together before cooking. Although I don’t know the cause, I’m reasonably confident that you won’t be able to identify instant ramen simply by the fact that it becomes curly when cooked.
The better indicator is probably oiliness. The broth in “real” ramen frequently contains a lot of oil, usually from pork fat, while the noodles are low in fat. Because of the pre-frying process used to prepare the noodles in instant ramen, the soup itself is not that fatty. However, the noodles are very high in fat. To achieve the look and smell that customers of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese instant ramen desire, some ship with an extra flavored oil packet. Instead of focusing on the shape of the finished product, check to see if the noodles are greasy and not overcooked. Although I think the instant ones smell fairly distinctively, I’m not sure everyone could identify it. Furthermore, well-made fresh ramen has a textural “bite” that is difficult to describe but obvious once you’ve had it.
I’m not certain that there is any (or much) kansui in the noodles in your first picture because they are so white. But merely by looking at them, I am unable to determine with certainty whether they are instant. If I were to eat them, I would probably be able to tell from the texture. Because they aren’t golden, they might just be fresh noodles that are readily available in the area and not true ramen.
Dried Ramen is not the same as instant ramen. There are numerous varieties of dried Chinese noodles that resemble instant noodles but are unmistakably different; none of these are referred to in China as “ramen.”
It’s the same as ignoring dried Italian pasta or dried Japanese somen noodles to ignore dried ramen noodles. There is no other way to achieve the same tight curl and have it hold that tight after cooking than when the Chinese noodles are dried.
The only ingredients in the high-quality dried noodles you would refer to as ramen are wheat flour, water, and salt. While some are made with whole wheat and some have additional flavor-enhancing high-quality dried ingredients, they all require much more time to prepare than instant noodles.
Actually, the only distinction between dried Italian pasta and regular dried Chinese curly noodles is the type of flour and the thickness of the pasta. Compared to Italian flat noodles, dried Chinese noodles are much thinner and more flat. It is much more flat (less thick) and thinner (less wide) than linguine.
Additionally, instant noodles contain a ton of strange ingredients that you either can’t say or don’t understand why they’re in your noodles. The choice is between high-quality, dried Jasmine rice and some instant rice that only takes a minute to cook. One is a very high-quality food, and the other is total, utter garbage.
Not even a rocket scientist can tell the difference between the instant chemical crap and high-quality dried Chinese pasta. They are immediately recognizable if they taste and look like puffy cardboard. If they taste wonderful, theyre not.
For me, instant noodles taste exactly like cardboard, so I can’t even eat them. With high-quality dried Chinese curly noodles that come in individual round, square, or rectangular cakes in a bag of 10 to 20 cakes, you can make the authentic version of ramen. Making a separate, high-quality broth with whatever additional foods you want to eat with your ramen, boiling that for a while, straining and rinsing the noodles, and then re-immersing them in boiling water before adding them to the broth in a bowl.
Similar to how the Chinese mushroom is known in the West by its Japanese name, “shitake,” ramen is a Japanese variation of Chinese-style noodles that has gained popularity in the West.
Many foods of incredibly high quality are dried in China. Being dried doesn’t make something less desirable than being fresh; in fact, dried food is frequently preferred over fresh due to its unique consistency and potent flavor. They are also the priciest items you can purchase in China, with many items costing more than gold in terms of weight. dried seaweed, dried scallops, dried shrimp, dried squid, dried fish, dried abalone, dried sea cucumber, dried mussels, dried clams, dried sea vegetables, dried limpets, dried pork, dried chicken, dried duck, dried beef, dried sausages, dried fruits, seeds, barks, dried rare medicines, medicinal plants, medical herbs, exotic ingredients like birds nest and silk worm, various rices, and grain. They ate like kings for thousands of years without refrigeration. They are the primary supplier of noodles for both the rest of Asia and Italy.
If you compare the best, most sophisticated, sensitive, developed, and refined palates on the planet, I guarantee that a Chinese soup made entirely of dried ingredients, including dried Chinese noodles, is superior to any soup you could possibly make using fresh ingredients. Period.
The noodles are probably the least of your worries, judging by the image you posted above. Simply put, the soup doesn’t look appealing, primarily due to the broth and the onion and broccoli in it. But theyre probably trying to make it to American tastes. Chinese cuisine has long been mocked by Americans, who are used to it trying hard not to gross you out with sophisticated and complex flavors and ingredients. Instead, they dumb it down to your level so you won’t cry or complain, like you do for children. It is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in Chinese.
What you have in that bowl there is udon. Additionally, you can purchase fresh ramen noodles from an Asian grocer; look for sun noodle or yamachan.
Ramen are a pre-cooked noodle. To put it another way, they are frequently deep-fried (or less frequently, baked) before even being delivered to the home cook or restaurant that will serve them. Even eating them straight from the package is an option.
While straight ramen noodles do exist, most are curly.
I’m not sure what “instant” ramen means because it is already precooked and only needs to boil or simmer for a short time to become soft and hot.
The fact that your restaurant is serving you curly-looking ramen is not necessarily significant, in my opinion.
On the other hand, I would be angry if they were making their broth using a tiny powder packet.
Thanks for contributing an answer to Seasoned Advice!
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Draft saved Draft discarded.
Analyzing the thickness of the broth’s noodles will help you determine how rich and thick the broth is. Typically, thick, curly noodles are served with hearty, flavorful broths like miso or spicy broths. Rich and flavorful broths are balanced by the chewy noodles, which have a smaller surface area available to absorb the broth.
The largest surface area (in terms of the number of noodles available in each bowlful) for the broth to cling to is provided by thin and straight noodles, which are typically served with a hearty Tonkatsu broth. Tonkatsu broth pairs best with the thin, straight noodles because, despite being thick and creamy, it has a milder flavor than other broths. To achieve a balance between the two flavors, we will therefore need to pour as much broth as we can over the noodles.
Ramen noodles are similar to Italian pasta in that they come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, and they also come in a wide range of types. There are many different types of ramen noodles available, ranging from thin to thick, straight to curly, to complement your broth. You can even choose the size, shape, and degree of softness of your noodles at some ramen shops.
There are two key characteristics to watch out for when attempting to broadly categorize the wide range of ramen noodle types that are seen. Thin noodles come in straight or curly varieties, while thick noodles also come in straight and curly varieties.
However, ramen chefs are pretty particular about ramen eating etiquette. Ramen noodles are said to only retain their springiness for five minutes in the broth before becoming overcooked. This explains why Japanese diners at ramen stands always slurp their ramen quickly and loudly. The secret to perfecting the ramen slurping technique is to enjoy the noodles’ full freshness as long as possible.
How do ramen noodles get curly?Silicon flaps attached to the noodle cutter is one way to get the curly or wavy ramen noodle. You can create your own version like Alex the French Cooking Guy did. Which result in a nice curly noodle.
FAQ
Are ramen noodles supposed to be Curly?
Can ramen noodles be straight?
What are the curly things in ramen?
Japan produces a variety of kamaboko, or cured fish surimi, known as narutomaki or naruto.
How does ramen keep its shape?
The kansui, or alkaline water, is essential to making good ramen noodles. Because of this, the noodles retain their texture and springiness while cooking in hot broth. Hard water is preferable to soft water for making ramen noodles because it is naturally more alkaline.
