Ramen is best eaten extremely hot. Two or three minutes after the noodles come off the cooker, the flavor deteriorates because the fatty acids in the broth start to oxidize, giving off chemicals that block the flavor of the other spices and ingredients in the bowl.
This hotness factor is why Japanese people slurp their noodles, which takes air into the mouth, and cools the noodles down. Ramen may be considered a simple food, but cooking it is not easy at all.
In southern Japan, where pigs are raised, the ramen broth is made from boiled pork bones. In Tokyo, cooks make a soy sauce-based broth, while in Osaka, the broth is salt based. Making the broth can take anywhere from several hours to an entire day, and constant attention is required to control the temperature, strain the broth, and make sure the ingredients are added at the proper time.
Older Japanese rarely eat at foreign fast food outlets like McDonald’s but they frequently visit Japanese ramen noodle shops, which also serve ‘fast food.’
There is one notable exception: grandmothers and daughters,-in-law and grandchildren frequently visit fast food outlets together, thereby fostering an intergenerational intimacy.
Ramen in Japan
