January 20, 2010

Ramen of my Style/自分流のラーメン

Today, I went shopping before noon, and bought several foodstuffs that I needed to make ramen, among others: Negi, ramen noodles, and naruto (a type of fish paste with a pink spiral pattern in it).
Top: Naruto
Middle, from left to right: Noodles, menma, and chashu
Bottom: Negi
今日は昼前に買い物に行って、ラーメンを作るのに必要な食材をいくつか買ってきました。ネギ、ラーメンの麺、ナルトです。
上: ナルト
中央(左から右へ): 麺、メンマ、チャーシュー
下:ネギ

Of the three types of ramen noodles that the manufacturer offers, I selected gokuboso (superfine):
メーカーが出している3種類のラーメンのうち、極細を選びました。

The cooking time is 1 minute, as opposed to 3 minutes for the Kitakata ramen noodles I previously mentioned.
茹で時間は1分です。前に述べた喜多方ラーメンは3分ですが。

So, I have to make all the preparations before cooking the noodles.
なので、麺を茹でる前に準備をすべてする必要があります。

For the broth, I combined together:
1/2 tsp normal (bonito-flavored) dashi
1 tsp chicken dashi
25 ml soy sauce
300 ml boiled water
(soy sauce and water ratio: 1:12)
スープには、次のものを混ぜました:
通常の(カツオ味の)出汁 小さじ半分
鶏がらだし 小さじ1
醤油 25 ml
沸騰したお湯 300 ml
(醤油とお湯の割合: 1:12)

When the noodles are done, I have to work really fast before the noodles get soggy and soft ("nobiru" in Japanese (lit. to extend)). The Japanese are generally very particular about the texture of noodles, and I am no exception. Besides, superfine noodles will become soggy and soft quickly.
麺が茹だったら、麺が伸びないうちにすごく早く動かないといけません。一般的に日本人は麺の食感にとてもうるさく、私も例外ではありません。それに、極細麺はすぐにのびてしまいます。

Very good!
とても美味しいです!

The broth was rather salty. Next time, I will reduce the amount of soy sauce.
スープはかなり塩辛かったです。今度は醤油の量を減らします。

8 comments:

Mama said...

Looks delicious!

I am also very particular about the consistency of noodles. When I eat ramen or any type of noodle soup, I have to eat the noodle immediately. I really dislike it when my noodles get soggy! In Taiwanese, we describe the chew as being "QQ". :)

Hiroyuki said...

pink: In Japanese, we have some terms and expressions describing texture that are hard to translate into English, such as:
Koshi ga/no aru (to have resilience; be resilient or elastic)
Nodogoshi (throat feel; feeling that a food gives to your throat when it goes down your throat)

Do you know what is the most important habit about having ramen (and any other type of noodle)? Slurping! As you may know, any Japanese can slurp up noodles!

Mama said...

Hiroyuki, I know what you mean about those terms! We also have terms such as the ones you described, in Taiwanese. I have no clue how to translate them into English, though. The "throat feel" in Taiwanese I would describe as "gam". We use "gam" to describe a variety of foods and drinks, such as soup and tea. There are no words in English, though, that I could use to accurately describe it.

Stacy D said...

This looks very good!
Do you prefer a more traditional shouyu/shio/miso base?

My favourite Ramen is tonkotsu ramen which is very hard to find in Canada. there was 1 ramen restaurant in Toronto but apparently it had too much MSG so they weren't allowed to serve it anymore!

My favourite tonkotsu ramen was at the Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama (at the Fukuchan shop)

Hiroyuki said...

pink: Very interesting! Then I don't have to feel frustrated when describing noodles in Taiwanese!

Someone translated nodogoshi into "easy to swallow" (laugh).

nodogoshi = nodo (throat) + goshi (passing)

Hiroyuki said...

Stacy: Yes, "assari" (light, non-fatty, as opposed to "kotteri" (heavy, fatty)), chicken and soy-flavored ramen with midium width noodles (Tokyo-style ramen) is my absolute favorite, the type of ramen you will see in the movie, "Tampopo".

I know tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen has become very popular both in Japan and overseas, but it was unknown to me when I was young.

As I mentioned somewhere on eGullet, tonkotsu is misunderstood by Tokyo people for some reason. Tonkotsu ramen is not necessarily fatty. In fact, it is not so fatty in Kyushu, where it was originated. In Tokyo, however, many ramen shops serve fatty versions of tonkotsu ramen, and some even sprinkle "seabura" (pork back fat) to make it even fattier.

fabergreen said...

My family and I love ramen too! We miss eating tonkotsu ramen in Singapore. Will try cooking ramen using your method. Hope I can get all the ingredients at the nearest Japanese grocery store,about one hour drive from my house. Thanks for sharing, Hiroyuki san!

Hiroyuki said...

fabergreen: I hope you can find all the ingredients and pre-made tonkotsu broth!