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Culture Capsules: People, Places, and Processes Joo Hong, Yoo & Yuki Arakawa |
The Republic of Ramen
Joo Hong, Yoo
ISALC: ESL 382: Computer Applications
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Culture Capsules: People, Places, and Processes Joo Hong, Yoo & Yuki Arakawa |
The Republic of Ramen
Joo Hong, Yoo
The Republic of Ramen
In supermarkets throughout the world, if you walk around the
store you can find a certain corner which has various
kinds of noodles. For example, Brisbane, Australia, which is very far from
Korea and Japan, has some supermarkets which sell little plastic packages in
Styrofoam cups that have curly instant noodles we usually call ramen. Each product
has a different name; one product, which is made in the United States is ‘Oodles
of Noodles’. Also, one world famous ramen, which is made in Korea is ‘Sin
Ramen’(1) and the name of the most famous Japanese product is ‘Sapporo
Ichiban’(2).
If you have a chance to try both Korean and American ramen, you will recognize
that the product which is made in the United States can not imitate Korean or
Japanese’s fantastic taste and high quality, because both Korea and Japan
have a long history of ramen as well as ramen is a part of our culture. Also,
although both Korea and Japan’s ramen is very popular in the world, definitely
each country’s ramen style is completely different, in terms of flavor,
contents and containers. Therefore, if you read through our report, you can
figure out why both countries’ ramen are different.
Birth of Ramen
Actually, the birthplace of Ramen is Japan, but Korea imported
ramen and improved the quality of ramen and created different sauces. Therefore,
both countries’ wonderful combination made world famous ramen. Especially,
in 1963, two companies were established. Nong-Sim,
which represents spicy ramen and Sam-Yang,
which is famous as a mild ramen company. Both companies began to sell ramen,
and then ‘Sin ramen’ and ‘Sam-Yang ramen’(3)
became one of most popular foods in Korea. Therefore, many other companies joined
the ramen market and they competed with other Korean companies as well as other
global ramen companies. The competition in the ramen market has become very
intense since ramen was created.
Materials of Ramen (Korean website translated into English)
Noodles: wheat 83~85%, fat 15~18%, salt 1% and others.
Sauce: beef, soy sauce, glutamine, seasonings, glucose, spicer garlic and onion.
Some reasons why Ramen is good(Korean website translated into
English)
1. Cheap price and easy to cook
2. Ramen never includes any kinds of preservatives.
3. Ramen is easy to store, so it is useful for emergency food.
4. Ramen has rich nutritive values.
5. Ramen is safe because it is a sterilized food.
6. Whenever and wherever (all you need is boiling water)
Different Flavors in Korea (Compare and Contrast)
There are many 'different kinds of ramen'
(9) in Korea. One of the most famous ramen is ‘Sin Ramen’ which includes
spicy contents and some dried vegetables. Also, many Korean companies make very
similar types of ramen, such as ‘Sam-Yang Ramen’, ‘Kim-Chi
Ramen’(4), ‘Neoguri Ramen’(5),
‘Yuk-Ke Zang Ramen’(6). Those ramen have
very similar contents and similar spices, so those products are very popular
in Korea. Also, another popular type of ramen is called Udon. Actually, Udon
is famous as instant noodles as well as homemade noodles. Unlike other kinds
of ramen,'Udon'(7) has mild flavors as well as dried
seaweed. So if people don’t like spicy noodles, they prefer this kind of
noodle, Udon. Actually, both spicy noodles and Udon have delicious broth, but
the other type of ramen, which is called ‘Bi-Bim
Ramen’(8) doesn’t have any broth and it is based on only a cold
spicy sauce, so it is especially popular in summer.
Conclusion
According to our report about Korean and Japanese ramen, you
can figure out, what the differences are and what the similarities are.
However, if you read through our report, you will find that definitely there
are more similarities than differences. Also, the most similar point is high
quality and delicious taste. Therefore, both Japan and Korea are known as powerful
ramen countries.
Image Sources
1)http://www.ramencity.com
2)http://www.ramencity.com
3)http://www.asiafoods.com
4)http://www.ramencity.com
5)http://www.mattfischer.com/ramen/images.html
6)htttp://www.ramencity.com
7)http://www.asiafoods.com
8)http://www.ottogi.co.kr/english/history/history2.html
9)http://www.asiafoods.com
Ramen Country
Yuki Arakawa
As all noodles have come from China, Ramen noodles also originated in China
and were called “La-Mein”, which means boiled, strained noodles,
in Chinese. Because Japanese pronounced these Chinese letters “Ramen”,
people call this product ‘Ramen’ around the world. Ramen noodles
have become common, cheap and fast food. Japanese ramen have a variety of
flavors, which are based on local tastes in different parts of Japan. Basic
Japanese ramen flavor is soy sauce. In Kyushu, the southern part of Japan,
ramen has tonkotsu (1) flavor, which is made from
pork-based stock. In Hokkaido, the northern part of Japan, ramen has miso
(2) flavor with rich lard. There are some other flavors in Japan. In fact,
Sapporo, the capital city
of Hokkaido, is called ramen city in Japan so that Sapporo ramen is more likely
to be eaten by people around the world. Just as you may find instant noodles
at your house, many kinds of instant noodles are available at supermarkets
or grocery stores around the world. Instant noodles are also one of the most
important foods for college students who live on campus here at Lewis
& Clark College.
History of instant ramen
Who knows about the history of instant ramen noodles? Although instant ramens
are worldwide products and are eaten by many people all over the world, only
a few people have thought about instant ramen’s history. When ramen noodles
were first introduced from China to Japan, they were accepted and available
just at restaurants until the time instant noodles were invented.
About fifty years ago, a man saw a long line of people who were waiting at
a ramen restaurant. By the time the man saw this, an idea, bringing ramen
into the home with a cheap price, came to him suddenly. This was Momofuku
Ando, who invented the first instant noodles in the world. After the day he
saw the long line, he built a factory to make instant ramen in his backyard
and spent many sleepless nights. Finally ten years later, he succeeded to
make his first product, “Chicken Ramen” in 1958. Chicken Ramen was
an innovative and useful product, which was cheap (one package cost 35 yen),
easy to make, and tasty. All that people needed were boiling water and three
minutes of waiting time. As you can guess, this man became famous and his
small workshop grew into the well-known global company, Nissin
Foods, and introduced instant ramen to more than 80 different countries.
(His instant ramen arrived on the east coast of the United States in 1972.)
Ando built “The
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum” on the site of his factory.
Instant Ramen is no longer just an essential cheap product now. Instant ramen
is a portable product, which people keep for an emergency. Because of its
special characteristics of being easy to cook and easy to transport, it works
for international disaster relief and aid work now. Now, instant ramen has
taken an important role in emergency
supplies for regional disaster, not only in Japan for disasters such as
earthquakes in Kobe but also in Taiwan, India, and other countries. Thanks
to the instant noodles, many victims of natural disasters have escaped from
starvation. As you have read, one Japanese man, Momofuku Ando, brought the
first instant noodles into the world, so all Japanese are proud of Ando for
sure.
If you are interested to know about ramen history, you can see a chronology
of ramen history on this web site. (http://www.nissinfoods.com/his.htm)
Variety of Ramen in the World
Ramen first originated in China; however, it is prepared in Japanese style
and has become a common food around the world. Although all instant noodles
are based on Ando’s first instant noodle, “Cup
Noodle”(3), each country’s ramen reflect their own flavor. Korean
ramen is more likely to have hot spices and usually contains black bean sauce.
Chinese ramen usually has Szechuan flavors and Thais like thin noodles with
hot spicy flavor. Italians like tomato flavor and Indians like masala flavor.
Americans like mild spices and mild flavor. Japanese likes mild spices and
seafood flavor. As you can guess, there are very many companies producing
their own instant noodles with their special flavor everywhere in the world.
Even though there are a variety of instant noodles such as Udon
(4), Soba, Bibinmen, hiyashichuka (5), and Reimen
in the world, we shouldn’t forget our first instant noodle, Ramen. Although
there are a variety of flavors of ramen for people, Japanese ramen, the cup-noodle,
is the most famous ramen in the world.
Now, there are many ramen fans in Japan; however, this ramen means not only traditional ramen, which we eat at the ramen restaurant, but also instant ramen. In 2000, there were more than 840 brands (6) of instant ramen in Japan. Japanese people (Japan has a population of about 126 million) eat about 5.3 billion package of instant noodles in a year. Certainly more and more people eat instant ramen in Japan today. Children and adolescents like to eat ramen when their parents can’t prepare a complete meal for them. Adults like to go to ramen shops after they drink alcohol. Even seniors like to eat ramen because it is mild and easy to digest. You have to wait in a line more than thirty minutes to enter some famous ramen chain restaurants. Recently, there is a ramen boom in Japan, and several magazines, which specialize in ramen, are coming out. You can find vending machines with hot water servers everywhere, especially on college campus. All convenience stores prepare boiling hot water for customers’ demands all the time. In addition, Japan has a big ramen museum, Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, and this museum is arousing people’s interest in things connected with ramen. It is no exaggeration to say that Japan is flooded with ramen. Now, you want to eat a cup-noodle, don’t you?
Image Sources
1) http://www.bob_an.com/recipe/dailyjc/basic/ramen/ramen.html
2) http://www.ramencity.com/japanese/simiso.htm
3) http://www.instantramen.or.jp/english/base/05_time/04.html
4) http://www.ramencity.com/jbowl.html
5) http://japanesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa072301a.htm
6) http://www.bento.com/phgal3.html
Powerful Ramen Countries
-- Korea vs. Japan --
Introduction
There are some differences between Korean and Japanese instant
noodles; however, these are basically alike. In supermarkets throughout the
world, if you walk around the store you can find a certain corner, which has
various kinds of noodles. For example, Brisbane, Australia, which is very far
from the Korea and Japan, has some super markets which sell little plastic packages
in Styrofoam cups that have curly instant noodles we usually call ramen. Each
product has a different name, one product, which is made in the United States
is ‘Oodles of Noodles’. Also, one world famous ramen, which is made
in Korea, is ‘Sin Ramen’ and the name of the Japanese product is ‘Nissin
Udon Bowl’.
If you have a chance to try both Korean and American ramen, you will recognize
that the product which is made in the United States can not imitate Korean or
Japanese’s fantastic taste and high quality because both Korea and Japan
have a long history of ramen as well as ramen is a part of our culture. Therefore,
both countries are definitely kingdoms of ramen.
Reasons
People like to eat Ramen in both countries; however, `Ramen’
means ramen, which we eat at a ramen restaurant, more than instant ramen in
Japan. On the other hand, Korean people think about instant ramen when they
hear the word “Ramen”. Because ramen is really cheap and easy to eat,
it is a masterpiece dish in both countries. Especially about instant ramen,
it is no longer just an essential cheap product now. It is a portable product,
which people keep for an emergency. Instant noodles work for international disaster
relief and aid work now. This is not only in our countries but also in other
countries among the world.
Who and When?
As you can find instant ramen at a near by supermarket, it is
not too much to say that people can find Korean and Japanese instant noodles
all over the world. Because of its special characteristics, ramen is eaten by
all generations in both countries. In Japan, children and adolescents like to
eat ramen when their parents can’t prepare a complete meal for them. Adults
like to go to ramen shop after they drink alcohol because most of ramen shops
are open until early in the morning. As you know, Japanese are hard workers
so that businessmen eat ramen at their office and stay up all night to finish
their share of the work. Even seniors like to eat ramen because it is mild and
easy to digest. Actually, Korea imported ramen from Japan and improved the quality
of ramen and created different sauces. Therefore, both countries’ wonderful
combination made world famous ramen. Especially, in 1963 two companies, Nong-Sim,
which represents spicy ramen. ‘Sin-Ramen’ and Sam-Yang, which is famous
as mild ramen companies, began to make ramen, and then ramen became one of most
popular foods in Korea. Therefore, many other companies joined the ramen market
and they competed with other Korean companies as well as other global ramen
companies. Therefore, in Korea, the ramen market has become intense since ramen
was created. Certainly, more and more people eat ramen in both of our countries
today.
Variety kinds of instant noodles
Korean and Japan have different kinds of ramen; however, we
share many similarities. As you have seen before at a super market, Korean product
is not only instant ramen but also some other noodles. There are spicy ramen,
udon, and Bi-Bim Ramen in Korea. The most famous ramen is `Sin Ramen’,
which includes spicy contents and some dried vegetables. Also, most Korean instant
ramen has a hot and spicy flavor. On the other hand, most of Korean udon has
mild flavors as well as dried seaweed. Therefore, some people who don’t
like spicy ramen prefer this kind of ramen. Not like these two styles of ramen,
Bi-Bim Ramen doesn’t have any broth and it is based on only spicy sauce
so that people like to eat this in summer. Similar to Korea, Japanese instant
noodle have many kinds and flavors. There are instant ramen, yakisoba, udon,
spaghetti, and hiyashi-cyuka in Japan. We have both, hot and cold, instant noodles.
Under these variety kinds of noodles, each of them has variety kinds of flavors.
Popular flavors are shoyu (soy-sauce), miso (soybean paste), tonkothu (pork)
and sio (salt). These flavors are based on which part of Japan specializes in
that flavor. Japanese instant ramen has many different tastes and these are
not only mild but also hot. Just like Korean udon, Japanese udon is more likely
to have a mild flavor than hot flavor. In addition, like Korean Bi-Bim Ramen,
Hiyashi-chuka is a cold noodle and people eat this more in summer than other
seasons. There are great numbers of brands of instant ramen in Korea and Japan.
New flavors are coming out each year and people critique them. Although both
of our countries produce a variety of ramen, cost, appearance, volume and materials
are almost the same.
Conclusion
According to our report about Korean and Japanese ramen, you can see, what the differences and the similarities are. However, if you read thorough our report, you will feel that both of Korean and Japanese ramen are similar definitely. It is important to realize that the most similar point is high quality and delicious taste of our instant noodles. Therefore, both Japan and Korea are now known as powerful ramen countries.
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