One of the most well-known foods all around the world has to be ramen. But what actually is ramen? Is there more to it than the 0.75c instant noodles you buy at the supermarket?
Of course there is. Contrary to popular belief, Ramen is actually a full, complete dish. There is the broth, there are the hand-pulled noodles and the toppings.
The real Japanese masters have their own recipes for pork or fish-based broth, the noodles are made fresh each day, if not by the hour, strictly by hand, and the toppings are so much more than your average hydrated vegetables in a bag.
Tonkatsu ramen is as traditional as you can go. Tonkatsu actually means pork bones, so you get a big bowl of pork bones broth which usually takes days to make. Next we are off to the noodles section, where you get to choose how firm you want your noodles. For toppings, you can go for spring onions, pork belly, garlic, ginger or a boiled egg.
When done right, a bowl of ramen can be a real gourmet experience, and if you just put some creativity into it, you can have a bowl of warm Japan in your own house.
