Raaaaamen!

I felt that, with this blog having a Japanese-food bias, there was no better food for me to start on than the ubiquitous ramen.

Ramen is a type of noodle, originally hailing from China and the inspiration for the South African culinary atrocity, 2-Minute Noodles.

In Japan you can find a ramen shop in any corner, selling the noodles in a variety of broths with toppings as diverse as seaweed, eggs, ham, shellfish and an array of different vegetables. In any grocery store you’ll find at least one full shelf dedicated solely to instant ramen, and convenience stores have special limited-edition varieties, and a hot-water urn next to the counter for businessmen to indulge in a quick lunch.

It’s a crying shame that someone hasn’t yet got hold of the idea in South Africa, as I believe they would make a killing from a decent ramen store catering to South African tastes.

However, thanks to the many Oriental stores here, we can at least partake in a bowl of decent instant ramen.

The best one I’ve sampled from any of the stores in Joburg and Pretoria (and it can be found at almost any of them) is Nissin’s “Demae Icchou” (出前一丁) ramen. 

 They come packaged similarly to 2-Minute Noodles, and the way you make them is similar too, except the part where you empty the broth (and thus all the flavour) out at the end.

They come in myriad different flavours. Some of the ones we currently have at home include Kobe Teriyaki Beef, Shoyu (soy sauce), Miso, Chicken, Prawn, Roast Beef and Satay. There are at least 20 different flavours, though, so get to a shop and check them out yourself, although you may end up like us, just going down the aisle and throwing two of each into the basket. They only cost about R5 each, so it’s a perfect post-latest-petrol-hike meal.

The directions are written on the back of each packet, but it’s simply a matter of dumping the noodles in a bowl, pouring in 500ml of boiling water, sticking it in the microwave for 3 minutes and then pouring in the flavouring packets and stirring.

After that, though, you can make it truly special. For inspiration, follow the packet images as to what to put on top, but really, only your imagination limits you. I’ve done it before with strips of teriyaki chicken, ample slabs of caramelised pork belly and blanched fresh Chinese cabbage.

Today I made a simple lunch of the Kobe Beef Teriyaki flavour (my favourite, although, to be honest, it is a very long way from a Kobe steak) with added fresh coriander, sesame seeds and boiled egg.

Two warnings, though:

First, make sure you gobble it up right as it’s done. Don’t leave it standing or else the noodles will go soggy.

Second, as delicious as it is, it’s not exactly heart-smart. As with a large proportion of pre-packaged “done in 2 seconds” food, it contains a high amount of sodium. So try not to over do it.