ramen

Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup that consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a savory broth, typically topped with ingredients such as sliced pork, menma, nori, scallions, and a boiled egg.

Most ramen is prepared with alkaline kansui, which gives the noodles a firmer texture and a yellowish color.

While the dish has roots in Chinese cooking, ramen as it is known in Japan emerged in the early 20th century and later developed into regional styles such as Tokyo shoyu ramen, Sapporo miso ramen, and Hakata tonkotsu ramen.

Broths vary by style: shoyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), miso, and tonkotsu (pork bone) are common categories, often combined with curly or straight noodles and toppings.

Typical toppings include chashu pork, menma (bamboo shoots), negi (scallions), nori, and ajitama (seasoned egg).

Instant ramen, introduced by Momofuku Ando in 1958, popularized the dish worldwide and led to a vast range of cup noodles and immediate meal products.

Ramen is enjoyed in many settings, from casual ramen-ya to high-end interpretations, and remains a cultural staple in Japan while influencing global noodle cuisine.

Nutrition varies, but bowls can be high in sodium and calories, depending on broth richness and portion size.