Ramen
Ramen was developed in Japan about 100 years ago and is a take-off on a Chinese noodle soup.
The ramen noodles are made with salt water which results in their turning a pale yellow color and having a firm, chewy texture. The ramen broth is made from chicken and beef or pork stock flavored with kelp, ginger or apples. It is slow-boiled for a few hours, and then the stock is flavored with either miso(fermented bean paste), soy sauce or salt.
A large bowl is used for the broth. You then pick out some of the ramen noodles with your chopsticks and put them into the bowl. You can also top this with a thin slice of barbecued pork, boiled bean sprouts, spinach and chopped onions. Fish paste and dried seaweed are also used at times.
Eating the ramen is an experience in itself as this is one time where noisy eating is encouraged. You hold onto the noodles with your chopsticks and suck them into your mouth as you might do with a string of spaghetti.
An advantage of ramen is its cheapness. In anime you will often see characters eating ramen around a low table. In Ranma 1/2, Shampoo (a female Chinese character living in Japan) delivers ramen in boxes while riding her bicycle and never spills a drop, a feat worthy of a fine circus!
The type of box ramen was once delivered in
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