In the beginning they were sushi is sashimi to enchant our palates, approaching the gastronomic universe of the Rising Sun. Now it's the era of gods noodles: delicious spaghetti (or tagliolini) to be eaten hot (or cold) accompanied by tasty broths and various ingredients that contribute to creating the delicious taste umami, or sapid, the fifth element of taste, very Japanese.
And so they flourish in big, pretty cities izakaya, or small rooms / hot tables in Japanese style that offer the ramen, one of the most representative dishes of Japanese culture – consisting of hot broth, wheat tagliatelle, egg, chives – in the most popular declinations.
But what exactly is the ramen and what is the difference for example with the soba or i udon, Other specialties well known in Japan? Let's find out together.
ramen
The ramen it is a specialty of Chinese origin which begins to depopulate in Japan after the Second World War. It's a dish of wheat tagliatelle immersed in a very hot broth garnished with slices of meat, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms, chives. Its composition changes according to the region of Japan in which it is consumed. The four types main ones are: lo shoyu ramen, with soy-based broth, the miso ramen, with miso-based broth (with fermented soy paste), lo shio, version in which the broth is flavored mainly by salt, chicken and vegetables and finally the tonkotsu ramen, where the broth is prepared with pork bones. It's caloric but at the same time very nutritious; it can in fact be considered a single dish. IS' energetic, digestive, rich in substances useful for our body especially for the colder seasons.
Soba
THE soba they are thin spaghetti of buckwheat served normally with broth, dashi, mirin and soy sauce or (depending on the season) consumed cold and seasoned with different vegetables. In this case they are generally accompanied by a broth in which to dip the mouthful before tasting its flavor. They are lighter than ramen but also have important nutritional properties: they contain many vitamins and minerals. As also reported by the IRCCS Humanitas website, the Sareceno wheat also possesses properties anti-inflammatory and antioxidants.
Finally if pure, ie prepared only with buckwheat, are also suitable for intolerant to gluten.
Udon
The udons they are thick spaghettoni prepare with wheat flour.
Lighter than usually ramen, because they do not contain eggs dough.
They are consumed both hot and cold, accompanied by meat and vegetables. In broth they often combine with Tempura or al fried tofu.
Less rich in genus than ramen, they can be consumed in the version that you prefer.
Light but still tasty and very popular in Japan.
In short, even the Japanese in terms of pasta are not joking and since the taste is always a subjective matter, experiment and discover the specialty that inspires you the most!
Elisa Nata
December 2018
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