April 19, 2006

THE STAPLE OF EVERY GRAD STUDENTS DIET:

Revisiting ramen, an Asian staple but an American afterthought (HSIAO-CHING CHOU, 4/19/06, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER)

Instant ramen has sustained life under dire circumstances and yet it is incapable of escaping its harsh American reality as the food that most people gladly leave behind once the paychecks fatten. Some people even harbor resentment for ever having depended on the four-for-a-dollar staple.

Its alter-ego lives the good life in Asian supermarkets, where entire aisles are dedicated to noodle display. It's daunting the number of brands and flavors that are available. Most people tend to stick with one or two favorites. So I thought it would be fun to choose a dozen varieties for a taste test.

Two "connoisseurs" joined me on the panel. Kaz Iwasaki, who works with International Cross-Cultural Committee, eats instant ramen about once a week. He prefers the Ichiban brand and he usually adds some fresh vegetables to the broth. Takumi Ono, who is the president of the Japanese-language Web site Junglecity.com, used to spend time during her visits home to Japan to try all the new flavors of instant ramen that had hit the shelves since her previous visit.

I have written before about the "relationship" Asians have with instant ramen: First of all, there is no shame in buying this convenience product because it almost always is one check mark on a long list of fresh produce and meat or seafood items. Second, the ramen industry continues to create new flavors, some of which actually resemble the "real" dishes they try to imitate.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 19, 2006 8:54 AM
Comments

My paychecks may be bigger, but I still eat Ramen noodles by the packetful. They're much quicker to cook than ordinary pasta, and mixing canned tuna or chicken makes a neat casserole.

Posted by: Brad S at April 19, 2006 9:09 AM

1 can tuna, one packet ramen (any flavor) and a healthy dollop of Kraft parmesan cheese.

Drain water, watch TV.

Does that make your recipe book, OJ?

Posted by: Bruno at April 19, 2006 9:16 AM

I kid you not, Brad's post wasn't there when I started typing.

Posted by: Bruno at April 19, 2006 9:18 AM

Bruno, don't be surprised. It appears that great minds think (and eat) alike.

Posted by: erp at April 19, 2006 10:19 AM

Four for a dollar? Rip off!! At Kroger in Atlanta you can get six for .83 cents.

Check out the official Ramen home page, where you can find many delicious ramen recipes:

http://mattfischer.com/ramen/

Posted by: Twn at April 19, 2006 10:44 AM

If you ever find yourself in Arlington Heights, IL be sure to stop by Santoka Ramen in the Mitsuwa Market food court. Santoka in Tokyo is regarded as one of the best ramen shops in Japan. While I am certain something gets lost in the translation, the #57 salt ramen combo with braised pork belly is delicious. Have I mentioned before that I like pork?

If you want to DIY and need something closer to Chicago, visit Chicago Food Corp. on Kimball just off the Kennedy Expressway. Many different versions of noodles from Japan, China and Korea as well as other staples at dirt cheap prices. Also fun to play "What the heck is that?" with the prepared food table.

twn:

I crumble instant ramen noodles along with chopped toasted almonds to a napa cabbage slaw. The flavoring packet is used to prepare the dressing of rice wine vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, and cilantro. Sometimes the ramen packs are 10 for a $1 at Dominick's.

Posted by: Rick T. at April 19, 2006 12:12 PM

I also found them useful on trips to Yellowstone backcountry thermal areas. Just make sure you know that it's not an acidic spring or one known to be depositing arsenic or antimony. (And sulfide springs can mess up the taste. Yecch.) Then there was the time a geyser started it's pre-eruption activity while I was filling up. That half-inch of boiling water flooding out that I was standing it wasn't there when I started...

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at April 19, 2006 12:18 PM

Ramen + canteen cup + heat tab = quick, hot meal far from camp for almost no weight or bulk.

Posted by: Lou Gots at April 19, 2006 1:13 PM

During the summer of 1985, I stayed in New Orleans and took a couple of classes. I was a work study student and I got paid in tuition. At night I worked in a bar as a dj. I really didn't make much but I got to drink for free. That summer I lived on potatoes that I microwaved and then at night I drank Dewar's Scotch. It was fun.

Posted by: pchuck at April 19, 2006 8:46 PM
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