Ramen

“Rarmen” is one of Japan’s most popular dishes. It is said that these noodle dishes originally came from neighboring China and were improved to the Japanese tastes. The influences of Chinese food culture on Japanese food culture are very significant. This can be clearly observed in this dish “ramen”. Especially before the modern era, food cultures from other countries or regions, such as Europe and Southeast Asia, almost always have come into our country through China. China is a very large country with a very long history. Therefore, the various food ingredients, cooking techcniques and recipes have been introduced continuously throughout the ages. Though there are various theories as to which restaurant created “ramen”, the so-called “shina soba (soy sauce-flavored ramen)”, which is said to be the origin of ramen in Japan, was created in Yokohama. After that, “miso-flavored” and “salt-flavored” soups were created with various ideas, and the Japanese ramen culture has developed into the present day… Considering these backgrounds, it would be better to think of the “ramen” in Japan today as a one of Western-style menu originated in Japan. Well, we will tell you the details about “ramen” in Japan some other time, right?

Among these Japanese ramen dishes, one that seems to have come from China but actually originated in Japan is “Hiyashi-Chuka (chilled-style rahmen)”. There is also a cold noodle dish called “Ryomen (cool noodles)” in China, but it is not considered to be the original “Hiyashi-Cyuka” due to differences in seasoning and preparation recipes. “Hiyashi-Cyuka” is one of the most popular summer dishes in Japan. Usually, the season is said to be from about the end of the rainy season through the summer. It has become a kind of seasonal event for noodle shops to display signs with the phrase “Hiyashi-Cyuka Hajimemashita (it means “Hiyashi-Cyuka now on sale”)”. In general, “Hiyashi-Cyuka” is often considered a seasonal summer ramen dish. So, if you are in Japan during this season, you should definitely give it a try.