Q1:RAMEN

RAMEN is a Japanese noodle.It has its origin in Chinese noodles, but it has been improved in Japan for more than 80 years. So it is considered as a kind of Japanese dish lately.

Ramen consist of noodles, soup and toppings.Each of these elements vary by locality and there are hundreds of varieties like pizza.They are generally divided into 4 categories by types of soup.

Soy sauce soup is the most popular flavor in Japan, especially around Tokyo.Pork bone soup is also very popular recently, especially around Fukuoka.Miso soup is popular in cold region, especially in Hokkaido.Salt soup is not so popular, but some females and ramen maniacs like it.

There are famous brands of ramen such as

Hakata ramen : pork bone soup with sesame
Tokyo ramen : Soy sauce with MENMA
Sapporo ramen : Miso soup with butter and corns

Link to a Japanese Wikipedia page:"RAMEN"


There are dozens of topping such as

Char siu
MENMA
Welsh onion
Boiled(or smoked) egg
Corn
Nori

Link to a Japanese site:"What kind of toppings do you like?"


If you have a chance to come to Japan,you should go to some grocery stores,especially convenience stores.You'll see dozens of kinds of instant noodles(cup ramen) there.Instant noodles are the most popular preserved foods in Japan.You have to select a brand by your own taste since each of them has it's own features.It is said that more than 500 kinds of new instant noodles are released every year.

There are famous brands of ramen such as

Nissin Cup Noodles
Nissin Chicken Ramen
Nissin Demae Itcho
Sapporo Ichiban
Sugakiya

Link to a Japanese Wikipedia page:"Instant Ramen"


As well as ramen,Japanese people eat other various kinds of noodles such as Japanese UDON and SOBA. In addition, Italian Pastas and Korean cold noodles(Reimen) are popular in Japan nowadays.Most of you may think that Japanese staple food is rice,but noodles are also staple food in fact.





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