Ramen is a noodle soup that was originally imported to Japan from China in the Meiji Period. In more recent decades, it has become a very popular dish in Japan, adapted to the Japanese taste. Ramen restaurants (ramen ya) number in the thousands, and instant ramen (invented in 1958) is popular both in and outside of Japan.
Ramen noodles are about as thin as spaghetti and are served in a soup that varies based on region, city and even specific vendor. Ramen’s popularity stems in part from the fact that it is so inexpensive and widely available, making it an ideal option for budget travelers. In addition to freshly prepared ramen at ramen ya, supermarkets and convenience stores offer a large selection of instant ramen bowls.
Though ramen can be considered a one dish meal, gyoza are a common side dish offered at ramen ya. These Chinese style, pan fried dumplings are eaten with a soya and vinegar sauce. Shichimi (red chili mix) is usually available on the table to be added according to taste.
Ramen can be classified according to its soup base. The most popular ones are:
* Shoyu Ramen: Brown, transparent, soya sauce based soup
* Miso Ramen: Brown, non-transparent, miso based soup.
* Shio Ramen: Transparent, salt based soup.
* Tonkotsu Ramen: White, milky, pork based soup.
Ramen can also be named according to its ingredients. For example, chashumen is a ramen dish that features barbecued pork as toppings.
July 4, 2008
Gyoza is originally a Chinese dish, which has become very popular across Japan. This recipe shows how to make the gyoza dough and the gyoza filling. The time consuming and difficult part of making of the dough can be skipped by buying premade dough pieces, which are available at some Japanese and Chinese grocery stores.
Ingredients:
(for 30 Gyoza)
- Dough:
- 170 mL water
- 200 g strong flour
- Filling:
- 200 g ground pork
- Cabbage
- Nira*: can be substituted by leek or green onion
- Leek or Green onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Sake*
- Soya sauce, salt, and pepper
- Sesame oil
- Dipping Sauce:
* This ingredient may not be available in Western supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in Japanese grocery stores that exist in most large European and American cities.
Preparation:
Dough:
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Mix the water and the flour to a dough that should not be sticky but as soft as an ear lobe. |
- Put a wet towel over the dough, and let it stand for several minutes.
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Separate the dough in 30 pieces, and form each of them to very thin discs with a diameter of about 10 cm. The middle of each disc should be a little bit thicker than the edge. |
Filling:
- Cut some green, outer cabbage leaves, some green onion (or leek), nira, ginger, and garlic in very small pieces. The amount of these ingredients should equal the amount of meat. Do it as you like.
- Put some salt on the cabbage, and let it stand for five minutes. Then press the water out of the cabbage pieces.
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Mix the cabbage, green onion (or leek), nira, ginger, garlic, and the ground pork all together, and add some salt, pepper, soya sauce, sake, and sesame oil. Mix it all very well. |
Making and frying the Gyoza:
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Put some of the filling onto a piece of dough. Remember that the filling should suffice for 30 gyoza pieces. |
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Moisten the edge of the dough with water. Moisten only a semicircle, not all the way around. |
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Close the gyoza. While closing it, fold the edge about 6 times as shown on the image. |
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Put the gyoza on the table as shown in the image. |
- Fry the Gyoza in a little bit of hot oil until the bottom is brownish, then add water so that the gyoza are in the water with about half of their hight.
- Keep the high heat and wait until all the water has vaporized. Then remove the gyoza from the heat.
- Dipping sauce: Mix the same amounts of soya sauce and vinegar together.
Serving and eating:
Eat gyoza pieces after dipping them in the dipping sauce.
General information:
In China dumplins are usually eaten either steamed, fried or in a soup. Japanese gyoza, however, are usually fried. There are many kinds of fillings used, e.g. with different seafood instead of the meat, other vegetable, etc.
July 4, 2008
When drinking alcoholic beverages, it is customary to serve one another, rather than serving yourself. You should periodically check your friends’ glasses, and replenish them before they are empty. Likewise, if someone wants to serve you, you should drink to make room in your glass if it is full, hold it up for the person while they pour, and then take at least one drink before putting the glass down. These customs apply to everyone in your party even if they are not drinking alcohol.
At the beginning of a meal or drinking party you should not start drinking until everybody at the table is served and the glasses are raised for a toast, which is usually “kampai”. Other toasts are acceptable, but avoid using “chin chin” when making a toast, since in Japanese this expression refers to the male genitalia.
While it is considered bad manners to become obviously drunk in some formal restaurants, for example in restaurants that serve kaiseki ryori (Japanese haute cuisine), the same is not true for other types of restaurants such as izakaya, as long as you do not bother other guests.
June 24, 2008
Ingredients for Sushi Rice:
The following amounts will make about four cups of rice, enough to make several rolls or pieces of sushi nigiri.
2 cups rice: You will need Japanese short-grained white rice, also called japonica rice or sushi rice. Do not use American-style long grained rice as it will not turn out well. Japanese rice has the right amount of starch needed to make the rice glossy and sticky but not mushy or dry.
* You can find this style of rice at most well-stocked grocery stores or Asian markets.
* It is best to use the freshest rice possible.
3-4 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar: Only use rice vinegar to make sushi rice. Rice vinegar is a mild vinegar made from fermented rice or rice wine.
2-3 tablespoons sugar: Use plain white sugar to taste.
2 teaspoons salt: You may use table salt, kosher salt or sea salt depending on your preference. 
June 16, 2008
Chopsticks are used to eat most kinds of Japanese foods, with some exceptions. Some of the most important rules to remember when dining with chopsticks are as follows:
* Hold your chopsticks towards their end, not in the middle or the front third.
* When you are not using your chopsticks, or have finished eating, lay them down in front of you with the tips to left.
* Do not stick chopsticks into your food, especially not into rice. This is only done at funerals with rice that is put onto the altar.
* Do not pass food directly from your set of chopsticks to another’s. Again, this is a funeral tradition that involves the bones of a cremated body.
* Do not spear food with your chopsticks.
* Do not point with your chopsticks.
* Do not wave your chopsticks around in the air or play with them.
* Do not move plates or bowls around with your chopsticks.
* To separate a piece of food in two, exert controlled pressure on the chopsticks while moving them apart from each other in order to tear the food. This takes some practice. With larger pieces of food such as tempura, it is also acceptable to pick up the entire piece with your chopsticks, and take a bite.
* If you have already eaten with your chopsticks, use the opposite end to take food from a shared plate.
June 8, 2008
Fresh Whole Fish
Buying: The eyes should be clear and full with no traces of blood or cloudiness. The gills should be bright red or pink with no sour odor. The skin and scales should be firm, not bruised, and moist, but not slimy.
Storing at home: Rinse in cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and wrap loosely in parchment or waxed before refrigerating. Use within 24 hours.
Fresh Fillets or Steaks
Buying: The flesh should be firm and moist and have a translucent sheen. The odor should be fresh and never ammonia-like.
Storing at home: Rinse under cold water and pat dry. Cook immediately, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours wrapped in parchment or waxed paper, plastic bags, or plastic wrap.
Frozen Fish
Buying: Be alert to freezer burn,which is caused by loss of moisture of the fish’s natural water content. This dehydration process typically causes the fish to appear chalky. After cooking fish with freezer burn, the texture turns fibrous and tough.
Storing at home: Thaw in the refrigerator, or in a sealed plastic bag under running cold water. Thawed fish should never be refrozen. If you need to hold thawed fish an extra day, rinse under cold water, pat dry, place on a clean plate, wrap snugly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate immediately.
Fresh-caught Fish
Most people who fish for sport are well aware of local regulations and the rules of proper storage, but here are two reminders: Ice the fish right away, and keep it packed in plenty of ice until you get home. If using a holding tank, change the water often to ensure a steady supply of oxygen and to keep the water temperature cool.
May 15, 2008
Tempura is one of my favorite Japanese food and my kids like it very much. However, I only cook Tempura in holiday or some special days,because it has too much oil and fat, and makes my kitchen messy.
Tempura in Canada is very different from it is in Japan. I like the Canadian way because it is much more easer .
ingredients:
- Tempura flour
- Tempura dipping sauce (it may available in local Japanese store or Chinese store).
- Prawn: raw and large
- Seafood: almost everything is possible Vegetables: pumpkin, carot, sweet potatoe, eggplant and much more to try
Preparation:
Prawn: Remove the head and the shell. Make little cuts on the inside of the curved prawn since they look nicer if their posture is straight.
Cut the vegetables in about 1cm thick pieces.
Mix Tempura flour with the amount of water.
Mix the vegetables with Tempura flour mixture
Deep fry at 180 degrees celsius. Be careful, and do not use wet ingredients because the water would react strongly with the hot oil, which may harm your skin or eyes. When the Tempura pieces are beautifully golden, take them out, and try to remove as much oil as possible.
May 14, 2008
My first encounter with Japanese food (Washoku) was about five years ago when my family moved to Japan from China and I started to be a full-time house wife.
I was particularly impressed by the rhythm and flow of activity in the Japanese kitchen when I was first invited by Michicle, one of my husband’s friends’ wife, who was to become my teacher of Japanese food and friend. She is a traditional Japanese stay home mom and I have learned lots of Japanese, Japanese culture, especially Japanese food from her. With this experience, I got my first job as a chef in a Japanese restaurant 2 weeks after my landing in Canada
My family and friends are enjoying my food very much
May 1, 2008
I always think that only those famous people, business man or young kids who enjoy meeting friends online are indulge in blogging. I never thought that I would own a blog one day until I created this site as an assignment of my Communication for New Media class in BCIT. Before I start my blog, I have thought a lot about the theme of this site and I realized that “Japanese food” was one of the favorite topic I would like to write about and maybe it was the easiest one for me as I usually cook Japanese food at least once a week for my family.
April 24, 2008
