Ramen

:This article discusses Japanese food. For other meanings, refer to Ramen (disambiguation).

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Ramen (ラーメン Râmen {{IPA|/ɺaːmeɴ/}}) is the Japanese name for a type of noodle or the soup dish containing these noodles, based on the Chinese noodle la mian (拉麵, lit. "pulled noodles"). Ramen is now manifested as a form of instant noodles and is prevalent in Japan, East Asia (including China and Korea), and North America. Ramen has been firmly integrated into the Japanese culinary landscape, and many regional variations exist. Unlike contemporary ramen, the original Chinese lamian is believed to have been served with sauce. Ramen is also spelled "ramyun", from Korean ?? (ra myeon).

Related Topics:
Japanese - Noodle - Soup - Chinese - La mian - Instant noodles - East Asia - Korea - North America - Japanese culinary landscape - Korean

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In Japan, ramen as a fresh noodle dish is often sold in fast food-like shops with only a counter or at food stalls in highly frequented areas. Japanese also commonly make ramen at home, as it is an inexpensive and easily-prepared meal. There are also many restaurants specializing in ramen. Almost every locality or prefecture in Japan is is known for its own distinctive variation of ramen. It is also readily available as "instant ramen" in supermarkets and convenience shops in Japan as in much of the rest of the world. Two well-known brands in the US are Maruchan and Nissin.

Related Topics:
Fast food - Prefecture - Instant ramen - Maruchan - Nissin

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Despite some health concerns detailed below, instant ramen is a diet staple with college/university students and economically underprivileged persons due to its ease of preparation and extremely low cost—as of 2005, one packet could be bought for as little as 10-15 U.S. cents. Instant ramen is also very resistant to spoilage and can be easily prepared with boiling water, making it a favorite of backpackers and other travelers in conditions offering few technological conveniences.

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