Buzz
When you imagine ramen as a quick meal with a pre-cooked noodle block and a seasoning packet, you can thank Momofuku Ando. His innovation emerged during the aftermath of World War II and was influenced by the infamous Yakuza crime syndicate.
Let’s set the scene in August 1945. Japan had just surrendered to the Allies, and Ando found himself walking through the war-torn streets of Osaka. The destruction from Allied airstrikes had wiped out the city, including the factory and office buildings Ando had once built as part of his business venture. Amidst the ruins, Ando stumbled upon a peculiar sight—someone had set up a makeshift ramen stall, and a crowd was eagerly waiting for a bowl. This moment stayed with Ando, and 13 years later, he unveiled his creation of instant ramen to the world.
Ramen is far more than a quick fix for a tight budget. The traditional Japanese dish is made with wheat noodles, broth, a versatile seasoning base called tare, and a variety of optional toppings. The possibilities for variations and ingredients are nearly endless within the ramen world.
To trace ramen’s origins, we must travel back to around 400 CE, when the first Chinese immigrants arrived in Japan. Over the next centuries, a complex and often tumultuous relationship blossomed between the two nations, fueled by cross-cultural exchanges in both directions. Through this exchange, Chinese immigrants introduced the Japanese to a wide array of things, such as paper-making, the Chinese calendar, Buddhism, and, of course, new foods.
One notable ingredient introduced to Japan from China was the wheat noodle called lamian. To truly appreciate its significance, it’s important to first understand the concept of pH.
The Fundamentals of pH
Unlike many noodles people were used to, lamian noodles are made with alkaline mineral water. pH is typically measured on a scale from 0 to 14, with pure water having a neutral pH of 7. Simply put, when we refer to water as neutral, we’re stating that there is an equal balance of hydroxide ions—negatively charged OH-—and hydronium ions—positively charged H3O+—interacting with each other. We can think of these opposite ions coexisting in balance as the familiar H2O molecule.
pH is determined by the concentration of hydronium ions. A substance with a pH below 7 indicates a higher concentration of hydronium ions, making it acidic. Conversely, substances that are basic shift the balance toward hydroxide ions and are characterized by a pH above 7.
So how does alkalinity factor into this? Substances that can dissolve in water and are considered basic are known as alkalis. All alkalis are bases, but not every base is an alkali. This ability to dissolve in water plays an important role, especially in the culinary world.
According to food scientist Harold McGee, these charged ions are 'small, mobile and quick to react with larger, more complex molecules.' This means that the fundamental components of food—such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates—react differently when the pH of their environment changes. This principle is used in making ceviche: the acidic marinade, often citrus-based, surrounds raw fish with hydronium ions. These ions interact with the amino acid chains in the fish's proteins, causing the proteins to unfold in a process called denaturing. This makes the fish 'cook' in the acidic marinade.
When discussing alkalis in cooking, the conversation usually turns to baking soda. In baking, it’s used to balance acidic flavors and react with acidic ingredients to produce CO2 bubbles. This acid/base reaction is reminiscent of a science fair volcano and helps doughs and batters rise. Alkalis also play a role in the preparation of tortillas and lutefisk.
In ramen preparation, alkalis behave more like the acidic marinade used in ceviche than the baking soda used in cookies. Though the process isn’t entirely well understood, we do know that alkalis, much like acids, can denature proteins. In Chinese cuisine, for instance, seafood is sometimes soaked in an alkaline brine containing baking soda or egg whites before cooking. This treatment gives shrimp a firmer, almost crunchy texture.
When an alkaline substance is introduced into a noodle recipe, it seems to impact how glutens behave in the dough. More water is absorbed into the flour, more starches break down, and the result is a springy, chewy noodle that resists dissolving in hot broth. The chemical reaction between the alkaline solution and the dough also gives ramen its characteristic yellow color.
The Birth of Modern Ramen
When Chinese noodles were first introduced to Japan, they weren’t known as ramen. Instead, they were referred to as shina soba. The term 'shina' is an old Japanese word for China, and 'soba' was a general term for any noodles in Japan at the time, though it typically referred to buckwheat noodles. Because 'shina' came to be viewed as offensive, the term was eventually replaced by 'ramen,' a word derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word lamian. 'Lamian' comes from 'la,' meaning pulled, and 'mian,' meaning noodles.
Though many theories exist about the origins of modern ramen, the most accepted one places it in the early 20th century. Experts believe a noodle shop called Rai Rai Ken, which opened in Tokyo in 1910, helped popularize the dish. The Chinese chefs there served wheat noodles in a salty broth, garnished with roasted pork, fish cake, and nori—ingredients that continue to be considered classic ramen toppings today.
At that same time, Japan was undergoing rapid industrialization. The country’s expanding urban workforce needed inexpensive, filling food to sustain their long workdays, and ramen became the perfect solution.
Ramen's journey to global popularity reached a turning point during the Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. The post-war years were marked by severe food shortages, and street food vendors were banned to conserve rations—an order that began during the war. The only way to get ramen, typically purchased from food stalls rather than made at home, was to seek it out on the black market. Illegal vendors had become a fixture in Japan during the war, and their role became even more critical in the post-war period when government rations were frequently delayed due to agricultural issues or poor management. Thousands of ramen vendors were arrested after the war, many of whom were connected to the Yakuza, Japan's organized crime syndicate.
From the Black Market to the Pantry
Ramen truly became a household name in 1958, thanks to the innovation of Momofuku Ando. Reflecting on a makeshift ramen stand he had encountered years earlier, he saw potential in this inexpensive, working-class meal as a perfect addition to Japanese kitchens.
Ando’s task was to reinvent the noodle bowl so that it could sit on a shelf for extended periods, yet be ready to eat in mere minutes. His initial attempt was to dehydrate the noodles, but they didn’t cook quickly enough. After months of testing, he discovered the technique of flash-frying.
The process of flash-frying dehydrated noodles expels water droplets within the noodles and creates tiny holes. This solution addressed two challenges: with less water, the noodles were less likely to spoil, and the holes allowed them to rehydrate faster when boiled. He then added a chicken-flavored seasoning to complete the dish.
While Ando’s chicken ramen is often hailed as the first of its kind, George Solt’s book The Untold History of Ramen reveals that a company named Matsuda Sangyō had actually launched a very similar product three years prior, called Aji Tsuke Chūka Men, or Flavored Chinese Noodles. However, Matsuda Sangyō did not patent the product and ceased production after several months of poor sales. Ando, on the other hand, succeeded where Matsuda Sangyō had faltered.
Ando later reflected on his choice of chicken flavor, remarking, “By using chicken soup, instant ramen managed to circumvent religious taboos when it was introduced in different countries. Hindus may not eat beef and Muslims may not eat pork, but there is not a single culture, religion or country that forbids the eating of chicken.”
Although Ando aimed to make ramen affordable for everyone, his initial product wasn’t as cheap as he had hoped. For those who survived on instant ramen during college, it may come as a surprise to learn that it was considered somewhat of a luxury when it was first released in Japan. At 35 yen, or approximately $1.85 USD adjusted for inflation, one packet cost up to six times more than other noodles at the time.
However, the convenience of instant ramen made up for the higher price. It quickly became a sensation, and eventually, prices dropped significantly. Today, a typical pack of instant ramen costs about a quarter, meaning that eating it three times a day would only cost around $275 annually. (Though with 1820 milligrams of sodium in each brick of chicken Top Ramen, consuming it daily is probably not the healthiest option.)
Ramen's Tasty Transformation
As ramen became a symbol of convenience food around the world, the ramen stalls that first appeared in the early 20th century saw a revival in Japan. Despite ramen being nearly banned in the years immediately after World War II, America’s involvement in Japan ultimately helped boost ramen’s popularity. The U.S. provided cheap wheat to Japan during the post-war food shortages. This was not only a humanitarian effort to prevent hunger, but also a strategic move to prevent East Asian nations from turning to communism, as American leaders feared the region’s frustrations with Western powers might push them in that direction.
In the mid-1950s, Japan and the United States entered into a series of agreements, which led to the sale of surplus American wheat to Japan. At the same time, American propagandists collaborated with the Japanese government to promote wheat as part of a nutritious diet. One component of this campaign was the introduction of 'kitchen buses,' which aimed to teach the Japanese to bake bread. This initiative struggled, however, due to the absence of ovens in many Japanese kitchens. The campaign even claimed that a rice-based diet could cause brain damage. As food vendor regulations loosened in the 1950s, the dish's reputation as a healthy option combined with its affordability during Japan's economic recovery contributed to its popularity.
It was around this time that the concept of the basic meal began to evolve. Different regions in Japan started to develop their own variations of ramen. Fukuoka, located in the heart of Japan's pork industry, became renowned for its tonkotsu ramen. Unlike the Japanese pork cutlet tonkatsu, tonkotsu is a rich, cloudy broth made by simmering pig bones for up to 12 hours—or sometimes even longer. This long cooking process breaks down the fat, marrow, and minerals within the bones, resulting in a luscious and opaque broth.
Other regions are more recognized for their tare than their broth. Tare is the seasoning added to the bottom of a ramen bowl before the other ingredients are included, and in many cases, it serves as the primary source of salt in the dish. The miso in miso ramen is a prime example of tare. The idea of adding fermented soybean paste to ramen originated in Northern Hokkaido, where it was introduced as a hearty, savory response to the harsh winter climate of the region.
However, the earliest use of tare can be traced back to the very first bowls of ramen served at the beginning of the 20th century. To give Chinese lamian a more distinctly Japanese flavor, chefs began seasoning the noodle soup with soy sauce—a condiment that originated in China before making its way to Japan.
Regardless of the ramen style, it almost always includes various toppings—such as seaweed, eggs, bean sprouts, corn, green onions, preserved bamboo shoots, and braised pork. While many of these ingredients are found in other dishes, ramen is perhaps the only place where you'll encounter narutomaki, the fish cake that’s a staple of the dish. If you're not familiar with the name, you might recognize it as the white disc with a pink swirl in the center.
Narutomaki, or simply naruto, actually predates the modern-day ramen we know. It was originally created in the 19th century by forming puréed whitefish into a loaf, then slicing it. The signature pink swirl in the center is created using food coloring, drawing inspiration from the swirling waters of Japan’s Naruto Strait, which is the origin of its name. In today's context, however, the swirl has gained a new meaning, with the term naruto now used as slang for the @ symbol.
By the 1980s, ramen had become a cultural phenomenon in Japan. Unlike other traditional Japanese dishes, ramen was a dish that allowed young chefs the freedom to experiment, transforming it from a working-class meal to something elevated. However, it would take another couple of decades before it gained the respect it deserved in the United States. Restaurant mogul David Chang is often credited with helping Americans view ramen as more than just a cheap, quick meal. In 2004, he opened the Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City, partially named in tribute to the creator of instant noodles. A few years later, the Japanese ramen chain Ippudo opened its first U.S. location, and soon, ramen might just rival sushi in popularity as Japan’s top culinary export.
This narrative is adapted from an episode of Food History available on YouTube.
