/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.6046150]

Gaijin here. I'd like to get into ramen and expand my palate but I don't know where to start. First off, is it possible to make ramen healthy? Or is it like trying to polish a turd? Also, what brands are the most healthy? I tried the orange Maruchan pack last night without the salt pack and it was kind of horrible.

I'm assuming that there's something more to ramen though. If there wasn't, 99% of Japan wouldn't eat it and, IIRC, they tend to live healthy lives. From what I've heard, ramen is pretty versatile so I think it would be a good gateway to expanding my palate.

[Anonymous No.6046162]

>>6046150
>get into ramen

[Anonymous No.6046169]

Instant ramen is different from the stuff you find in ramen shops in Japan. Instant ramen is typically flash fried before packaging which adds a considerable amount of fat that you wouldn't get from traditional ramen.

That's not to say that there's no way to make instant noodles tasty. You can add a variety of ingredients, such as shrimp, ham, chicken, or an egg to make it more "nutritious." Many vegetables work well, too, such as bok choy and cabbage.

[Anonymous No.6046198]

>>6046169
Are non-instant ramen noodles available in American stores? Or are Americans limited to instant ramen and ramen served in restaurants?

[Anonymous No.6046214]

>>6046198
You can buy plain ramen on amazon. Hakubaku makes some that's pretty good. Literally just flour, salt, and water in the ingredient list.

[Anonymous No.6046237]

>>6046198
There are plenty of asian markets around me that have everything from fresh ramen to dandan noodles.

[Anonymous No.6046247]

>>6046214
>>6046237
Awesome; I'll look into both methods. Thanks guys.

[Anonymous No.6046373]

>>6046247
You could also use angel hair pasta.

http://www.yummly.com/recipes?q=ramen