Making Ramen at home

In New York, there is a Ramen boom. Especially in the East Village, many ramen noodle shops have opened recently. Ramen is not easy to make because the broth requires so many different ingredients and a long time to cook. But, what most Americans do not realize is that there are packaged ramen noodles that are just as good or even better than many ramen noodles served at these restaurants. These packaged ramen noodles are called “nama-ramen”. Unlike the instant ramen noodles, these are fresh. You can buy them at Japanese grocery stores like Jasmart and Sunrise Mart in New York. They are either frozen or refrigerated.

The Japanese packaged food manufacturers have perfected the way to make the broth concentrate, and they are quite amazing. I make them for my friends at home without telling them that they were packaged, and they are often shocked by how good they are.