Ohn no khao swè, meaning noodles with coconut milk, is a traditional dish that is believed to have inspired the creation of Thailand’s khao sai. It consists of boiled egg noodles and pieces of curried chicken smothered in a creamy coconut-milk-and-chicken soup.
The soup is typically thickened with chickpea flour, and it usually comes with an array of different garnishes and condiments. Typical ingredients added to this dish for enhanced flavor and texture include slices of hard-boiled eggs, crispy fried noodles, bean or chickpea fritters, fresh cilantro, green onions, soaked yellow onions, lime or lemon slices, ngapi fish sauce, and red chili flakes.
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Ramen is a noodle soup that first appeared in Japan in 1910, when Chinese cooks combined the noodles with a salty broth. These curly noodles were of bright yellow color and more elastic than the Japanese noodles prepared at the time – the dough was kneaded with a sodium carbonate-infused mineral water called kansui.
In 1958, its name was derived from the pronunciation of the Chinese word lamian (pulled noodles), and that same year, Nissin Foods produced the first-ever instant version of noodles with a chicken-flavored broth called Chickin Ramen.
VARIATIONS OF Ramen
MOST ICONIC Ramen
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Tonkotsu is a unique style of ramen consisting of an extremely rich, fatty pork broth, fresh noodles, soft-yolk eggs, and tender pork belly that melts in the mouth. It is so popular and special that it could be a dish of its own, not just a ramen style.
The ramen is usually topped with scallions for brightness and vibrancy, bamboo shoots for a crunchy, nutty flavor, nori seaweed for crispness, and sweet corn for an even better flavor. The rich broth is developed by cooking the pork bones for a very long time, until the collagen and fat dissolve, resulting in a unique, creamy texture of the dish.
VARIATIONS OF Tonkotsu ramen
MOST ICONIC Tonkotsu ramen
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Yokohama-style ramen or iekei ramen is a Japanese type of ramen originating from the Yokohama area and dating back to 1974. The dish consists of thick noodles and a stock that's a mix of creamy tonkotsu (pork broth) and soy sauce. The toppings include chashu pork, chopped seaweed, leeks, and spinach.
There are also optional toppings and condiments such as minced garlic, sesame, preserved vegetables, and black pepper. The name of the dish means home-style ramen, and it was created by a former truck driver called Mr. Yoshimura, who'd opened his own ramen shop in 1974.
MOST ICONIC Yokohama-Style Ramen
View moreMee bandung is a Malay noodle dish that originated in Muar. The dish combines yellow noodles with a thick, spicy sauce that consists of chilies, onions, shrimp paste, and dried shrimps. Each mee bandung is topped with a variety of condiments that typically include halved boiled eggs, shrimps, fishcakes, vegetables, and occasionally beef, while the dish is best finished off with a splash of lime juice.
The term bandung roughly translates as mixed or paired and is not related to a namesake Indonesian city.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Miso ramen is a flavorful dish made by cooking the miso base, broth, and vegetables in a wok. The concoction is then topped with bean sprouts, chopped pork, garlic, sweet corn, and (sometimes) local seafood such as crabs, scallops, and squids. The dish was invented in 1955 in Sapporo, when a customer in Aji no Sanpei noodle house asked the chef to put noodles in his pork and miso soup.
In the 1960s, miso ramen's popularity had skyrocketed, and Sapporo still remains a paradise for ramen lovers, taking pride in its Ramen Alley, with over a dozen ramen shops scattered through the street.
MOST ICONIC Miso ramen
View moreTraditional dan dan noodles are a true classic of Chinese cuisine. The star of the dish is a spicy sauce served with the noodles. Made with chili oil, preserved vegetables, Sichuan peppercorn, and sometimes sesame or peanut paste, the sauce bursts with heat and complex flavors.
The meat, most commonly minced pork or beef, is also commonly included, but mainly acts as a garnish. In China, the varieties differ only slightly, but worldwide the traditional dan dan noodles have been adjusted to the more gentle western palate and use significantly fewer spices.
MOST ICONIC Dan Dan noodles
View moreDistinguished by the use of salt as the main seasoning in the broth, shio ramen is one of the four main flavor-based ramen categories. Like other ramen varieties, it combines three crucial elements: flavorful broth, noodles, and various toppings.
Although pork is occasionally added, most versions employ seafood-based or chicken-based broths, which yield a light, clear soup with a strong, salty taste. The broth is usually paired with straight, thin noodles, and comes topped with Japanese-style pork belly known as chashu, scallions, hard boiled eggs, and wakame seaweed.
Since salt is the oldest known seasoning used in ramen, shio is considered to be the oldest version of ramen, and although there is no substantial evidence, many believe that it was invented in Hakodate, where it is still the prevalent ramen variety.
MOST ICONIC Shio ramen
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Tsukemen is a noodle dish from Japan that is eaten in a unique way. Cold noodles are dipped in the accompanying soup, broth, or sauce, which are served hot in a separate bowl. The noodles can also be dipped in vinegar or spiced up with chili sauce before consumption.
Unlike ramen, where the boiled noodles are placed in the soup bowl, tsukemen is characterized by first washing the noodles with water, which stops them from expanding. It is said that tsukemen is ideal for summer because it provides the wonderful flavors of ramen without the extra heat.
MOST ICONIC Tsukemen
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Hailing from Fukuoka, hakata is one of the most famous ramen variety in Japan. The base of the ramen is tonkotsu (which is why it is sometimes, especially in Fukoaka, refered to as tonkotsu ramen, although there are various other regional varieties of tonkotsu ramen), the creamy pork bone broth which gives the dish its incredibly rich and layered taste.
It is often only seasoned with shio (salt), and occasionally with shoyu (soy sauce) and miso (fermented soybean) paste. Hakata ramen is typically served with ultra-thin, straight, and firm wheat noodles, though it’s possible to choose the firmness of the noodles according to individual preferences.
MOST ICONIC Hakata ramen
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