Ramen Warrior

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Ramen originated in China and was used in Chinese cuisine. It is a relative newcomer to Japanese cuisine. While Tokugawa Mitsukuni reportedly ate ramen in the late 17th century, it was only during the Meiji period that the dish became widely known — perhaps because, for most of its history, the Japanese diet consisted mostly of vegetables and seafood rather than meat. The introduction of American and European cuisine, which demanded increased production of meat products, played a large role in ramen's increased popularity.

There is the opinion which Ramen originated in Japan?Chinatowns of Kobe or Yokohama?of the Meiji era.In addition, there is the opinion which assumes salt ramen of Hokkaido the origin in the Taisho era too.

Though of Chinese origin, it is unclear when, from where and by whom ramen was introduced to Japan. Even the etymology of the term "ramen" is a topic of debate. One hypothesis is that "ramen" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese: ?? (lamian), meaning "hand-pulled noodles." A second hypothesis proposes ?? (laomian, "old noodles") as the original form, while yet another states that ramen was initially ?? (lumian), noodles cooked in a thick, starchy sauce. Finally, others peg ?? (Cantonese: Lo mein, Mandarin: l?o miàn), meaning "stirred noodles," as the origin of "ramen." There are also anecdotal origins: one story purports that the name was originally ?? (liumian), meaning "Liu's noodle," with Liu being the cook who ostensibly popularized the dish.

In the early Meiji period, ramen was called shina soba (????, literally "Chinese soba") but today ch?ka soba (????, also meaning "Chinese soba") is the more common, not to mention politically correct, term. By 1900, restaurants serving Chinese cuisine from Canton and Shanghai offered a simple ramen dish of noodles (cut rather than hand pulled), a few toppings, and a broth flavored with salt and pork bones. Many Chinese also pulled portable food stalls, selling ramen and gy?za dumplings to workers. By the mid 1900s, these stalls used a type of a musical horn called a charumera (?????, from the Portuguese charamela) to advertise their presence, a practice some vendors still retain via a loudspeaker and a looped recording. By the early Sh?wa period, ramen had become a popular dish when eating out.

After World War II, cheap flour imported from the U.S. swept the Japanese market. At the same time, millions of Japanese troops had returned from China and continental East Asia. Many of these returnees had become familiar with Chinese cuisine, and subsequently set up Chinese restaurants across Japan. Eating ramen, while popular, was still a special occasion that required going out.

In 1958, instant noodles were invented by the late Momofuku Ando, founder and chairman of Nissin Foods. Named the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century in a Japanese poll[citation needed], instant ramen allowed anyone to make this dish simply by adding boiling water. Beginning in the 1980s, ramen became a Japanese cultural icon and was studied from many perspectives. At the same time, local varieties of ramen were hitting the national market, and could even be ordered by their regional names.