Ramen is a Japanese dish consisting of Chinese style wheat noodles served in a broth. It has its roots in Japanese Chinese cuisine. But the origins can be traced back to Yokohama Chinatown where Ramen evolved from Southern Chinese noodle dishes and reflecting the Chinese settlers of Yokohama. Today it is a cultural staple of Japan and has become worldwide known as a Japan symbol, maybe even more popular than sushi was in the past century.
Ramen popularization after WWII
In December 1945 only months after the end of WWII, Japan saw the worst rice harvest in almost half a century. Japan had moved rice production during the war to occupied areas like Manchuria (China) and Formosa (Taiwan). And most of the rice came from colonies overseas beyond the US military occupation. In order to deal with food shortage the US flooded the market with wheat flour expecting bread to replace rice. Bread consumption doubles in the next few years but the flour finds its way into Ramen noodles as well.
Fearing the shortage most of the street vendors survive. Even after the US maintained Japan’s original wartime ban on street food serving. But Yakuza found a way of selling protection to most of those stalls. And most of the wheat flour finds its way into the Black Market. Meanwhile, troops coming back home to Japan from post in the continent were already familiar with wheat noodles. After 1950 Ramen was a popular dish with thousands of Yatai (mobile ramen stalls) serving dinner to Japanese after work.
Rai Rai Ken: The First Ramen Store
In 1910 Ozaki Kan’ichi opened the first Ramen store in Tokyo Asakusa: Rai Rai Ken. With a troop of twelve Cantonese cooks from the old Chinatown in Yokohama (where you can visit the Ramen Museum these days) they served Ramen adapted to the Japanese palate. And the store also settled the basics for today’s Ramen shops serving other side Chinese dishes such as gyoza and fried rice.
But sadly, Rai Rai Ken closed its doors in 1976. Since then related stores have opened throughout Japan with connections to the original. Some of them led by the original twelve chefs like the one Fu Xinglei started in Tokyo Meguro, 1933.
Instant Noodles and… World Domination?
In 1958 Andou Momofuku invented the instant noodles. Andou was a Taiwanese born during Japanese colonial rule. Later moved to Osaka before WWII and finally naturalized Japanese. He was 48 years old and after months of trial and error marketed the first package of chicken Ramen. He founded Nissing Food the same year to sell the noodles as a luxury item going for even six times the price of soba or udon.
In 1971 being 61 years old he invented the Cup Noodles. A Styrofoam cup with instant noodles, broth and toppings that require adding boiling water and waiting minutes to be ready. This made Nissin Food earn a fortune and popularized instant Ramen worldwide with a demand of 98 billion servings in 2009.