Okay, I've been reading this topic with much interest, but haven't contributed at all because in Singapore, we use a mixture of both UK and US words. UK because it's traditional, but certainly lots of US words have filtered into our speech and writing as we watch more US television productions.
I wonder if they meant Ramen. Ramen noodles are a package of packed wavy noodles with a packet of seasonings, that comes in a variety of flavors
Ramen noodles are the thin, squiggly, dried Chinese noodles that you revitalise with boiling water for a couple of minutes before tossing them in the stir-fry.
Actually, that's not what Ramen is. Ramen is a Japanese term for a specific type of noodles, the Chinese equivalent being "La Mian". Basically, you start with a wheat dough. At least, I think it's wheat. It could be some other grain. The chef works on the dough, kneads it, thumps on it, pulls it so it stretches (hence the term La Mian "To pull on the dough"), and twists it. After working on the dough for some time, it breakes apart and begins to form numerous noodles about 0.3 cm in diameter. That is La Mian, or using its Japanese term, Ramen. The texture of the noodles is tougher and more chewy than normal noodles, because of all that kneading. Good chefs don't use a machine to crank out their ramen. Unlike pasta, I think, which is cranked out using a machines, isn't it? Correct me if I'm wrong.
Traditional Japanese ramen is served in a rich broth that's made with pork ribs, and the broth is simmered hours and hours, so much so that the soup turns milky white. It takes a lot of work and skill to produce a bowl of good ramen. A good bowl of ramen is a treat fit for kings and queens, or as Alton Brown would say, Good Eats.
There is a brand of instant noodles called "Ramen". I think that's what Karen's refering to. There are tons and tons of brands of instant noodles, and they come in compact packets and are wavy. Instant noodles are extremely unhealthy, but they are very popular because they are so tasty and convenient. There are 2 things you can do if you want to up the health value of those noodles. 1) Boil a saucepan full of water, put the noodles in and let the noodles loosen into a mess of... well.. noodles. Then *pour* the water away. Yep. If you want to use the seasoning, boil a smaller batch of fresh water and use that. Do *not* use the water that noodles were boiling in. This may be an urban myth, but apparently wax is used to keep the noodles in its compact shape. 2) Better still, ditch the seasoning. Just reading the contents of the seasoning should be enough for you to lose all appetite. There are chemicals in there that have been proven to be carcinogenic.
Almost all forms of Chinese noodles that are available in the market come in the dehydrated form. You hydrate it (as you would with pasta) and either use it as stir fry, as Meredith mentions, or serve it in a stock/broth/soup. But no, they are not ramen.
EDIT: This is a response to Wendy's post that's below.... There are 2 types of instant noodles, the type when you end up with noodles in soup, and the type that Wendy's ddescribed below. Both are available in North America, if you know where to look. My gut feeling is that the soupy version is more commonly seen in N.America though.
metwin1
