page_title: Ramen
section_title: Noodles
hierarchical_section_title: Ramen / Types / Noodles
caption_attribution_description: fresh ramen noodle (ja:ラーメンの生麺)
context_page_description: Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup. It consists of Chinese wheat noodles served in a meat or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as sliced pork, nori, menma, and scallions. Nearly every region in Japan has its own variation of ramen, such as the tonkotsu ramen of Kyushu and the miso ramen of Hokkaido. Mazemen is a ramen dish that is not served in a soup, but rather with a sauce, like noodles that are served with a sweet and sour sauce.
context_section_description: Most noodles are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui (かん水) (from kansui (鹼水, alkaline water)) a type of alkaline mineral water, containing sodium carbonate and usually potassium carbonate, as well as sometimes a small amount of phosphoric acid.  Although ramen noodles and Udon noodles are both made with wheat, they are different kinds of noodle.
  The kansui is the distinguishing ingredient in ramen noodles, and originated in Inner Mongolia, where some lakes contained large amounts of these minerals and whose water is said to be perfect for making these noodles. Making noodles with kansui lends them a yellowish hue as well as a firm texture. Eggs may also be substituted for kansui. Some noodles are made with neither eggs nor kansui and should only be used for yakisoba, as they have a weaker structure and are more prone to soaking up moisture and becoming extremely soft when served in soup.
  Ramen comes in various shapes and lengths. It may be thick, thin, or even ribbon-like, as well as straight or wrinkled.
  Traditionally ramen noodles were made by hand, but with growing popularity many ramen restaurants prefer to have in-house capacity to produce fresh noodles to meet the increased demand and improve quality. Automatic ramen-making machines imitating manual production methods have been available since the mid. 20th century produced by such Japanese manufacturers as Yamato MFG. and others.
caption: Fresh ramen
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