![]() Shina is an archaic Japanese word for China and soba was a catch-all term for any noodles found in Japan at the time, though it usually referred to buckwheat noodles. The first Chinese noodles served in Japan weren’t called ramen at all. The chemical reaction between the alkaline solution and the dough also gives ramen its signature yellow hue. More water is absorbed into the flour, more starches break down, and the result is a springy, chewy noodle that’s less likely to dissolve in a bowl of hot broth. It gives shrimp a firmer, almost crunchy texture.Īnd when an alkaline substance is added to a noodle recipe, it apparently affects the way glutens interact in the dough. In Chinese cuisine, for example, seafood is sometimes soaked in an alkaline brine containing baking soda or egg whites before cooking. It’s not a perfectly well-known process, but we do know that alkalis can denature proteins, just as acids can. When it comes to ramen, alkalis are, in some ways, acting more like the acidic ceviche marinade than they are the baking soda found in cookies. Alkalis are also used in the making of tortillas and in lutefisk. That acid/base reaction is kind of like a science fair volcano, and it helps doughs and batters rise. In baking, it’s used to balance acidic flavors and to interact with acidic ingredients to create C02 bubbles. ![]() When it comes to alkalis and the culinary arts, we’re usually talking about baking soda. The proteins can then be unfolded from their original states, a process known as denaturing-the effect is for the raw fish to be essentially “cooked” by the acidic marinade. This is how ceviche is made: the acidic, usually citrus-based marinade surrounds raw fish with hydronium ions, which interact with the strings of amino acids that make up proteins. This means that the building blocks of food-fat, proteins, and carbohydrates- often behave differently as we change the pH of their environments. These charged ions are “small, mobile and quick to react with larger, more complicated molecules,” in the words of food scientist Harold McGee. This solubility, or ability to dissolve in water, is critical when it comes to cooking. So all alkalis are bases, but not all bases are alkalis. So where does alkalinity come into play? Basic substances that can dissolve in water are called alkalis. Basic substances, on the other hand, shift the equilibrium towards hydroxide ions and are labeled with pHs over 7. Anything with a pH under 7, indicating a higher concentration of hydronium ions, is considered acidic. PH is calculated based on the concentration of those positively charged hydronium ions. We can represent two of those opposite ions existing in equilibrium as two atoms of the more familiar H20. Simplified, when we say water is neutral, we’re really saying there are an equal number of hydroxide ions-the negatively charged OH-and hydronium ions-the positively charged H30+-reacting with one another. pH is generally measured from 0 to 14, with pure water considered to have a neutral pH of 7. Unlike many of the noodles diners were familiar with, lamian noodles are made with alkaline mineral water. And to understand its significance, we need to discuss pH. One of the ingredients that was eventually imported to Japan from China was the wheat noodle lamian. Either directly or indirectly, Chinese immigrants introduced the Japanese to the art of paper-making, the Chinese calendar, and Buddhism, along with new kinds of food. In the ensuing centuries, a fascinating, often-fraught relationship developed between the two powers, with cross-cultural exchange flowing in both directions. To trace the history of ramen, let’s jump back to around 400 CE, when the first Chinese immigrants arrived in Japan. There’s almost no limit to the styles and ingredients that can comfortably sit under the ramen banner. The Japanese dish traditionally consists of wheat noodles, broth, an infinitely mutable seasoning base called tare, and optional toppings. Ramen is so much more than the food that gets people through rent week. Apparently, this image stuck with the businessman 13 years later, he perfected his formula for instant ramen and debuted it to the world. People were lined up, waiting for a bowl. Someone had set up a makeshift ramen stand among the debris. And on that fateful day, amidst the ravaged city, he walked by a strange scene. The Allied Forces’ aerial bombing had wrought destruction on the city the factory and office buildings Ando had constructed as a business venture were no longer standing. ![]() Japan had just announced its surrender to the Allies, and Ando was walking through war-torn Osaka. If the first thing you picture when you hear ramen is a precooked block that comes with a flavor packet, you can thank Momofuku Ando.
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