One popular food common to the people of China and Japan is noodles. Tsukemen is also a type of noodle that is eaten by most Japanese people and other people in other parts of the world. Tsukemen is a ramen dish; it is a Japanese cuisine which consists of noodles that has been heated and cooled and a separate bowl of soup or broth. The noodles are dipped inside the soup before they are eaten. This dish is popular in Tokyo and other parts of Japan. It is also known in Los Angeles, but not too common in other parts of the United States of America.
The soup or broth used to eat this dish is specially made to serve as a dipping sauce. It has stronger flavors than most soups and it cannot be eaten alone without being diluted by hot water or lighter soup. Eating tsukemen with other ingredients is completely acceptable and these ingredients are served in the noodle bowl; beside or on top of the noodles. The noodles are served cold while in some cases others are served cold; it depends on where it is served. Here’s how to eat tsukemen.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TSUKEMEN AND RAMEN
The most important difference between tsukemen and ramen is that tsukemen involves serving the noodles and the soup separately. The cold noodles are dipped into hot soup before they are eaten. This ensures that the noodles remain firm and the hot soup would also moisten the noodles and add its unique flavor which you enjoy as you slurp down the noodles; after eating, you still get to eat the soup by diluting it. A lot of people enjoy the tsukemen majorly because of the way it is served. The main idea of tsukemen is that the original flavor of the noodles matter more than the soup. To judge how good the dish is, the texture and taste of the noodles is mostly considered.
HOW TO PREPARE A TASTY TSUKEMEN
Tsukemen is enjoyed in different ways. There are different types of soups with different flavors that are used when eating tsukemen.
To prepare the noodles, you can get fresh ramen noodles that thick, chewy and springy in texture; to be able to absorb the sauce well. Boil the noodles until they are well cooked. Dip the cooked noodles in cold water immediately after boiling to retain its texture; this method is called shimeru. The soup is intentionally made to be salty so it can balance well with the noodles when they mix. To enjoy the food, make sure you deep the noodles fully into the broth before you eat. If you want to enjoy the noodles flavor as well, you can submerge the noodles slightly into the broth; this is why tsukemen is so loved by people, you get to choose how you enjoy it. You can also enjoy your tsukemen with toppings of your choice.
Ingredients:
- Fresh ramen noodles
- Any meat of your choice. In this case pork belly is used (chop the meat into small pieces)
- Green onions, chopped
- Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- Shimeji mushrooms
- Minced garlic
- Minced ginger
- Dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
- Spicy chili bean sauce (doubanjiang)
- Sesame oil
- Noodle soup base
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Water
- Miso
You can use shrimps for toppings, hard-boiled eggs, seaweed, or fish cakes.
Procedure:
Step 1: heat the sesame oil in a saucepan; add the ginger and garlic.
Step 2: add the chili bean sauce; stir it continuously to prevent it from burning.
Step 3: add the chopped meat into the pan; cook until it is no longer pink
Step 4: add the mushrooms; cook them until they are wilted.
Step 5: add the noodle soup base and water; let it boil.
Step 6: remove the foam with a sieve and lower the heat.
Step 7: add the miso and the soy sauce to the soup; leave it to simmer for some minutes
Step 8: put in the rice vinegar and the green onions. Turn off the heat.
Cook the shrimps to your texture. Serve the noodles and the toppings on the same plate. Put the hot soup in a different bowl and sprinkle dried bonito flakes on the soup. Enjoy your tasty tsukemen.
HOW TO EAT NOODLES – TSUKEMEN
To know how to eat tsukemen the right way and enjoy it depends on how it is served and how you eat it. There are a few processes to follow when you want to know how to eat noodles. The first process is on how you dip your noodles. To enjoy tsukemen, you need to use thick noodles so the broth can be absorbed properly. You have to use chopsticks to eat your noodles. Pinch a small amount of noodles between the chopsticks and twist. When you twist, the noodles get wrapped around the sticks.
Since the noodles are cold, you have to dip them into the broth completely to heat them up and add to the flavor; some restaurants however, serve warm noodles with the hot broth. After dipping the noodles into the broth, bring them to your lips and suck them into your mouth. You can hold the bowl of broth close to your mouth if you’re worried about making a mess. You also shouldn’t worry about making slurping sounds when you eat your tsukemen. Also, you can pick toppings alongside the noodles with your chopsticks and dip them into the broth. If you’re uncomfortable with the chopsticks, you can put them in a spoon after dipping them in the broth.
You can also mix condiments to the noodles or the broth to enhance the flavor. Some flavors you can try are chili paste, soy sauce or sriracha. You can also squeeze lime juice on your noodles to adding a citrus flavor to the food. If you want to drink the broth after eating the noodles, you can add dashi broth (a fish broth) to the tsukemen broth to dilute the flavor. You can sip the soup straight from the plate or with a spoon.
CONCLUSION
There is only one proper method to use when you want to know how to eat tsukemen. This delicious ramen dish is enjoyed by dipping noodles in a bowl of soup. Tsukemen broth is usually hot and salty and the noodles are cold; the two blend well together to give an amazing flavor and texture. If you’re a fan of noodles, tsukemen is an amazing dish to try.
