I’m not a Rocket Scientist, I’m a Ramen Scientist

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All the Cheese

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Actually, yes, some people do indeed stick a thin slab of Kraft cheddar in their ramen. But distractions aside, this is my silly post for the week dedicated party to my wife’s love of ramen and ramen itself. You see, ramen (the instant variety) is as Korean as bibimbap or Korean BBQ, maybe even more so. It’s a reminiscent cuisine of the past, harking back to the days Koreans were literally dirt poor and had little more luxury than boiled noodles with powder packets. Ramen is an after-drinking dish, an army staple, and the go-to purchase for Koreans studying abroad.

The variety of ramen has also diversified incredibly over the last several years. Even American-based HMarts are filled from floor to ceiling with dozens of instant varieties. There’s the classic spicy ‘Shin Ramen’, the soup-based varieties like ‘champong’ and ‘yukejang’, curry and black bean options, the infamous ‘fire chicken’ noodles, and the list goes on endlessly.

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A no matter the variety, no matter how premium any given choice is, I’ve unlocked the key to perfect ramen. This realization is very much thanks to my year living in Italy and falling in love with the perfect boiling point for al dente pasta. To me, any rice or noodle isn’t edible unless it has the perfect consistency that’s soft enough to eat but firm enough not to disintegrate under its accompanying sauce or broth. The logic applies as much to rigatoni as it does to ramen.

Whenever my wife makes noodles or rice, there’s always a bit too much water or too much time spent in a given broth. Big no no. It’s hard to quantify the exact ratio or time needed but here are the go-to tips for achieving the best results.

Rice: No matter the size of the pot, if you’re making around 2-4 servings, add just enough water so you still make out the shape of most kernels through the murky water. Korean moms sometimes recommend a knuckles-worth if you lay your hand flat.

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Noodles: This is much more about timing. Most packages will recommend 3-5 minutes of boiling. After the first few minutes, be sure to check the consistency with a bite. It should give a tiny bit of resistance. From that point, simmer down the boil and add the needed rest. The remaining work should encompass another 30 seconds to a minute, creating the perfect consistency by the time it hits the table.

There you have it, my ‘ramen science’. I’m off to make another pot for a pre-dinner snack, so Steem on!