Ramenology

Photo © Rob Jones

A bowl of Ramen noodles in a delicious tasty soup, surrounded by yummy vegetables must surely be the ultimate soul food.

The storms seem to be hitting Falmouth on an almost weekly basis at the moment, and let’s face it, outside the confines of summer, salads just don’t cut it.

The last one I had (Ramen) was back in Athens, I think all the way back in January. It almost blew my socks off.

I must confess I prefer taste to strength when it comes to bowl food.

I’m glad to see that we’re well catered for in my current neck of the woods, and recently popped into ROBO, not a few doors down from where I used to live all the way back in 1984. I don’t recall there being so much choice in food emporia way back then. That was before ‘foodiness’ was invented, clearly.

I opted for the ROBO House Special which was fabulous, and hit the right spot on a chilly day when I had to rest my shorts at home.

Eating alone - one resorts to looking things up on your mobile phone.

Interesting facts regarding Ramen:

• Ramen - made of wheat flour - actually started off in China, but then spread to Japan around the 14th century.

• Japan’s isolation ended in the mid-1850s as did it’s 12 hundred year old ban on meat.

• Ramen were popularised by the enormous number of Chinese students studying in Hokkaido University.

• A big earthquake in 1923 destroyed the area where most Ramen restaurants were situated and the chefs had to move elsewhere for work, spreading their cuisine.

• Many Ramen stalls were torn down in the drive to beautify Japan after the Second World War.

• But the Ramen chefs persisted, and developed their art. It became a ‘celeb food’ at the turn of the century, and since then has become uber-fashionable.

I like being fashionable.

I like eating Ramen.

I like being warm and full of noodles.

R.