When I was between the ages of five and eight years old, my family lived on the island of Oahu. Yeah, that's Hawaii. Livin' the dream. Not that I knew it was a dream, since I was five years old and all. But it was there that I learned to appreciate a few particular foods that have remained favorites to this day: Asian rice crackers, nori (dried seaweed), and ramen.
You think impoverished college students love ramen? You should go to Hawaii. Ramen is practically a sacred food. And I loved it, in all its overly-salted, MSG-laden glory.
Tonight as we were eating our ginger-flavored chicken soup with vermicelli (also known as rice sticks--just a very thin noodle made of rice flour), I realized that this soup is essentially a higher quality, adult version of ramen. No wonder I love it so much and make it whenever I have the ingredients on hand.
Since all I need to make it are the vermicelli, onions or leeks, homemade chicken stock, carrots, and chicken (plus powdered ginger and soy sauce), I make it every couple of months or so. But it just occurred to me tonight why it is that it's such a happy food for me.
Grown-up ramen. Rock on.
4 comments:
I didn't know vermicelli was made of rice flour. How about that. Learning something at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Wonders never cease.
Hawaii was a learning experience for everyone, both good and bad I might add. But the food was always awesome. Those after game potlucks were the best!
I have never eaten Ramen. Is it too late? Mary in MN
Oh, my god - right? I lived off of Ramen (and Cup of Noodles) when I was in college/grad school.
Now? I occasionally give it to the tot and get a little excited when she doesn't finish it because, you know, waste not want not. I gotta take one for the team and eat the rest.
Oh ramen. We eat ramen (but not Top Ramen) and pho all the time. But we have to go to the ramen and pho places because SHOCKER I haven't learned to make it yet because NOT SHOCKER that shit takes forever what with the bone broth and noodles and such.
Then there was a recipe in Cook's Illustrated for it last issue and now I'm locked into making Beef Pho.
Like, eventually.
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