Ramen is one of the most popular noodle soup dishes in Japan. Office workers as well as families like it. It is found almost everywhere in the country for a reasonably cheap price. However, generally speaking, it is not halal. It uses toppings such as sliced pork. Moreover, some people may not be able to eat it easily due to cultural reasons.
Thanks to the influx of the increasing number of Muslim tourists from around the world recently, Japanese companies have been making efforts to offer halal versions of most of the Japanese dishes including, of course, Ramen.
Recently, many ramen restaurants have sprung up, with halal certifications under their belt, to attract Muslim visitors. Although it is considered a typical Japanese dish, many Muslims have also started eating it due to its delicious taste.
However, despite its popularity among Japanese as good foreigners including Muslims, it is still considered a difficult food to eat. To ease the eating process, we have come up with some useful information for you. So, hold on, and follow-through.
You should start eating ramen as soon as it is served; don’t wait for it to cool off. Begin by picking up a few noodles with your chopsticks and holding them from below with the spoon as shown in the image on the left. It may look funny to you. However, this is the way ramen is eaten.
Slurping is necessary while eating ramen. Suck in the air along with the noodles to cool them down. Take a sip of broth to taste for salt, soy and the flavors of smoked fish, egg, etc.. Eat the toppings bite by bite; do not stir them into the soup. It’s O.K. to take a bite and put the rest back in the bowl. The Japanese culture fully allows it.
The egg yolk should be firm but very creamy; eat the egg with the spoon, not the chopsticks. If you feel comfortable eating ramen, it should not take more than 10 minutes for you to finish a bowl full of ramen. It is advisable to eat it while it is hot. Otherwise, it may not give you the taste you truly deserve.
Don’t try to pick up a huge wad of noodles and stuff it in your mouth. It may get you a little trouble. Follow the tips mentioned above, and, you will be on the fast track to be considered a ramen eating expert almost in no time.
To help you ease the selection process for halal ramen, we promise that, Insha Allah, we will keep on adding new restaurants which offer Halal ramen in Japan. For the time being, you may try Shinjuku Gyoen Mae Ouka Ramen shop.
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