Ramen(라면) is a Japanese dish consisting of noodles served in broth.
[edit] History
Ramen originated in China before making its way to Japan and was used in Japanese cuisine, and later made its way to Korea. Ramen was introduced in Japan (Chinatowns of Kobe or Yokohama) during the Meiji era.
Though of Chinese origin, it is unclear when ramen was introduced to Japan. Even the etymology of the term "ramen" is a topic of debate. One hypothesis and probably the most credible is that "ramen" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese: 拉麺 (lamian), meaning "hand-pulled noodles." A second hypothesis proposes 老麺 (laomian, "old noodles") as the original form, while yet another states that ramen was initially 鹵麺 (lumian), noodles cooked in a thick, starchy sauce.
[edit] Noodles
 A street cart serving ramen. Most ramen noodles are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui (かんすい) which is essentially a type of mineral water, containing sodium carbonate and usually potassium carbonate, as well as sometimes a small amount of phosphoric acid.
Ramen noodles come in various shapes and lengths. They may be fat, thin, or even ribbon-like, as well as straight or wrinkled.
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