I didn't know about ramen until watching anime. I mean, I've always liked noodles, but before I'd always had them as part of a stir-fry or soup. I never touched instant stuff, though. The home-made stuff in the UK is absolutely disgusting, so be extension I tend to avoid anything like that as they have a tendency to taste like hot, oily cornflakes.
It happened that a few years after joining OtakuBoards (and hence, learning about Naruto and ramen) that I was taken to a Japanese restaurant by Arcadia when she was in London, and after looking at the menu I thought reman looked most appetising. This is freshly cooked stuff, mind you. And I don't think I'd tasted anything to frsh and fantastic in my life. It wasn't the novelty- it was great food. I'm not expecting the instant stuff to be like that, and I don't think I'd ever eat it pre-packaged all the same. I rarely even eat Pocky. But freshly-cooked ramen like that is never to be passed up, heh.
Other facets of Japanese cooking I'm not so good with. I had some traditionally-made sushi and abolutely hated it. I'm not one for liking something just because it's different, or thinking that something else is somehow inherently better just because it's Japanese. Good food can come from anywhere; it just happens that ramen combines a lot of foods I already like, and if done well can be fantastic. But I don't go mad for imported treats or snacks, if only because they have a tendency to include huge amounts of high fructose corn syrup, which is incredibly bad for you. It's a major ingredient in almost any Japanese snack you can buy at conventions. A friend of mine eats so many he's gearing himself up for health problems, I know it >.>;
I also share Des's and Aryanna's experiences with ramen. I never really noticed it's connection with Japanese culture until I started off reading Manga and watching Anime. While I do believe that it is an important part of Japanese culture, I don't necessarily believe that it's totally "anime". It's like having an American eat a hamburger or having a Texan say YEE HAW! It's just a part of culture, nothing really to do with Anime.
Sounds like you got treated to some Pocky, James. I love that stuff, especially the Orange Cream and Strawberry varities. You should look for a local oriental market that sells them. There should be an oriental grocery store somewhere in your city, eh?
Hi I guess ramen/noodles has become a common meal for my sister and I because of the different meals you can make with it. Stir fri and other things. My favorite japanses meal is sushi
Ramen is good because it's cheap and all college students like stuff to eat that is cheap. XP I only started watching anime a short while ago, but ramen? I've known about that stuff since I was a kid. XP
I, too, ate ramen long before becoming an anime fan. The main reason I continue to eat it was because I actually like some of the flavors they have and it basically allowed me to survive college (two weeks full of meals for $3!). To be honest, though, udon kicks the crap out of ramen any day.
As far as my favourite Japanese snackfood goes, takoyaki is tops on my list. Chewy, flaky seafood goodness right there. But Pocky and Yan-Yan are not too far behind.
(By the way, James, it sounds like your co-worker treated you to the Tomato variety of Pocky. Sounds weird, but Glico makes a very wide variety of Pocky that goes beyond just your regular chocolate, lol.)
"I adore children. A little salt, a squeeze of lemon--perfect." -Harry Dresden
I don't really see why there has to be a connection between ramen and anime. I mean, there's Naruto advocating the stuff every chance he can get, but I mostly eat it because it's cheap, easy to prepare and versatile, not to mention pretty darn tasty for something so cheap. I was eating it long before getting into anime.
I had ramen before knowing it's relation to anime as well. It's okay as a snack, I don't really care for it as a meal unless it's more fancy with chicken or vegetables mixed in.
I imagine the reason my mom got it for us was because it's a really cheap and easy snack to fix. It certainly never gets used as a meal. I like homemade chicken noodle soup much better.
As for other stuff... I do like pocky, but for the most part I just eat American food, though seeing that my mom is from what's known as the south... Southern food for the win! :p
Abundant Love (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/02/08 | Reply
I've been eating instant ramen since before I knew it was Japanese or that anime even existed, all the way back to when I was six years old or so when my mother would give it to me for lunch sometimes. So being an anime fan didn't really have any effect on that for me. I do enjoy it simply for what it is but I also like other types of noodles/pasta and soups just as much if not more. Though I'd like to have real ramen soup and not just the instant stuff some time.
I think the only other Japanese snack I've had is pocky. It was good but not really any better than packaged cookies and other stuff like that. One thing I've always really wanted to try since seeing it in anime, though, is takoyaki. I really like calamari (aka squid) so I've wanted to try octopus too and takoyaki looks like something I'd enjoy.
Dr. Mama Cat. (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/02/08 | Reply
Personally I find Ramen to be rather bland and boring to eat. I much prefer a type of homemade chicken noodle soup. Far tastier and more filling. Ramen is like eating poorly flavored air. lol
What is your favourite Japanese-style snack?
Ironically I rather like Pocky. Unlike American food, the combination of biscuit and sweetness is well balanced. Not to plain and not to sweet and not too heavy on the calories either. My kind of snack/desert.
Solo Tremaine
Otakuite | Posted 06/21/08 | Reply
I didn't know about ramen until watching anime. I mean, I've always liked noodles, but before I'd always had them as part of a stir-fry or soup. I never touched instant stuff, though. The home-made stuff in the UK is absolutely disgusting, so be extension I tend to avoid anything like that as they have a tendency to taste like hot, oily cornflakes.
It happened that a few years after joining OtakuBoards (and hence, learning about Naruto and ramen) that I was taken to a Japanese restaurant by Arcadia when she was in London, and after looking at the menu I thought reman looked most appetising. This is freshly cooked stuff, mind you. And I don't think I'd tasted anything to frsh and fantastic in my life. It wasn't the novelty- it was great food. I'm not expecting the instant stuff to be like that, and I don't think I'd ever eat it pre-packaged all the same. I rarely even eat Pocky. But freshly-cooked ramen like that is never to be passed up, heh.
Other facets of Japanese cooking I'm not so good with. I had some traditionally-made sushi and abolutely hated it. I'm not one for liking something just because it's different, or thinking that something else is somehow inherently better just because it's Japanese. Good food can come from anywhere; it just happens that ramen combines a lot of foods I already like, and if done well can be fantastic. But I don't go mad for imported treats or snacks, if only because they have a tendency to include huge amounts of high fructose corn syrup, which is incredibly bad for you. It's a major ingredient in almost any Japanese snack you can buy at conventions. A friend of mine eats so many he's gearing himself up for health problems, I know it >.>;
Korey
Gambino (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/07/08 | Reply
I also share Des's and Aryanna's experiences with ramen. I never really noticed it's connection with Japanese culture until I started off reading Manga and watching Anime. While I do believe that it is an important part of Japanese culture, I don't necessarily believe that it's totally "anime". It's like having an American eat a hamburger or having a Texan say YEE HAW! It's just a part of culture, nothing really to do with Anime.
Sounds like you got treated to some Pocky, James. I love that stuff, especially the Orange Cream and Strawberry varities. You should look for a local oriental market that sells them. There should be an oriental grocery store somewhere in your city, eh?
~Korey
Kyoki Safaia Rose
Otakuite+ | Posted 06/05/08 | Reply
Hi
I guess ramen/noodles has become a common meal for my sister and I because of the different meals you can make with it. Stir fri and other things. My favorite japanses meal is sushi
Sabrina
Otaku Archangel | Posted 06/03/08 | Reply
Ramen is good because it's cheap and all college students like stuff to eat that is cheap. XP I only started watching anime a short while ago, but ramen? I've known about that stuff since I was a kid. XP
-Sabrina
Kei
Hell-bound Heroine (Ceiling Cat) | Posted 06/03/08 | Reply
I, too, ate ramen long before becoming an anime fan. The main reason I continue to eat it was because I actually like some of the flavors they have and it basically allowed me to survive college (two weeks full of meals for $3!). To be honest, though, udon kicks the crap out of ramen any day.
As far as my favourite Japanese snackfood goes, takoyaki is tops on my list. Chewy, flaky seafood goodness right there. But Pocky and Yan-Yan are not too far behind.
(By the way, James, it sounds like your co-worker treated you to the Tomato variety of Pocky. Sounds weird, but Glico makes a very wide variety of Pocky that goes beyond just your regular chocolate, lol.)
"I adore children. A little salt, a squeeze of lemon--perfect." -Harry Dresden
Ace
Senile Hipster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/03/08 | Reply
I don't really see why there has to be a connection between ramen and anime. I mean, there's Naruto advocating the stuff every chance he can get, but I mostly eat it because it's cheap, easy to prepare and versatile, not to mention pretty darn tasty for something so cheap. I was eating it long before getting into anime.
Aaryanna
Otaku Legend | Posted 06/03/08 | Reply
I had ramen before knowing it's relation to anime as well. It's okay as a snack, I don't really care for it as a meal unless it's more fancy with chicken or vegetables mixed in.
I imagine the reason my mom got it for us was because it's a really cheap and easy snack to fix. It certainly never gets used as a meal. I like homemade chicken noodle soup much better.
As for other stuff... I do like pocky, but for the most part I just eat American food, though seeing that my mom is from what's known as the south... Southern food for the win! :p
~*Aaryanna*~
Desbreko
Abundant Love (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/02/08 | Reply
I've been eating instant ramen since before I knew it was Japanese or that anime even existed, all the way back to when I was six years old or so when my mother would give it to me for lunch sometimes. So being an anime fan didn't really have any effect on that for me. I do enjoy it simply for what it is but I also like other types of noodles/pasta and soups just as much if not more. Though I'd like to have real ramen soup and not just the instant stuff some time.
I think the only other Japanese snack I've had is pocky. It was good but not really any better than packaged cookies and other stuff like that. One thing I've always really wanted to try since seeing it in anime, though, is takoyaki. I really like calamari (aka squid) so I've wanted to try octopus too and takoyaki looks like something I'd enjoy.
Indi
Dr. Mama Cat. (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/02/08 | Reply
Personally I find Ramen to be rather bland and boring to eat. I much prefer a type of homemade chicken noodle soup. Far tastier and more filling. Ramen is like eating poorly flavored air. lol
What is your favourite Japanese-style snack?
Ironically I rather like Pocky. Unlike American food, the combination of biscuit and sweetness is well balanced. Not to plain and not to sweet and not too heavy on the calories either. My kind of snack/desert.
~Crystia