Ramen Day Japan From Traditional Ramen to Top Ramen
July 11th is Ramen Day in Japan.
When most people in the United States hear the word “ramen,” they probably think of a package or cup of instant noodles. In Japan, ramen is something entirely different. It is a carefully prepared dish built around fresh noodles, rich broth, and a wide variety of meats, vegetables, eggs, seaweed, and other ingredients. Depending on the style, the broth alone may take hours to prepare.
In 1958, Momofuku Ando changed all of that when he introduced Chicken Ramen, the world’s first instant noodles. A little more than a decade later, Nissin introduced Top Ramen to the United States, choosing Chicken as the original flavor because it was familiar to American tastes.
Although Top Ramen was created by a Japanese company, it quickly adapted to an American way of thinking. Traditional ramen can take hours to prepare. Top Ramen asks only one question: “Do you have three minutes?”
This photograph features Top Ramen Chicken Flavor, a product that has found its way into countless college dorm rooms, office lunch breaks, and kitchen cupboards. It may be a distant relative of a carefully prepared bowl of ramen in Japan, but for many of us, it is the version we grew up with.
You can see more food photography, motion, projects, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com
International Sushi Day | Grab and Go Fast Food
Last Thursday was International Sushi Day.
There seem to have been a lot of “National” and “International” food days lately, and I simply couldn’t keep up with all of them.
So here we are a few days late.
This photograph is one of the few in my fast food project where I left the food in its original container. Normally everything comes out of the packaging and onto a black background, but this one deserved an exception. The deep purple tray, the neat arrangement, and the bright colors of the salmon, tuna, shrimp, avocado, and pickled ginger are all part of what catches your eye in the grocery store.
To me, this is fast food in a different form. It is freshly prepared, packaged, refrigerated, and ready to grab on your way home for lunch or dinner. No drive through required.
Not all that long ago, finding sushi usually meant visiting a Japanese restaurant or a specialty market. Today it has become a common sight in grocery stores, where fresh rolls are made throughout the day and sold alongside sandwiches, salads, and other grab and go meals.
There is a lot more food to tempt you on my website, along with my other photography projects, my Motion page, and my blog, which is updated almost daily. Visit https://www.secondfocus.com
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