3 Pro Tips That Will Change Your Ramen Game Forever

I've been making Ramen for 5 Years. I wish I knew these secrets when I started. SquareSpace : 10% off your 1st order using www.squarespace.com/frenchguy
Why is FAT important in Ramen ?
Fat is an important component in ramen for several reasons:
1. Flavor: Fat contributes to the rich and savory flavor of ramen broth. When you simmer ingredients like pork bones or chicken for an extended period to make the broth, the fat from these ingredients emulsifies into the liquid, adding depth and complexity to the taste.
2. Mouthfeel: Fat gives ramen broth a smooth and velvety texture, which enhances the overall eating experience.
3. Satiation: Including fat in ramen can help make the dish more filling and satisfying. Fat is calorie-dense, and its presence can help curb hunger and provide a sense of fullness, making you feel more satisfied after eating a bowl of ramen.
4. Balance: Ramen is typically a combination of various flavors, including salty, savory, umami, and sometimes spicy elements. Fat helps balance these flavors by rounding out the overall taste profile.
5. Aromatics: Fat can also carry and enhance the aroma of the broth and other ingredients. This aroma plays a significant role in the overall enjoyment of the dish, as our sense of smell is closely linked to our sense of taste.
While fat is an essential component in ramen, it's important to use it in moderation, as excessive consumption of saturated fats can have negative health implications. Additionally, there are healthier variations of ramen that use leaner broths or substitute animal fats with vegetable oils for those looking to reduce their fat intake.
Increase UMAMI :
Umami is a savory and rich flavor that plays a central role in the deliciousness of a bowl of ramen. Here are several ways to enhance and intensify the umami taste in your ramen:
1. Use Quality Broth:
- Start with a high-quality broth as the base for your ramen. The longer you simmer the broth, the more umami it will develop.
2. Incorporate Umami-Rich Ingredients:
- Add ingredients that are naturally high in umami. Common umami-rich ingredients for ramen include:
- Kombu (dried kelp): Simmer kombu in your broth to infuse it with umami. Remove it before serving.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: Soak and simmer dried shiitake mushrooms in your broth for an earthy umami flavor.
- Bonito flakes (katsuobushi): These fermented and dried fish flakes can be added to the broth or used to make a dashi stock.
- Soy sauce: A high-quality soy sauce can add depth and saltiness, which enhances umami.
- Miso paste: Fermented soybean paste, when added to the broth, contributes a strong umami taste.
3. Slow Simmering:
- Allow your broth to simmer for an extended period, as this will extract more flavor and umami from the ingredients.
4. Add Seaweed:
- Wakame or nori seaweed can be added as a garnish to your ramen bowl.
5. Toasted Sesame Seeds:
- Toasted sesame seeds or sesame oil can be used as a finishing touch to enhance the nutty umami flavor in your ramen.
6. Umami Bombs:
- Consider making umami bombs by mixing ingredients like minced garlic, grated ginger, and chopped scallions in soy sauce or miso paste.
7. Mushrooms:
- Add sliced or sautéed mushrooms, such as shiitake, enoki, or king oyster mushrooms, to your ramen.
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[@naotosuzuki9040]

In the home kitchen in Japan konbu(dried kelp)-glutamic acid katsuo-bushi(dried bonito flakes)-inosinic acid niboshi(dried small sardines)-inosinic acid hoshi-sitake (dried shiitake mushrooms)-guanosic acid It is common to always use The three umami ingredients are combined to suit the dish. Of course, fermented seasonings such as soy sauce, miso, sake, and mirin are also rich in umami ingredients. The balance of umami ingredients is important for both Japanese food and ramen. If the balance is not right, you have no choice but to cheat with spiciness and oil. It is important to think in terms of subtraction, not addition.

[@ZisoRegondo]

Thank you for this guidance, 友人 🙇🏾‍♂️

[@SzavaHunorLevente]

You can’t leave us hanging ☹️ We totally need a full recipe with all the learnings! ❤

[@bLaDeMVP]

I second that.

[@essstiterrible]

clearly a dish like ramen cant be simplify to a single recipe, that's why its more accessible and interesting then most dish. Alex is being full meta because that's what's make ramen incredible. Dont be afraid to experiment its a big part of the fun. Basically im saying dont cook ramen like its a pastry. Like they said, just make it really flavorful, the opposite aint ramen.

[@helvettefaensatan]

He really should create a overview of types and recommendations for combinations.

[@korihoko3843]

Would love to see your breakdown of pho broth and what connections there are to the ramen science you gathered!

[@RAIN_B0T]

"MSG" .. my mind goes 'FUIJOOOH' and seconds later that little clip of uncle roger.. glorious!

[@fejfo6559]

1. lots of oil (2 tablespoons) to transfer flavor from broth to noodles 2. Don't make your own noodles 3. Umami is king, get as much MSG as possible and don't forget about umami boosters.

[@bebisibeb]

I've actually tried to make a ramen with as much umami as possible as an experiment and the result was that it was just, too much... It's hard to explain but it almost makes the food taste unhealthy. Anyway, that's why I disagree with your third point.

[@Temulgeh]

@@bebisibeb sometimes unhealthy is what you want! for exemple jiro-kei ramen and similar styles, but i agree there is definitely such a thing as too much umami. my threshold for it is very high though lol

[@bebisibeb]

@Temulgeh Yeah I know, but ny results were even worse than jiro... lol

[@Temulgeh]

@@bebisibeb if you don't sniff a kilogram of msg every morning are you really a ramenhead /j

[@cubandarknez]

I think dashi is the real game changer in terms of effort for impact. Family week day meals will just go up in satisfaction by so much just from including it into any broth-like components.

[@HayTatsuko]

Thank you for sharing these lovely experiences with us! I will have to incorporate them into my own cooking -- and I can see this going well beyond just ramen!

[@shahoorkausmally519]

time to come to Japan Alex. you should explore Tsukemen and Abura-soba!

[@zabuma]

Hopefully Alex will eventually go to Japan to learn from actual Japanese Ramen chefs, that would be so damn cool!

[@diabeticdaniel7848]

This is brilliant and i can't wait to try it out. My brother lived in japan for a while and misses the ramen, i really want to be able to make him a bowl he's satisfied with. I have three years of culinary school behind me but i've honestly learned more from youtube than i did at school. At least when it comes to knowledge.

[@bluesoverlord]

Oh yes, umami needs to be applied almost everywhere. A little anchovy paste in the pot roast makes it “beefier”, for example. Awesome video!

[@jrkorman]

A bottle of Vietnamese Fish Sauce will last for quite a while but what it does for flavor is wonderful; just go slow until you figure it out. Love using anchovy paste also; it does so much for many sauces.

[@bluesoverlord]

@@jrkorman Ahh, yes, Red Boat fish sauce is the best.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

12:37 And we will be here to listen to that fascinating story Alex! And thank tou as always! Agree with you on everything! Specially the Umami part! Here in Colombia we love our Umami! Your entire series has been one great journey and learning experience! Each ramen bowl i make i cheer to you when i slurp away!😋😋😋😋🍜🍜🍜🍜

[@chrisholmes66]

You are an inspiration to me. I have started my ramen journey since watching you. My son loves ramen so it is a quest that brings a teenage boy and father closer. Thanks Alex.

[@BriceStacey]

The new space looks great, thanks for the tips.

[@lam1991hahaha]

About oil, I watched a Japanese KZbinr improving the soup of his instant ramen, he fried some oil from chicken skin + a bit of lard + half a tea spoon of soy sauce and added them into the soup, it looks good

[@tomrockholm-timeless_morph6691]

No more blue fridge, now we have a gorgeous blue wall. Loving your new space Alex! Congratulations on the massive upgrades and growth!

[@yodrewtube]

Great insight and loved the story telling & delivery! Your umami insight was enlightening!

[@charlesdevalois2676]

Thanks for all your hard work and these amazing pro tips!

[@extremepanda351]

glad to see the next episode, inspires me to make a bowl!

[@pinobluevogel6458]

It was nice to look back on the ramen journey. It is certainly not a substitude for watching the individual episodes, but a clear overview of it all. So far having made ramen several times now, I can say it really helped me explore my cooking and this dish. Thank you!

[@DarkMimii]

We started to make Ramen after I watched your series and we still make the noodles ourselfs by mixing the dough roughly, putting it in a freezing bag and kneading them with our feet :D I find it fun and I bought a spaghetti rolling pin so we don´t have to cut them (there´s no space for machinery here). All the noodles I saw in the stores here where expensive, so we didn´t try them. Our first try was with glass noodles but I doubt we´ll ever switch to them again ^^

[@ocbtyga3238]

awesome video for someone who watches your ramen videos for the first time, but watching them all i already knew them all ;D loved the summary of all your tips anyway, especially the umami dictionary and how natural glutamate and insosate work together the best thanks again alex!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Always applying your tips to my cooking game alex! you have made my skills and dishesh so much better! thanks from the bottom of my hearth man! You're the best 😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

[@cfitz9976]

So educational, learned so much. Thank you

[@truckerspike]

Thank you Alex, you continue to inspire me.

[@shinu92]

Awesome tips! Definitely giving these tricks a deeper look in my next batch of ramen 👌

[@padders1068]

Alex, thanks for sharing and educating! 🙂

[@BeeepBo0op]

Counterpoint for homemade ramen: If you have a pasta machine it's totally doable, you just cannot make large quantities! As long as you do small chunks of dough at a time you can use the machine to knead it and get a good structure. Essentially do what you do in the lamination steps of regular pasta. The results are really good if you're somewhere where good noodles aren't readily available, it just takes some time and it's a bit cumbersome at the beginning

[@Getpojke]

I wonder if you used the likes of an African "woduro", the large pestle & mortar type device that fufu is made in or a Japanese "mochitsuki", mochi mallet, if it would bring the noodle dough together more easily? There must have been a way to do it on a large scale before automation came in in Japan after-all!?

[@themushroominside6540]

Also for super hard to knead doughs i suggest getting a silicone kneading bag, it is reusesable and durable as heck and doesn't stick to low hydration doughs such as ramen dough. I got this tip from @mynameisandong from his "Is this still ramen video" and the silicone bag is good for preparing ground meats as well, used it to make dumpling filling and menchi katsu.

[@Regin82]

Great advice thanks, really enjoy your content.

[@alinfriedman8080]

Amazing! Thank you Alex!

[@ivanfaigenbom5300]

I love this series so hard

[@user-xg9ky6ex2v]

Great work on the umami analysis

[@yakesbves3294]

Thanks for the sharing ! Your journey saved us lot of time ;) It will be really nice now to have a full final Ramen video. Where you can cook an home made ramen to one of the chefs you visited and see what they think about it ! Also it would be nice to have a full Ramen recipe video with one of your new favorite recipe to reproduce home ! Salut !

[@sampaiorafa]

Tips taken! Thanks for the knowledge, Alex.

[@bcatbb2896]

love this type of video where you get all technical and actually teach the audience something

[@nathan_watson]

I enjoyed the studio sneak preview!

[@PrimevilKneivel]

Yeah, the new set is beautiful!

[@459_nilavratbera4]

You always amaze us Alex. Keep it Up. We'll be by your side always.

[@SevenBates]

Impeccable. Possibly the most dense, yet seemingly effortless video you've made. I did not realize how the quantification of umami in that database, changed how I thought about it. Up to a factor of 8? Wow.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

You SO deserve your own Netflix/Food network show alex! You would show them what true passion and cinematography are!🎉🎉🎉

[@hankytorious]

This channel is that show/series. Here he's free to make it how he want.

[@boppins]

Yeah if you never want to see him again. Can't tell you how many big KZbinrs I've watched disappear after going mainstream.

[@JackHudler]

Networks will screw him up

[@Atomy111]

Why would he degrade himself by going on netflix

[@ajtwyman2737]

I second this

[@sonnechezper]

Awesome content and advices as usual, despite the complex setup ! Just saw the flavor Thesaurus. Great book.

[@helenswan705]

Great little video, informative, and in your usual style, so funny!

[@MaarioDN]

Now that you have the knowledge I would love a specific ramen recipes video for homecooking, to have a base and then experiment with different ingredients, thank you Alex!

[@georgeaxiotidis2783]

There we go again with ramen! Alex I can’t wait to see the content from your new studio and hopefully give up ramen!

[@SuperMastermindx]

the new studio looks beautiful, well done

[@frogfence18]

Mind Blowing

[@brettmuir5679]

I lost you for a few minutes. Glad I am back. I am going to binge watch all content to get me up to date. Would it not be nice to see how the new studio is coming along? Salute :)

[@MICHOU1800]

Alex thank you so much for this amazing video and please please please 🙏 we need more videos about Ramen! Peace ✌️

[@DM-bl9ll]

The bit about Italian cuisine not emphasizing umami, sure, but what about parmesan cheese or tomatoes? Seems like they found it even if they don't "focus" on it

[@billc7211]

Nice wrap up. I feel all tooled up with new knowledge

[@dariusroberts2907]

WHAT A GREAT VID ALEX ✌🏾

[@kennethrivera2829]

Outstanding!!!

[@goodgoods664]

Content is awesome new studio is awesome, thanks you.

[@stamene7274]

Awsome video! Alex, you should really consider visit Japan for once, their ramens are in whole new level. I believe it will definitely gives you inspiration!

[@melaniewyffels4478]

J'adore ton nouveau studio!!!!!!

[@nioxic77]

i've seen a clip on reddit where some... (somewhere in asia i'd guess) they make noodles in a large (very large) bowl of boiling water. they have some liquid dough and put it into a big soup ladle, with holes in it. That looked pretty easy tbh. of course it might not be "noodles" in the classical sense, but it looked like it.

[@T-Towel]

Love the Gastronomy book casually on the side, such amazing combinations of foods in there! 😊

[@leacruz7311]

Wow, very interesting to know! I already have dashi powder.

[@ARTUR2CRMJ]

I felt in love whit your series, so I bought the bue machine that you bought and open a little restaruant my self, just for the sake of traying to replicate your noodles and for that I love you my friend Alex

[@fefeduberry4939]

Amazing video. Thank you so much for such quality! (Sure you already have your eyes/ideas on it, there was quite some echo on your mic. I hope the works are going smoothly). Love, Féfé

[@lantz45]

THANK YOU

[@ayushlobogun1726]

Thank you

[@barucheven4128]

What I need now is an updated guide to Ramen...

[@skullly9074]

newbie chef here. alex you are an amazing cook and an amazing insperasion for both home cooking and profesinal cooking to me. thank you for the tips and the Entertainment that you produse.

[@etiennelaval342]

Oh, a nice package of your last ramen season! Thanks Alex! I' be curious to see you try to apply your umami skills to improve your western previous dishes (omelette, beef bourguignon , all the way to your old pizza series or even the croissant one!)

[@stevewilcox6375]

NIce book on the desk, a flavour matching book! Volume two is out now too!

[@olgadelmolino8711]

Nice one, Alex ❤

[@waltercranston5176]

My mind is blown about the umami knowledge you just bestowed!!! What are some recommendations for where to buy good noodles?

[@tmts9633]

Love the title!

[@PietroBrunetti]

I think the first and the last lesson learned are important for any savory dish, not only ramen

[@infin1ty850]

Not gonna lie man, I am beyond bored with your ramen content. I'm looking forward to you getting back to other foods.

[@timready9194]

Welcome back to the audience, Alex. Great to see that you have found a way, while under construction.

[@manucortez4429]

Dude this was sick!

[@brovo66]

Well, I like Roman I really enjoy your French and Italian dish is the most. I’d like to see more of that please.

[@anthonygiaconia7880]

Awesome video.

[@lisam9233]

Phenomenal ❤

[@d_bribe]

Lovely advice. Tbh, didn’t have much difficulties with making noodles. Resting them really helps the flour hydrate and mine came quite nice, with small hydration and kansui. The other advice was amazing, hadn’t thought about it but I think they are fixing my issues as well. Awesome content, Alex!

[@nic.trades]

Same, had no difficulty at all making noodles using a KitchenAid. Even down to 30% hydration. Yes the first pass-throughs were a bit challenging since the mixture was basically like sand, but once it starts binding together, it's really a breeze. People should really give it a try and not be intimidated. Made all of Ramen_Lord's noodles and also tried Ivan's Ramen recipe. I have also done a variation of Ivan's recipe by adding some vital wheat and lower hydration, they were my favorite of all the ones I made. Chewy, with a great bite and that toasted rye flavor.

[@kohakuaiko]

​@@nic.tradesgood to know that Gramma's KitchenAid is the most valuable thing I could have inherited. It kneads just about any dough better than I can by hand.

[@Roxomus]

I remember one of the chefs you interviewed also asked you to present a dish to him and if it was good enough, he would add it to his menu. Would you take that challenge? I really believe you can pull this off!

[@calculusentropy]

I got mushroom based Umami powder for the wifey, its remarkable.

[@thistlefooderie]

Sun noodles is amazing!!! Here in the USA they also sell noodles with an awesome broth packet.

[@The2caorafeiro]

Just amazing explanation. About the noodle brands do you advise to buy, which ones?

[@user-jk4py8ny5q]

So… you’re not gonna talk about that awesome book you have on your left? Quite an interesting read imo :) Great video Alex!!!

[@MrCaseyJohnson]

Alex I love your channel… I love ramen.. I love noodles.. just a suggestion.. help your viewers conquer pho.. that series would be scary good

[@abdolahfrootan2127]

Alex I totally got dissapointed to cook Ramen by myself and It seems I just can try real one in restaurants, but after your series as an specialist ;))

[@sebastienghangha3024]

haaaaa je suis en ce moment même en train de refaire un Tare et un bouillon ..... merci mec ^^ I'm doing right now Tare and 'bouillon/stock', perfect timing .. thanks dude ^^

[@rhuspimentel]

I laughed so hard from 7:14 to 7:27!!! Love you and your editing Alex

[@tigeriussvarne177]

Lol, just voted on the video titel, now the video drops. xD

[@Rinko3232]

much love bro

[@philosophiabme]

Ramen_Lord is opening his restaurant soon and I can’t wait!

[@Zojirushi.2.16]

Arigato! More ramen videos please!

[@gritcheatreides6828]

Le gras c'est la vie X ) Je me demande si ça ne vient pas du grand philosophe Karadoc ; )

[@frontonarnar3954]

First video I saw was the perfect mashed potato, you go all out everytime. Insane

[@totalredeem44]

I didn't saw guanylate disodique mentionned ! We must lean by ourselves that's the message ! And what about KOKUMI from yeast !!

[@madabouthollyoaks411]

2 MILLION WOOHOO!

[@caseycarbone17]

Love the videos. If you do another ramen season my only hope would be that you actually have a Japanese ramen chef on....

[@imtheluckiest]

I also found it funny that Alex traveled all the way to NYC to get ramen tips…but not, you know, Japan. The only Japanese person in the video, Dr. Ninomiya, got only one word edited into the video agreeing with something Alex said: “Yeah” haha 😅 I understand that ramen has spread world-wide, but seems like a bit of an omission when this video seems so well-researched otherwise.

[@caseycarbone17]

@@imtheluckiest Yes, to clarify, what I love about Alex's channel is the depth of research he does... For pizza, pasta, French cuisine, the amount of detail is incredible. And I understand that I do not know the timing he had for the previous series, because I know Japan still had strange restrictions on travel (but I also imagine there are amazing Japanese ramen chefs who live elsewhere in the Western world), but to not include what feels like an "origin perspective" seems odd. Again, I don't know what restrictions Alex had on his time or schedule, but something I would really like to see rectified if he does this again in the future.

[@SkyProtonFood]

apparently the reason he can't travel to Japan is for legal reasons. He hasn't specifically said what it is sadly.

[@RealLifeGIF]

At least talk about why you cannot go. It feels racist

[@SkyProtonFood]

@@RealLifeGIF i think the reason he can't talk about is the legality as it might exacerbate the situation

[@theblackrose3130]

For the vegans and vegetarians there scratching their heads about how to achieve the rich umami flavour without inosinates from meat or fish the answer is yeast extract. The two primary ways to get it are in instant broth forms like meat free Oxo cubes or marmine/Vegemite. I prefer the Oxo cubes just for the more clean flavour but I've tried marmite and it absolutely works as well.

[@Temulgeh]

not vegan but tackled vegan broths as well. you can also just add MSG if you don't mind the added sodium, or if you want inosinates, nutritional yeast is pretty good (and it also adds some well needed funk in otherwise too clean-tasting soups)

[@scottibass]

I love how Alex went Père Fouras for the last tip

[@vincentx2850]

I wish you can move beyond Japanese ramen and explore other soup noodle dishes at some point. From South East Asian noodle powerhouses like Vietnam and Malaysia, to the diverse schools of noodles in China, I think there is so much potential to explore. The Su-style noodles of Suzhou and the hand-pulled noodles of Northern China would be particularly interesting, the latter is the one that gives the "ra" in "ramen".

[@wasabi_6684]

spend a lifetime making ramen and you will still be apprentice of the craft. oil, noodles, stock, toppings, tare, balance really are there own crafts in their own regard

[@Choscura]

the ramen noodle machine thing surprises me. Ramen is specific and regional with many varieties of noodle. In all cases they adapt to the best thing they can acquire locally. For my own practice, I have adapted a compromise noodle process between the italian egg noodle dough and the chinese hand pulled noodle traditions- I make an egg dough, usually I will adjust final hydration with some grams of bone broth with the fat included from the soup, and then I stretch and fold continuously until the dough consistency is very stretchy, like a pizza dough, and then I will make whatever sort of noodles. Since I do this mostly by hand with a knife and a cutting board on the counter beside a pot of boiling soup, I usually do either snail noodles (roll a log, cut off pepperoni slices, and then as they separate, pull the knife back against the cutting board, rolling the "pepperoni noodle" back under the blade into a snail shell) or bowties/butterflies (cut a sheet, into squares, pinch) or fetuccine (roll a sheet, cut off slices of the roll as if to make peperoni slices, and unroll each slice and stretcch into a noodle).

[@woolfel]

I just cheat and use hondashi, a powder version that quick and easy. When I make miso soup, I add 1/2-1 TSP depending on how many servings.