Japan's Edo Era Noodles (1643)

[@nathano235]

Hey Max, goldsmith here! The practice of using buckwheat with gold worked in a few ways. By brushing the surface of your workbench with buckwheat flour you create a less sticky surface that makes hammering out gold leaf a lot easier. Beyond that a simple dough of buckwheat and water can be used to wipe up gold dust and other particles around the workplace, you then dissolve the dough in a pot of water and as it dissolves the gold sinks to the bottom due to density.

[@gypsydonovan]

Just curious, why buckwheat? Wouldn’t rice flower or any other wheat do the same thing? I imagine there’s something specific but I have no idea.

[@DopaminedotSeek3rcolonthree]

@@gypsydonovan We just gotta wait for a chemist now.

[@amicaniiya1576]

@@gypsydonovan rice flour might work (as long as it isn't glutinous rice), but with wheat the gluten would be an issue when using the dough-pickup method - it'd leave an elastic clump and the gold would probably be stuck in it I guess it might be because buckwheat was seen as a sort of "poor man's food" and more of a last resort to stave off starvation than a proper staple ingredient, while rice and wheat are much more "precious" being the staple foods and in a time where food itself was sometimes scarce, you'd try to avoid using anything edible in non-food functions and if you had to, you'd prefer to use the option you would like less to eat

[@real_dddf]

@@amicaniiya1576 yes, with wheat if you wash it enough you get a spongy thing called "mianjin", and it doesn't really like to be fully dissolved. Then you would get a very expensive gold infused ingredient that perhaps you could use for "Imperial liang pi"? Yo that actually sounds like a good idea if you just add gold powder without the other goldsmith contaminants...

[@Desette]

@@amicaniiya1576 If you are inferring that glutinous rice wouldn't work because it has gluten in it, glutinous rice is a misnomer and doesn't actually have any gluten. Just one of my favourite facts I wanted to share :)

[@guccideltaco]

Props to Max for, no matter what language the food/history is from, doing his darndest to get the pronunciation correct!

[@Mason-gx1mc]

I was about to say the same thing. Coming from a Japanese background it's nice to hear people get Japanese pronunciation correct, let alone even try. I personally don't really care so much about it but it's always nice to hear.

[@satanmitdengeilenbarthaaren]

That´s why i love his channel. + he´s funny and a freaking handsome fella :)

[@sunnyztmoney]

@@Mason-gx1mc im gonna eat sushi with a fork now

[@danigo5119]

Agreed! I wasn't expecting to be impressed by his pronunciation, but his efforts to do well paid off and honestly makes him feel more credible. I'm definitely subscribing now!

[@jhnshep]

@@sunnyztmoney balance has been restored

[@Kat-yq6vw]

Sometimes I remember that you turned down Disney for this. Thank you for continuing to share your knowledge with the world. I love learning from your videos.

[@GamerGrovyle]

Details?

[@SewardWriter]

@@GamerGrovyle Max used to be Prince Charming. Now he's Jose's Prince Charming, and our history chef.

[@himesilva]

@@SewardWriter Jose? Is that his partner? :D

[@crawfishcreekoutdoors6775]

@@himesilva yes! 😊 they are so cute on his other channel “Ketchup with Max”.

[@analogalbacore7166]

%$#@ disney

[@dalitas]

The buckwheat powder was probably used as a combustible carrier in order to make it easier to sweep up any gold. I presume they then put this into a crucible and burned away the buckwheat leaving the gold.

[@johnr797]

Gotta get that dough

[@Zip0h3ight]

I am not a goldsmith, but this was my first thought too.

[@13thMaiden]

Considering how easy buckwheat can burn on it's own, yeah that makes alot of sense.

[@l.rowanmcknight7853]

@@johnr797 I see what you did there lol

[@zimmercj]

Either that or rinsed away in water.

[@ronove]

I had *just* recovered from "She was not. She was dead." when I got hit with the panic grass sound.

[@bscorvin]

I got a warning and it still caught me off guard

[@Puppy_Puppington]

Haha i am so lost

[@Yori6552]

Max's face when he gets nostalgic about the smell of the ramen reminding him of when he went to Japan as a kid is beyond heart warming!

[@bogyo099]

the little pikachu dressed in traditional clothes in the background 😭💖

[@masterimbecile]

Getting all the on-theme Pokémon plushes must have been a project in itself.

[@Lngbrdninjamasta]

😎

[@Argonisgema]

I did not realize that till o read your comment.

[@masterimbecile]

@@timgersh6787 only 6 kinds?

[@Nogu3]

As a professional ramen chef you have no idea how difficult it is making the perfect batch of noodles. I've been making chinese style noodles by hand since I was around 8 and I still am barely a quarter way to satisfaction.

[@eltiolavara9]

that's some strong dedication, hope you get there someday

[@Franky_Sthein]

May I ask how old are you now? Because it really is hard for me to think someone would make any kind of noodles by hand since childhood. Not saying you are a liar or anything, it just interests me to know what kept you going. If this is inappropriate I am sorry, I am just very curious.

[@TheChzoronzon]

Your nick is "instant noodle"... oh, the shame of your ancestors... lol

[@napatora]

@@Franky_Sthein lots of people start making foods like that as a kid with their parents or grandparents. i helped my mommom make gnocchi and ravioli from scratch when i was the same age

[@kitcutting]

your name is Neoguri, isn't that a Korean instant ramen brand? I got bags of it at home too lol

[@VaveeDances]

I can’t stop laughing at the scream sound effect when saying “panic grass”. Excellent

[@happymantis2860]

Also the o_o in the captions after he finishes telling the story.

[@sitara7664]

@@happymantis2860 I'm pretty sure his husband does the captions haha

[@Kiljaedenas]

Or the look on his face after describing the stuff that came from her groin...

[@julscatten2640]

Haha same!!

[@Chibihugs]

That part had me giggling!

[@jubro96]

So I live in Japan and speak the language, and decided to search up why buckwheat powder was used. Apparently, goldsmiths at the time would use buckwheat powder to gather up gold dust because when gold (and silver) was mixed with buckwheat powder and dissolved in water, only the buckwheat powder would dissolve fully, leaving the gold/silver to be easily extracted.

[@merlle88]

Thank you.

[@MimiMangetsu]

thank you for the info!

[@eveakane6563]

And thus the most dangerous noodle was born.

[@DhimaS.G.Satona]

@@eveakane6563 Especially for those who are allergic. Both to metals and buckwheat.

[@chloeedmund4350]

Thank you!

[@chesthoIe]

Goldsmiths would use soba noodle flour to clean up their workspace when hammering gold. It was like they were using the slice of bread to pick up broken glass trick. Then they would put the whole mess in water, the buckwheat dissolves, the gold settles to the bottom where it can be reused.

[@Zip0h3ight]

I'd think they'd just chuck the whole mess in a crucible and let the flour burn off

[@botbtquarrel4072]

@@Zip0h3ight Sounds like a good way to create a flour explosion lmao

[@jeanrayleigh6601]

Interesting. I would have guessed that they used the flour to reduce lead oxide to lead metal so it could alloy with gold in a crucible and collect into a bead for subsequent cupellation, as people still do today.

[@napatora]

@@Zip0h3ight lol flour is incredibly flammable that would literally cause an explosion. water is safer, easier, and cleaner

[@troypayne6701]

@@napatora I'm no expert but usually those explosion happen because a spark ignited the dust particles floating in the air. Thats why sugar mills are very well ventilated now. A clump of flour or sugar wouldn't explode when exposed to a flame.

[@GilAsakawa]

Hi Max, I just discovered your channel, and am an instant fan. I'll have to catch up on your year's worth of videos. I especially like your first Japanese dish, the Nyumen, and have to say, I really really appreciate your obvious love and respect for food, culture and history. It's so great to hear you pronouncing Japanese words correctly, and to see your depth of research in your videos from Japan and other cultures from centuries-old texts and art. You put the food you cook into a larger context for us all. Thanks! Disney's loss is our gain! (Note: I'm the chair of the Denver Takayama Sister City Committee and we're hosting a Tanabata event so it was great t learn the origins of somen served for the festival. I'm writing a book about the history of Japanese food in America that will be out next year, so I'm a foodie...)

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you for your support, that's so kind. Hope you enjoy other episodes too.

[@OlgaSofiaSilva]

Narration: "Panic grass" Distant voice: "AAAAAAH!" That one really got me 🤣

[@lukematney7062]

Same, that joke gets me every time.

[@babykiwer2005]

Lol

[@LaughLoveLindy]

Yes!! I had to rewind and watch that part multiple times it was so funny! XD

[@DrDave-qg8te]

Lenny: "Doctor said not to get pudding in my eye"

[@RedJohnO22]

Me 2!!

[@vincenttt8289]

"Huge exodus of noodle-bearing monks coming to Japan" is now my favorite sentence

[@kaltaron1284]

IIRC there was actually quite a bit of an exchange. Also when one famous monk went, he rarely went alone so his companions could then distribute the gained knowledge to other places.

[@brendon1689]

@Uncle Ted's Cabin i'm sure the divine flavour of the noodles would help with any enlightenment to be had 🍜

[@frostincubus4045]

@@brendon1689 *listens to the monk's enlightenment while eating ramen*

[@unlucky_2nd897]

@@kaltaron1284 Me and the boys about to bring some enlightenment with a side of noodles

[@rebeccahogan876]

"The Exodus of the Noodle-Bearing Monks" sounds like an obscure legend or morality tale or something

[@faceoctopus4571]

I like to think that Amaterasu knows that the sun and moon are out at the same time and that she gets grumpy any time Tsukuyomi violates the restraining order 14:56

[@travisstoll3582]

Hahaha!

[@MrSafeTCam]

Not a goldsmith, but a jewellery maker, and I found an article that sounds right. Making gold leaf involves hammering the gold out really thin, and it might stick, so like when rolling out a bread dough, you might flour the worksurface, making it easier to work with the gold leaf. Then afterward, a little water makes a sticky dough, use it like a lint roller to pick up any gold dust on the worksurface, then dissolving it in a big bowl of water the gold sinks to the bottom.

[@jorenbosmans8065]

Close enough to a Goldsmith in this case. Thank you for sharing the content of the article. It does seem to make Sense.

[@vickiekostecki]

"...to see if she was okay." "She was not, she was dead."

[@RevPirateDan]

"panic grass [ahhh!]" also killed me.

[@rando23232]

"and from her groin had sprouted wheat and bean" was gross as heck and Max's face just fits my feelings on it. Btw it's going to be kinda awkward eating bread for me now.

[@EdwardDowner]

@@rando23232 definitely do not look up wakamezake then.

[@JoSan3]

@@rando23232 well, at least you know which part of groin became which

[@candaceclayton1043]

😂

[@pineconequeen]

Now I am imagining hundreds of monks walking solemnly into Japan and holding a single noodle reverently in their hand. 😂

[@Swingingbells]

All of them holding the one insanely long contiguous noodle

[@jj_verona]

​@@Swingingbells noodles from east to west

[@slottsdraken]

Me to😅

[@RangerMan-yv7rl]

Lolol! That is funnee! I am Chinese, the race originating noodles.

[@ryanshelefontiuk9578]

That look after the 'wheat and beans' location discovery was priceless.

[@NICK....]

* Interesting history * Tasty food * Full subtitles This show is KZbin at its finest

[@thiagocostaazevedo8447]

the pronunciation aswell *chef's kiss*

[@crazy4orlando2]

So true!

[@tomservo9254]

*Butting in with some notes on making dashi:* Katsuobushi is sometimes tricky to come by - even the big asian grocery stores here will often not have it, even if they sell kombu. What they do often have instead are bags of small dried baitfish - these can replace katsuobushi for making dashi (there's a specific term for this variety that escapes me) although it will have a stronger fishy flavour to it. Dried shitake mushrooms are also commonly used, either in combination with katsuobushi for a more complex flavour or replacing it altogether for a vegetarian version of dashi. Retain the used kombu and fish flakes - you can reuse these for making a second batch of stock. This is literally called 'second dashi' and if you're a stickler for tradition is meant to be used for specific soups and other dishes that require a lighter flavour. However I often commit sacrilege and will just mix the first and second batches of stock together for larger volume without using up twice the ingredients. Alternatively you can chop up the leftovers, dry them out, and pan fry them with sake, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and/or whatever condiments you like until it becomes crunchy. This is called furikake which is an extremely popular rice seasoning.

[@ArchaicAnglist]

Thank you so much for (as you phrased it) "butting in", @tomservo9254. I was introduced to katsuo fumi furikake last summer by a visiting friend who brought a jar of it with her because neither of us figured I'd find it within 250 miles. Happily, we were both wrong.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Really appreciate this comment thread because I was definitely wondering what happened to the discarded ingredients after the straining! 🙏

[@Val.Kyrie.]

Really? I have a huge bag of it from the Asian store closest to me.

[@tomservo9254]

@@Val.Kyrie. I haven't been to T&T in a while but even as the go-to big asian supermarket chain they never seemed to have katsuobushi when I've tried looking for it. Same with the small Chinese grocery store closest to me. They always have kombu and other types of dried fish, but for katsuobushi I typically have to go to a specifically Japanese grocery store.

[@rodrigochiberioseixas193]

Hello! The name of the small bait fish is Noboshi. 👍🏽

[@Toromboloize]

Max's horror-stricken face at the origin of grains slew me and left me laughing in mine chair.

[@satanmitdengeilenbarthaaren]

And the beans... plop plop plop

[@caseymorris4299]

Wouldn't happen to be your comfy chair?

[@TemplarTate]

...Is that why they call it "flicking the bean"?

[@spicycherrymilk9058]

@@TemplarTate o h n o

[@joeclaridy]

They came from her nether regions some would be disgusted others wouldn't.....

[@jacobnewcomb7438]

9:30 I actually live in a part of Japan that serves these thick noodles! It's called houtou and it's amazing. Highly recommended

[@cogspace]

Huh, I wonder houtou is related to Vietnamese hủ tiếu. It sounds pretty different in terms of ingredients, but it's also a noodle soup with a suspiciously similar name... or maybe this is like the similarity between phở and pot au feu, which is indeed just a coincidence.

[@Lakhshamana]

@@cogspace with the influence Chinese has on both languages, I'm not surprised if both terms originated from one Chinese term.

[@theKobus]

the texture thing that you get with the houtou and the miso and the kabocha. MAGIC

[@IanSelvaraj]

I love that as an American, this guy actually takes the time to learn and pronounce the names properly. Shows that he really respects the culture. So many Americans that I've met and seen online and on TV just don't bother.

[@nickbutler9831]

I took a japanese class in highschool, sadly i flunked out cause i had to worry about my house burning, but i learned how to pernounce words atleast. And thats all really

[@greenguy369]

That kind of behavior isn't specific to USAmericans. It's really common in the majority of places when talking about countries and cultures not their own. The USA just gets the most flack for it. 🤷🏾

[@Yori6552]

@@greenguy369 As a non-American, can confirm. I think this comes from both our countries (Canada and the US) having a lot of people who don't take kindly to say, someone correcting them if they're wrong (Which fair, some people are rude about that.) and them reacting really defensively. It's an issue everywhere, but our countries tend to be more in favour of 'speaking one's mind' in an often blunt manner that lacks politeness when this happens. Again, not all of us are like this, but I mean....we've all that one dingdong in our lives that gets corrected and decides they're on a mission to make it EVERYONE'S problem because they felt embarrassed even if a person is polite. Plus the US is the big country people always talk about, so sadly, I guess y'all get more flack for it than anyone else by virtue of being a household name, maybe?

[@joannesmith2484]

Well, Americans in many parts of their country deal with immigrants and/or visitors from all over the world on practically a daily basis, and believe me most of those immigrants don't stress much over their pronunciations of the native language. If they get their point across, it's all good. Most Americans won't correct them unless they are asked to, and don't look down on them for their pronunciation either. Communicating in a foreign language is hard. And I've heard some pretty cringey "American" accents from films or tv over the years. This is not an American thing, it's a people thing.

[@orleansartist6095]

There was this lovely French guy visiting the US crashing on a friend's couch. I remember how he would react to words in English usage that were not pronounced properly. But I realized, literally everything he said was in a very thick French accent. We thought it was charming. We never chided him for his accent but he wanted everyone to say French words in French pronunciation. I believe as long as it is understandable it is fine. But with non Latin based languages pronunciation and inflection are everything.

[@TakaComics]

"Udon can be served as strips of dough, it's not common but it is still happening in parts of the country." And I happen to live in that part of the country - It (or at least one version of it) is called "Himokawa Udon" and is almost exclusively a thing in a small city in Gunma Prefecture called Kiryu, once the place to get the best silk in Japan. :) It's quite delicious if you ever get the chance to try it! Gunma is actually a huge place for unique noodles, as wheat was a major thing here in the Edo period, second only to silk. :D

[@austenhead5303]

Japanese pappardelle! Never had Himokawa Udon but based on the deliciousness of pappardelle compared to other pasta forms I'm willing to bet it's glorious.

[@ciello___8307]

wow thats crazy!

[@bodyno3158]

OK since Italian people mentioned their "Himokawa Udon" analogue... In Shaanxi province there's 裤带面, "belt noodles", it's what said on the tin: noodles, as wide and thick as your belt...

[@hawggie]

Fun fact: Max's ViteRamen segment appeared as an ad right after he did it as part of the video. It took a few seconds to realize it was a separate ad and not an editing mistake

[@halyoalex8942]

Now that's how you know you picked an attentive sponsor for your video, lmao.

[@solmoman]

I could not live without adblock

[@camilledvorak7151]

@@solmoman I let them play so the creators get the ad revenue.

[@zXPeterz14]

@@camilledvorak7151 no

[@simcraft9060]

@@camilledvorak7151 Honestly, they don't give get that much money from it now of days. Far better for your sanity and the creator's wallets to just be a patron.

[@zekeking8539]

threw me off to see Sengoku Daimyo referenced here in this day and age. I was on a forum with the site's founder back before his passing, the Armor Archive. good to see his site is still up, and that folks are updating it still.

[@ranuelthebard3751]

I was surprised by that too. I'm so glad his work is still out there and helping people learn about Japan.

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

Oh oh! And I did sneak Max a Loki TVA apron because of the finale this week 👑🐊

[@carmenclemons2556]

I saw that CC, Jose. Slurp, slorp, squelch? Squelch? Really?! :D

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

@@carmenclemons2556 really! Haha

[@heartofgoldfish]

1700s English cookbooks: _The queen-like closet, or, Rich cabinet; stored with all manner of rare receipts for preserving, candying & cookery, very pleasant and beneficial to all ingenious persons of the female sex_ 1700s Japanese cookbooks: *FOOD STORY*

[@VictoryNibbles]

Yeah, food is (as Claire said) tabemono, or even gohan (sorta slang) or meshi. Since ryouri wo suru is 'to cook,' Tale of Cuisine (or maybe even Tale of Cooking/Cookery) would definitely be more accurate.

[@Komatik_]

Maybe it's the competition, look at current light novel titles.

[@slwrabbits]

As someone who's had to learn characters with more than 25 strokes, I appreciate the brevity and simplicity. (Note: do not use quarter inch graph paper to practice writing such characters.)

[@atagany]

I recently started to follow your channel. I was born and grew up in Japan. This episode made me smile. 😊

[@TastingHistory]

Welcome aboard!

[@orsino88]

Now I’m picturing a monk gently escorting a noodle over mountains and across the sea to Japan. A single noodle, modestly dressed; properly raised to be a little stiff on first acquaintance, but ready to soften and yield after a friendship became warm. Was the noodle frightened? Was he lonely? Clearly, he found love in Japan. Happy ending!

[@liz_violet]

fanfic about that one chinese noodle when?

[@mikerichards6065]

I would watch the musical of this story.

[@brokenarrowranch9816]

Keep going. Youve captivated us. I wanna hear this story.

[@TheCutL]

The Noodle from Afar Delicate and Virtuous Encounters the Sea - Noodle Haiku

[@spicycherrymilk9058]

I’d watch it

[@emitaylor4094]

Max, some North American indigenous recipes would be really cool too. I know exactly nothing about their traditional food

[@clothar23]

As a First Nations I can tell you our traditional cuisine is nothing to write home about. As a hunter gatherer society with limited farming our food was fairly plain. With heavy emphasis on merely being filling. And not always pleasing to eat.

[@LeutnantJoker]

@@clothar23 Doesn't surprise me much. It probably takes quite some time after a society changes to an aggriculture base to reach a point where they can feed their people easily enough to start experimenting with "fancy" stuff. I guess an option would be finding out what animals and vegetables and stuff your ancestors were eating and giving that a modern enough spin to be both traditional and tasty. Some dishes can be very simple and still taste great after all. a simple roasted peace of buffalo or whatever they were hunting plus some gathered herbs and vegetables could still make for a nice dish :) Edit: On a positive side, such hunter gatherer societies probably never go crazy and start stuffing 20 birds into eachother lol

[@clothar23]

@@LeutnantJoker .....Well the Inuit ferment whale fat so its not all sanity. But otherwise yes.

[@Tina06019]

@@clothar23 I enjoy Mohawk corn soup. It’s not “spectacular,” but it’s satisfying and pleasant.

[@JohnDoe-wx2oo]

Pemmican and fry bread. And roasted meat. There you go. There is probably no historic cook book, as there was no written language.

[@s-a-r-a-h]

Japanese major here: you actually did a great job pronouncing everything!

[@thegarge7476]

How's that working out for you?

[@supergeek1418]

Twenty-some years ago our family hosted a Japanese student for the summer. One of the requirements of his visit was that he prepare a "typical": Japanese food dish. This is what he prepared (only he made it with Soba noodles). Ever since he showed us how good it was, I've enjoyed it on a regular basis. It's nice to get a bit of the history behind it. I'll be looking forward to your next Japanese-based video.

[@entr0pix]

there is no better way to introduce ppl to other cultures than to serve them that cultures food. what an amazing idea im SO jealous of u

[@Foxxie0kun]

@@entr0pix I agree, and personally I believe food is something that could truly see bridges be built between cultures and groups all across the planet. Good food is something that should unite even the most different kinds of people on this earth, whether it's savory, spicy, or sweet, we all need to eat, and if we can find common ground through food then we can maybe make progress bit by bit towards a better future for everyone, regardless of geographical or cultural divides.

[@nerdmysteria1406]

I love how he dressed up the pikachu in the background in Japanese clothing

[@scaper8]

That's apparently how the plush comes as-is. They showed her off on the most recent "Ketchup with Max and Jose."

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

@@scaper8 Aye! I'll have Max make a social post with a better look on his IG @ tastinghistorywithmaxmiller tomorrow 😗

[@beccacollins1528]

And the pattern on the parasol is like a pokeball . . . adorable!

[@scaper8]

I'm not even really into Pokémon, but that thing was so adorable, I thought about getting one. A quick Googling gave me $98 on Amazon! Nope. LOL.

[@AlexanderRay92]

You can make the miso dissolve easily by adding it to the bowl first, mixing in a splash of water, repeating, etc. Sort of like when you're stirring milk into roux for a béchamel - it goes faster than you'd think.

[@FourProngedFork]

They way you said the name of the cookbook was said with a certain smokiness to it... it sounded so natural!

[@JohnDoe-wx2oo]

He's a thespian, darling.

[@aidanfarnan4683]

[Legal: we don't condone sororicide] Great subtitles jokes again! also, the screaming panic grass is a great running joke second only to *tap tap* hardtack.

[@TastingHistory]

Yay! Glad you picked up on the panic grass comeback.

[@scruffythejanitor1969]

I also like how the murder of OTHER people/family members is not excluded.

[@sophroniel]

@@TastingHistory i am so glad I'm not the only one obsessed with that running joke!!

[@chezmoi42]

@@TastingHistory I salute my friends with the panic grass cry whenever we do botanical walks on the banks of the Loire. So glad you caught that one.

[@winterfoxx6363]

God, please give me the ability to pronounce everything from every language I encounter very decently just like Max 🙏 I have no idea how much time and effort he must put into researching and practicing but he seriously does a such a good job! PS I love your little pikachu!!

[@EliotChildress]

I live in Japan and will definitely be making this soon. I’m really excited to share it with my friends here.

[@TastingHistory]

Oh cool! Where in Japan do you live?

[@EliotChildress]

@@TastingHistory Hello! I’m currently living in Tsuwano, an old samurai town in Shimane prefecture with tons of multiple hundred year old houses. Also my gf is from Kanazawa (the gold leaf center of japan) so I may be able to let you know about the buckwheat/gold thing. I’ll let you know if we can find out anything.

[@dankpepe2110]

@@EliotChildress just gonna put here for the story. Thanks.

[@__Hanasei__Levinus__]

@@EliotChildress up you go!

[@eigengrau7698]

@@EliotChildress registering my ticket here, good luck pal

[@CobraCreates]

So... I honestly tend to dismiss sponsorships. They don't annoy me, but I don't usually consider them at all. Well... You've made a customer out of me, Mr. Miller. I look forward to my ramen!

[@peterheinzo515]

yeah that was a cool sponsor. they‘re not available in europe, sadly.

[@halyoalex8942]

As an American with a pretty cruddy nutritionally valued diet, who loves noodles, this was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

[@VoxFelis]

As someone that lives in Japan. Great to hear someone making a solid effort with Japanese pronunciation!

[@croonyerzoonyer]

Sodesu ne!

[@gaea17]

You have no idea how impressed I am by how much effort you put into pronouncing words of different languages. Your accent in all the languages are so insanely good. It is one of the main reasons I love this channel

[@drfelixgraham]

Opera training is the gift that keeps giving...

[@Zelmel]

That white powder on the konbu? Essentially MSG. That's where they originally isolated MSG from.

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

Interesting! Nigella needs to find a new dealer - Poseidon 😂

[@crookeddesk]

I bought some Bonito Flakes after this video because I want to try out the recipe myself (still missing the Kombu though) opened them expecting a horrid odor and was hit with the most beautiful smell of smoked fish - totally not what I expected! hopefully cooking them doesn't smell too bad though haha

[@atsukorichards1675]

Welcome to the wondrous world of Dashi! You can also use Katuo-bushi as topping for O-hitashi (lightly-boiled spinach salad) and Okonomi-yaki.

[@gudea5207]

Bonito flakes: *are smelly yet tasty* Asafetida: “Finally, a worthy opponent”

[@Shatterpath]

Our battle will be legendary!

[@thecatofnineswords]

[@WadWizard]

Tbh it doesnt smell that bad, kinda like some sort of pet treat

[@RKNancy]

Man, Asafoetida doesn't smell as bad as dried tuna fish. I am pretty bonito flakes smell worse than some sulfury plant powder. Believe it or not, dried fish is one of the most horrible smells in the world, compared to the latter. How do I know, we eat dried fish(not bonito, but still counts) and Asafoetida in my culture.

[@JoSan3]

@@RKNancy actually katsuobushi smells quite nice since it's smoked

[@lauraw2526]

"Katsuobushi does not smell great" My cats would like a word about that. I have to keep mine in the refrigerator...

[@MonographicSingleheaded]

You keep your cats in the fridge? 😂✌️

[@lauraw2526]

@@MonographicSingleheaded Keeps them fresh

[@MonographicSingleheaded]

@@lauraw2526 cuddling ur cats freshly from the fridge in the summer... Ok am sold xD

[@paulm3952]

It's the perfect cat treat

[@Llortnerof]

@@lauraw2526 Alf would like to know your adress.

[@SaltyP258]

8:10 Japan is an island by the sea filled with volcanoes and it's...Beautiful!

[@aliriks8974]

You have no idea how well this fits me. I am a historian with background in Japonology, but I also was enrolled in culinary school to become a chef at one point. This stuff is gold for me haha

[@leonardmiyata482]

If you want to avoid 'heavy' tasting miso, the type of miso you use does make a difference, with shiro (white) miso having a much lighter taste then the red or brown miso types.

[@Gun5hip]

This information is helpful ty.

[@PresidentFunnyValentine]

And not boiling the miso also helps. Just dilute them as the water heats up.

[@wolfgirlaura]

I wish I could upvote this a hundred times. I would love to see a tofu dish, and tea eggs!

[@rickfordmorningstar130]

imo, this is the best cooking show ever

[@Tre168]

By far. I get so hyped when I see a new video.

[@malosua9790]

That’s because it is

[@TheChzoronzon]

The only I watch.... the History part makes the deal for me

[@Jesse__H]

The only other one I watch is Maangchi, cus she's just the most wholesome and adorable person ever. Also Korean food is fuckin delish.

[@Disturban]

Weirdly enough, I was wondering about the origin of noodles whilst delving into a packet of instant noodles 🤣 and now I know! Brilliant video yet again! Gonna give that sponsor a try too!

[@niceice07]

I am so weirdly thrilled to see one of my favorite creators commenting on another of my favorite creators! Love your channel

[@fedoramaster6035]

Ooh ramen instant noodles would actually be a cool episode. They’re made with wheat flour, and were invented by a Japanese chemist shortly after ww2. You see, after the war, the Americans gave the Japanese wheat and told them to make bread. But this chemist thought that was stupid. The Japanese didn’t really fuck w bread, and he wanted to encourage Japanese culture by making noodles out of the wheat. So he spent months and months fooling around with formulae and whatnot to make noodles when eventually he accidentally dropped a handful into his wife’s tempura oil. And that’s how instant ramen was born. One of the few modern inventions made not for profit, but to stop people from starving.

[@Kadagirl777]

If you wanna know how to stir in miso so you don't get clumps, I'll share the trick I learned from my host mom in Japan! Put the miso in a large ladle and scoop up a little broth in it, then stir the contents of the ladle with chopsticks. Keep adding more broth to the ladle and stirring until the miso is thinned out enough to add to the soup smoothly 😄 Also, here's a tip for slurping your noodles! Pick up a few noodles and pull them up out of the soup so they become completely untangled from the rest (if you don't they just get stuck and you risk them falling back in your bowl). Bite the noodles softly to hold them, then hold your chopsticks loosely around the lower part of the noodles (not gripping them) to make a sort of guiding cage so the noodles don't fly up and hit you in the face 😜. Then suck as hard as you can (think vaccum!), and catch the noodles with your chopsticks when you have to pause between sucking breaths in. Some people also like to rest the bottom of the noodle strand in the spoons that they give you for the broth, which makes it even easier to get the noodles closer to your mouth (I personally do this too lol). Hope this helps 😋 It'd be fun to see you give slurping the noodles another try! I love all ramen and Japanese noodles, but my favorites are probably Sapporo miso ramen (it has that extra umami, you know?) and curry udon 😍 Have you tried either?

[@emilymarie5452]

Jose thank you for including the food slurping noises into the closed captions 😂

[@ragnkja]

Good captions should be able to functionally replace the audio if necessary, and José knows this.

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

I was conflicted about adding 'squelch' LOL

[@slwrabbits]

The squelch made my day. Excellent choice.

[@floofzykitty5072]

Fun Fact: Ryori Monogatori literally translates to "Cooking Account" (as in a record of something)

[@yorgunsamuray]

Or the story of cooking.

[@Pollicina_db]

@@yorgunsamuray It ain’t japanese if it doesn’t have ‘monogatari’ in it

[@yorgunsamuray]

@@Pollicina_db even “Lord of the Rings” was translated as “Yubiwa Monogatari”. It’s the book, the movies had the English title’s transliteration. “Roodo obu za ringu”.

[@theKobus]

hard to resist "Cooking Story", like a Jackie Chan movie

[@Sllacy]

Dear Lord I want to be part of a gigantic noodle exodus. That sounds like the most delicious exodus ever.

[@a.katherinesuetterlin3028]

No disrespect intended, but "The Great Noodle Exodus" sounds like something the late great Terry Pratchett would write. 😅

[@slwrabbits]

@@a.katherinesuetterlin3028 oh my gosh I need someone to write a fanfic in homage to his work with that title now

[@dr.masiaka7048]

“Let my noodles go! Thus saith the spaghetti lord! Thus saith the spaghetti lord!”

[@Lauren.E.O]

It sounds like the original book was pretty well organized between different types of food

[@bananasenpai]

I haven't even finished this episode and I'm already in tears at the pronunciation of the Japanese words! Just how much time and effort did Max put into getting them to sound so proper? I couldn't say anything about his pronunciation on ancient European stuff since I haven't a clue (heck, I still struggle with English lmao), but his Asian languages (Chinese and Japanese so far) just blows my mind.

[@franh8004]

I just wanted to say that really I appreciate the effort you make to pronounce the foreign words well! I speak neither Italian nor Japanese, so I don't know if the pronunciations were 100% correct in those videos, but you can hear that an immense effort was made, so kudos!

[@Tenems941]

1:55 I was so relieved to here him say "somen" because that cursive made it look like something else

[@brandon3872]

😂

[@JustToast936]

Yep.

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

The detail on the Pikachu kimono is my favorite thing. Ho-oh 🤩

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

For those wondering it's a Japan import for the Pokemon Center Kyoto 2016 Grand Opening - Maiko-Han Pikachu

[@shockingheaven]

The captions are so great, as usual

[@duskitonbaby]

I did my senior bachelor's thesis on hand-making noodles (Japanese soba, Chinese hand-pulled noodles). Hearing all the history that I researched was really cool and seeing you make these noodles brought me back to when I trained to make soba noodles in Japan. Thank you.

[@matthuck378]

"an exodus of noodle-bearing monks..." That's a fun image, right there.

[@jbridges23]

Max, your videos have inspired me so much! I've been watching you almost since the beginning, and since then I started cooking again, and even got a job as a chef at a country club nearby! Thank you, and thank you Jose for both being so amazing!!!

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

Wow! Congrats 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@TastingHistory]

That’s awesome! Bravo 👏🏻

[@Flameysaur]

i am so happy this channel is doing well. i remember thinking he had so little subscribers and views despite the quality of the videos and i felt so bad but he steadily grew! i love checking in once in a while to see how it's going

[@Keeperoffyre]

pikachu in the adorable yukata proves that Jose's and Max's pokemon game is still on point! (also, i totally want pikachu's parasol!) and now i want noodles, but i shall sit here and watch this episode while sipping my bowl of miso soup :D

[@masterimbecile]

Yeah that Pikachu stole the show for me.

[@RandomProduct]

13:33 I see that cleverly placed Ammy in the corner. Someone's an Okami fan

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

It was meeeee

[@halyoalex8942]

I noticed that too :D

[@Undomaranel]

Major props for your linguistic skills. It's refreshing to hear someone do their darndest at a language not their own, and you do it consistently. 😁

[@agimagi2158]

"Legal: we do not condone sororicide" 🤣 José you are the best!

[@rejoyce318]

Thanks - I missed that!

[@KetchupwithMaxandJose]

Thank you, I try

[@leademi1387]

Omg I missed that!!

[@Taurwen]

The captions are always one of my favorite parts of the show and I'm always looking for comments like this. :)

[@sportybaker4273]

I never put the captions on and oh I miss so much! I will correct that next time 😁

[@JustToast936]

“Huge exodus of noodle-bearing monks” now has me picturing the monks going through the caves from ATLA and singing the Secret Tunnel song.

[@unhiddenhistory]

"Secret tunnellllllll, secret tunnelllllllll, through the mountains, secret, secret, secret, secret tunnellllllllll!!!"

[@supergeek1418]

This was great! I'd *LOVE* to see some more Japanese recipes. Perhaps something about the origins of Shabu Shabu, or Teppan Naki?

[@supergeek1418]

@@greatwallofchina886 I guess that Max takes his new job quite seriously!

[@StrengthScholar0]

I'm so proud of being a part of this channels before 20k subs. And I'm proud of you too man! You better believe I'm gonna brag when you hit a million and my early prediction becomes true.

[@guitashamilele]

Finally Max doing a language I speak so I can see if his pronunciation really is as great as it seems. Can confirm it is. Also if you want to slurp noodles, just pick up less at a time!

[@anemelo-tsourekaki]

Anyone else re-watching old episodes on rainy days? Max always cheers me up! ^ ^

[@Aldinonexilus]

When I lived in Japan, it didn’t matter where you ate ramen. It was good everywhere. 🤤 🍜

[@codename495]

YES!!! Never once found a bowl of ramen that wasn’t amazing.

[@thebaron512]

My favorite place was in Kamakura: the ramen closet eer shop that near the main train station. It was run by the owner and I am very sad it closed.

[@its6696]

I love your pronunciations.Shows you really care about what you're doing.

[@roxyiconoclast]

I enjoyed this episode, and had to smile when Max said the eggplant smelled so Japanese. The aroma and flavors of dashi and miso definitely say Japan to my tastebuds. The eggplant used in the video looks like European/American eggplant, rather than the smaller and thinner-skinned eggplants used in Japan. Japanese eggplants are more tender and delicate-tasting than the larger seedier ones used in the US. I’d suggest using the Japanese eggplant for this recipe, if available, although the flavor is similar. As for the katsuobushi, be careful if you have cats - they usually love it and may chew through the packets! We have to keep ours in the fridge. I noticed that Max left his chopsticks in the noodles when he paused to talk. In Japan I was taught that leaving chopsticks sticking into food is very bad manners, as it is reminiscent of rituals used after death. That’s why Japanese table settings include a little “hashi-oki,” for us to lay down our chopsticks. When there’s no hashi-oki, balancing chopsticks laterally along the side of a bowl or dish is OK too, I think. Table manners can be tricky!

[@atsukorichards1675]

Yes, you are absolutely right! Japanese eggplant appears frequently at the summer dinner, fry-up, deep-fried, simmered, grilled or pickled. It is very tender so it can be eaten raw, thinly sliced and lightly salted. (One of my favorites!) And about the leaving chopsticks on the edge of a bowl, it is not a right manner, but okay at home.

[@NickPoeschek]

14:08 - “later versions of the myth had the food coming out of...other holes.” 😳😳😳

[@WintrBorn]

Linfamy did a video on this. It's interesting, and a wee bit horrifying.

[@lenabreijer1311]

Ancestors everywhere were a lot less prissy then we are today lol.

[@slwrabbits]

... ears, maybe? I vote ear holes.

[@saltyfoodie4512]

@@slwrabbits I second this. I need to get the obvious reference out of my head. Ear holes it is.

[@comradewindowsill4253]

@@slwrabbits oh god thats worse, thats so much worse, you've just reminded me of the earwig thing >~

[@fedra76it]

I can picture what's going to happen in the next hours: in sales and marketing departments around the world, experts will be puzzled by a sudden burst in noodles sales :) Great job, Max, as always. But now excuse me, I'm going out to the store LOL

[@TastingHistory]

🤣 that wouldn’t be a bad thing

[@rochellezimmerbishop4681]

Thank god I had all the ingreds here. Cuz I couldn't keep watching without a bowl of homemade ramen in front of me!

[@emmadraws14953]

the tiny scream when you mentioned the panic grass was fantastic

[@grandrapids57]

it is hard for me to express the joy your channel has brought.

[@sage0925]

You're killing me! How did I miss the Japanese episodes?!? My favorite cuisine EVAH!!! Now do Vietnamese! Cambodian! Chinese! Singapore! Indonesia! Laos! Korean! Thai! **drool**

[@hermeticbear]

a monk leaving China for Japan "I"m leaving and I'm taking my noodles with me" *turns on a heel and flounces out*

[@ShellyS2060]

I love the mental image of a monk "flouncing"

[@xcx000]

fierce monk

[@hellothere702]

I'm just imaging 10 foot noodles dragging behind him like a bridal train

[@ishbelwillow321]

@@hellothere702 😂😂😂Thank you for this mental image

[@CausticSpace]

This is why China is a depressed and an alcoholic now

[@baltasarjimenez2091]

"It's gonna taste fishy" "It has a bad smell" Bruh, you act like I don't want my fish and seaweed water to taste and smell like the ocean. You are mistaken!

[@saltyfoodie4512]

Fair. I love the smell of Bonito flakes. And seaweed. ❤

[@Tina06019]

But the smell of “low tide” is not so great.

[@ElementalWorkshopII]

@@saltyfoodie4512 I second this, I love the smell of bonito flakes. And fish sauce.

[@Just_Sara]

Bonito flakes, to me, taste like fish bacon, and I love to eat them straight.

[@jpdj2715]

Fish that smells like the ocean is really fresh. When (dead) fish smells fishy, the TMAO in its metabolism is in the early phase of being reduced to TMA. When more and more TMA forms, you start to smell ammonia and eating this can cause necrosis in your mucous tissues. Some people are genetically programmed to detect these scents very well. If you are not one of them, when you want to buy and eat fish, seek help of one of those.

[@iurigama1869]

I love how the background elements always reflect the episode somehow. Beautiful pikachu.

[@sandtats]

Just started noticing that recently.😻

[@Rei.Eatsfoods]

When you said it smells like japan I got all misty eyed because when I went there it has a specific scent, it's like this clean, aromatic scent. A mixture between shiso, green tea, tempura

[@Jaydoggy531]

9:00 "Noodle-Bearing Monks" now if you want to talk about a great band name...

[@hideanazawa2155]

"But there ere idea of leaving the noodle very long a kind of a wish for long life, but I figure a 10-foot long noodle caught in your throat is going to chock you" I think you made a good point. Instead of having long life, the 10-foot noodle caught in your throat may cause you to have eternal life, which traditionally refers to continued life after death.

[@emiliandanila9590]

"This recipe was kind of a lot of work to do" Japanese Ramen: *allow me to introduce myself*

[@Hwyadylaw]

Soba: Am I a joke to you?

[@MissRora]

Especially if you make homemade tonkotsu broth to go with it...

[@emiliandanila9590]

@@MissRora Oh yeah... Ramen is no joke

[@alinarodgers]

My boyfriend and I learned how to make chicken Ramen. It’s super delicious but it's definitely a lot to keep track of.

[@deyuo3434]

Yeah, I've been cooking it for years and the final recipe that I have come to like takes about 2 hours to make, and it's just a simple miso broth. It's very complex but delicious

[@lunasophia9002]

I love seeing you explore non-western cuisine on this channel, especially Asian and most especially Japanese. Western cuisine is great, but I feel we would all benefit from the wider perspective that videos like this provide.

[@dragonhart1342]

I literally gasped when you mentioned sengoku daimyo. I lived and breathed that site for years. Such great content.

[@lornagusner8798]

My partner cooked a version of your Edo era noodles; the dashi was sublime! So good. We enjoyed every bite. :-)

[@ashleyfoster4316]

These captions are gold!! 🤣🤣 To anybody watching this without the captions, you're missing out. They are pure 👌👌👌

[@Amberscion]

16:05 Max: "I opened a whole bottle of sake for this, and I'm not going to let it go to waste. So I'm going to pour myself a little bit more. I don't think you're supposed to pour your own, you're supposed to have somebody else do it. But I'm alone, so it's either me or the cats at the moment." Cats: *Knocks sake cup onto the floor*

[@austenhead5303]

Cats are indeed excellent pourers.

[@theKobus]

side note: you can pour sake for yourself -- you just have to sing a sad song about it

[@beetrootmcguillicuddy4185]

Which makes sense for most animals as they would expect you to lick it up. When "mans best friend" intentionally pours your beer, he never leaves any for you. So much for friends. I wonder if they like sake...

[@UniversalBrow09]

Being Japanese American and a big fan of this channel and a giant fan of Japanese food in general, this is some lovely KZbin goodness right here. Thank you!

[@over7532]

Max's hair & beard have achieved perfection. I'm taking a screenshot of him to the barber from now on.

[@JohnDoe-wx2oo]

Where does he get his hair did

[@FleaChristenson]

Get top and side shots. And his eyebrows are on point.

[@over7532]

@@JohnDoe-wx2oo no clue. But whoevers doing it deserves a goddamn award in barbering!

[@over7532]

@@FleaChristenson smart. I'll have to check his Instagram for different angles

[@marybratton1766]

Oh, I wish I had some!! I have fresh turnip and mustard greens in my garden. Also the tops of my radishes would be good in it.

[@adamgoss3638]

Totally unrelated: i love your Loki apron (what little of it can be seen)!

[@TastingHistory]

Finale this week!

[@Mest80]

Max, I love all of your videos and I really appreciate the time you take to learn the proper pronunciation of the different languages. It shows a level of professionalism and effort rarely matched.

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you 🙏