Types of noodles

There are hundreds of types of noodles in Japan: fresh, dried, flat, wavy, wide, narrow, thick, fine. What the ones used for ramen have in common is that they are made with wheat flour rather than rice, and traditionally include kansui – the all-important alkaline mixture that gives them a chewy texture and yellow colour. Noodles are picked for a particular ramen dish for their ability to hold the broth and their texture, rather like an Italian chef would choose a particular pasta to suit a sauce. For the home cook, it is down to personal choice. The only rule is: never serve them mushy! The recipes in this book mainly feature fresh ramen noodles. You can swap in dried noodles, but reduce the quantity by one-third and increase the cooking time according to the packet instructions.