Why is Ramen so Popular in the US?
#76
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New York, United States
Posts: 221
I'm sorry, but I don't believe that. Neither did any of our team, and we were there for months. There was a fermented soybean soup that was adequately salted, and strips of nori seaweed occasionally which we fought over. I can't remember anything else that had even close to enough salt. Plenty of sugar though. Perhaps our hosts never selected saltier dishes when ordering, but that seems doubtful out of hundreds of meals. Japanese food in Japan is fine. No comparison.
I just attribute the fact you didn't taste the salt to the fact that the food was delicious ! hahaha
as far as ramen, if you're in the U.S., +10 to NongShim Spicy ramen. Heck, even when I go to Korea, I always bring a pack of NongShim Ramen back with me. Only thing is I don't often like the extra vege packet (I despise mushrooms).
edited:
The soup was Doenjang Jjigae, not like miso at all. It was one of my favorite dishes there. We ate 75% of our dinners at Korean BBQ places. Always 2 or 3 types of meat, kimchi, and a variety of side dishes. The beef was always marinaded in something very sweet, and the pork had no seasoning at all. Neither had any salt, and that was the biggest food problem. Meat needs at least some salt. The kimchi was usually ok, with only some of the sweeter varieties needing salt. Most all of the side dishes tasted saltless, and I never once saw the salted shrimp or anchovie condiments. I also never once saw ramen in a restaurant.
Also, with Kimchi, looks like you got fresh kimchi, which is typically served in restaurants. Salt was mainly used as a preservative in Kimchi. If you are eating a lot of fresh kimchi, or in restaurants, they often prepare it with less salt. But it is in there. If you try the fermented kimchi, maybe you might notice the salt there? Though I doubt it considering the fermented kimchi flavor would overpower it usually
Last edited by jaesun; Apr 11, 2012 at 11:51 am
#77




Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Northern California
Programs: UA Premier Gold, 1.5 Million Mile Flyer
Posts: 3,696
The only chicken I saw or ate in Korea was fried chicken from street vendors, or fast food. Yes, all kimchi was fresh, and very good although I got a bit tired of it 3 times a day. Right now I could eat a mountain of it. Why so much sugar in the BBQ beef though?
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist



Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 19,069
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...21968179900432
and some figures here:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mo...ral-infarction
rates of cerebral infarction being quadruple those of the USA
Just as there are a significant percentage of Japanese people who rarely if ever eat either type of ramen there is another segment of the population who eat this kind of food copiously.
#79
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Home
Programs: AA, Delta, UA & thanks to FTers for my PC Gold!
Posts: 7,674

I don't think it would hurt to start some new threads about Korean BBQ or other Korean cuisines since there is already a master thread on kimchi.
#81




Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,460

