Ramen is one of the newer Japenese culinary staples, yet has swept the world with its delicious broth and instant imitations. Although buying a premade ramen packet is easy and cheap, you can make a much more delicious and healthful broth. Simply keep a few ingredients in your pantry and you’ll be able to whip up ramen whenever you want.
Kombu
Kombu is an East Asian type of kelp that is usually found dry. It provides a burst of umami for your broth and just needs to be cleaned slightly with a damp towel. To get the most of your kombu, soak it for a few hours in water and then cut slits in the sides to have the broth absorb it better.
Dried Mushrooms
Mushrooms, especially shitake, carry a lot of umami. In their dried form, their flavor is much more intense, perfect for making a dashi, or Japenese broth.
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Rice Wine Vinegar
This is the mildest type of vinegar that you can find, which is perfect for adding just a bit of acidity to the dashi.
Stock
Although the ingredients above make for the perfect dashi, it still needs to be combined with a regular stock to mellow out the taste.
