Japanese Kitchen
2021/9/14
Our Japanese Kitchen series is back this month with a new recipe from Tokushima prefecture in the island of Shikoku. Tokushima is perhaps most famously known for its colourful and lively Awa Odori festival that takes place in various locations during the Obon holiday season in mid-August. Huge teams of dancers parade through the streets with spectators attending from across the country and beyond. Read on to find more about Tokushima!
Tokushima Ramen
Awa Odori
Naruto whirlpools
by Aki Yano
Japan Information and Cultural Centre
Tokushima, my hometown, is located on the eastern corner of Shikoku, it takes 1 hour from Tokyo by plane, a few hours from Osaka or Kyoto in the Kansai region by car, and also there is access from Okayama or Hiroshima by train.
Tokushima is most known for the Awa Odori Festival in August, which is one of the most famous Japanese festivals and traditional performing arts, with its history dating back more than 430 years.
The prefecture also has beautiful natural scenery and you can enjoy outdoor adventures including rafting and surfing. In particular, Tokushima is famous for its naruto whirlpools.
Tokushima is the starting point of the Shikoku Pilgrimage Route and there are 23 temples in Tokushima out of the total number of 88 official temples. On the other hand, there is an event called ‘Machi Asobi’ which is a collection of entertaining anime and game events for fully enjoying Tokushima and attracts anime fans from within and outside Japan.
You can find delicious food, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Tokushima ramen to you.
Tokushima ramen has a shoyu-tonkotsu taste (soy sauce and pork broth), and its soup can be brown, yellow, or white, depending on the base ingredients for the broth. It tastes salty and sweet! The toppings are quite simple; thinly sliced pork, green onions, bean sprouts and a raw egg.
Here is the recipe so that you can taste Tokushima Ramen-ish easily at home!
Japan Information and Cultural Centre
Tokushima, my hometown, is located on the eastern corner of Shikoku, it takes 1 hour from Tokyo by plane, a few hours from Osaka or Kyoto in the Kansai region by car, and also there is access from Okayama or Hiroshima by train.
Tokushima is most known for the Awa Odori Festival in August, which is one of the most famous Japanese festivals and traditional performing arts, with its history dating back more than 430 years.
The prefecture also has beautiful natural scenery and you can enjoy outdoor adventures including rafting and surfing. In particular, Tokushima is famous for its naruto whirlpools.
Tokushima is the starting point of the Shikoku Pilgrimage Route and there are 23 temples in Tokushima out of the total number of 88 official temples. On the other hand, there is an event called ‘Machi Asobi’ which is a collection of entertaining anime and game events for fully enjoying Tokushima and attracts anime fans from within and outside Japan.
You can find delicious food, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Tokushima ramen to you.
Tokushima ramen has a shoyu-tonkotsu taste (soy sauce and pork broth), and its soup can be brown, yellow, or white, depending on the base ingredients for the broth. It tastes salty and sweet! The toppings are quite simple; thinly sliced pork, green onions, bean sprouts and a raw egg.
Here is the recipe so that you can taste Tokushima Ramen-ish easily at home!
Tokushima Ramen recipe
Photo by Tokushima Prefecture Tourism Association
Ingredients (serves 2)
Instructions
1. Put all the seasonings (soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar) in a saucepan and heat it until the sugar melts.
2. Add the thinly sliced pork belly and keep simmering. Stir from time to time.
3. Simmer over heat until the meat turns golden brown and the sauce thickens.
4. Remove from heat and separate the meat from the thickened sauce.
5. Boil the ramen noodles in a separate saucepan.
6. Pour the sauce into serving bowls and add the ramen noodles.
7. Add the cooked pork, green onions and bean sprouts on top and serve.*
*If you add a raw egg, the dish becomes more like Tokushima Ramen and it tastes milder!
- 200g pork belly (thinly sliced)
- Soy sauce 2 + 1/2 table spoons
- Mirin 1 or 2 table spoons
- Sake 2 table spoons
- Sugar 2 tea spoons
- Instant ramen (2 packs)
Instructions
1. Put all the seasonings (soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar) in a saucepan and heat it until the sugar melts.
2. Add the thinly sliced pork belly and keep simmering. Stir from time to time.
3. Simmer over heat until the meat turns golden brown and the sauce thickens.
4. Remove from heat and separate the meat from the thickened sauce.
5. Boil the ramen noodles in a separate saucepan.
6. Pour the sauce into serving bowls and add the ramen noodles.
7. Add the cooked pork, green onions and bean sprouts on top and serve.*
*If you add a raw egg, the dish becomes more like Tokushima Ramen and it tastes milder!
