I purchased this ramen packaged noodles in Hokkaido and decided to try it. I am not a fan of packaged foods, and especially dry noodles given the general handskill in Japan. But ramen’s origins are not Japanese although ramen in Hokkaido is considered a delicacy, and I did try it late one night. I am not a ramen fan, nor experienced in ramen so I can say, good but not great.

These noodles are very tasty and the broth gets a creamy rich kombu styled look and taste that makes it worthwhile. Most noodles are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui.

Kansui is a type of alkaline mineral water, containing sodium potassium carbonate, as well as sometimes a small amount of phosphoric acid. Making noodles with kansui lends them a yellowish hue as well as a firm texture. In the case where you enjoy packaged noodles, eggs are often substituted for kansui.