Ramen Obsession: The Ultimate Bible for Mastering Japanese Ramen

by Naomi Imatome-Yun, Robin Donovan

The world of ramen—from the streets of Japan to your kitchen

Seasoned broth, slurpable noodles, and colorful toppings brimming with flavor and texture—a good bowl of Japanese ramen is more than just food, it’s an experience. With Ramen Obsession, you’ll have all the tools, techniques, recipes, and step-by-step instructions you’ll need to make the perfect bowl of ramen at home.

A master class in the art of ramen, this comprehensive book provides a fascinating overview of the global history and culture of the dish, from its early start to modern-day interpretations. Ramen Obsession will also teach you how to make a wide array of ramen broths, salty tare sauces, aromatic oils, authentic noodles, and vibrantly assorted toppings—all from scratch.

This book includes:

Local flavors abound—From hearty Sapporo ramen to bold Takayama ramen and beyond, take your taste buds on a tour of Japan’s diverse regional varieties. Broth in the bat of an eye—Save time with convenient methods for making chicken, pork, and vegan ramen broths with an electric pressure cooker. Ready for ramen—Use helpful shopping and essential item prep lists to guarantee your pantry’s perfectly stocked to make delicious ramen recipes.

Bring the incredible flavors of a bustling Japanese ramen stall straight to your stove top—Ramen Obsession shows you how.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Food, Food and Drink, Ebooks

337 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2019

Reviews

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

If you ever went to college, you probably have had at least one grocery shopping experience that looked like . . . . .



As a mother of teenaged sons, I will say Top Ramen and Cup O Noodles remain staples in my pantry since that and a bowl of cereal are about the only thing my bottomless pits are capable of cooking on their own before I get home from work to stop them from starrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrving to death.

In case you are either an alien or live in a cave and aren’t familiar with what I’m talking about, this is what would most likely come to mind for your average American when the word “ramen” gets mentioned . . . .



Which, when cooked, ends up looking like J.T.’s old hairdo . . . . .



Actual ramen looks more like this . . . . .



Ramen Obsession is the cookbook that will get you from A to B. It even teaches you how to make your own noodles, but seriously . . . .



I work full-time, have two busy kids and everyone in my house aside from me is a picky mother&*#$er so I need either fully-committed-all-day-recipes that they just know they can’t complain about or real easy to throw together/add or subtract whatever you like but at least it’s still home cooking dinner options. This book helped me provide the latter . . . . .



This was my husband’s bowl that I snapped just in case there ended up not being enough for me – I will double or triple the recipes in here from now on because . . . .



Mine had broccoli and other goodies added as well since I’m not only a Meatasaurus Rex.

Review copy provided by Callisto Publisher’s Club in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Japanese ramen recipes this book would be for you. It has a lot of recipes. You can take a tour of Japanese flavors with these recipes. What I like is that there is a section on how to make different broths to use in the recipes. Unfortunately for me, a lot of the ingredients I would not be able to get at the local grocery store or even Walmart. That is all we have in our small town. I would probably have to order at Amazon, maybe.
That said, as I was perusing the book, I loved the pictures and even some of the recipes. I did bookmark one, Spicy Stir-Fried Garlic Ramen which I will make for sure.
The book is broken down into 3 sections on mastering Japanese Ramen. There is the introduction of course but Part I is the history of the Ramen, Part II is the six steps and Part III is the recipes.
I will also be trying the broth section that looks really easy, some broths can be made in the pressure cooker!
Now I think if you are into Japanese food and want to try on your own, this cookbook is definitely for you!

[Leah Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very comprehensive how to for all things Ramen. Very detailed. I appreciate the way the book is divided and how the steps are broken down. I have always heard that genuine Japanese ramen is an experience. This guide reflects that and is one in itself. There are also a plethora of recipes. Some ingredients may be difficult for US residents to readily get their hands on. My only complaint is the lack of visuals.

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ramen. What can I say? If you love ramen, like I do . If you can find any as delicious as I ate in Japan and Korea, then this cookbook will be your Ramen Bible. From broth to table - easy to follow, simple to prepare (okay -lots of dishes if you do it right) But heaven in your mouth.

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHO KNEW??? I was familiar with the Ramen that I got in college, and in my lunches when I first started working. Remember the little styrofoam cups with the dried noodles in? You would add boiling water and the little flavor packets, and choke them down. Well, things have definitely changed! Wow!
I had no idea of what good ramen could be!
Thanks to our Chinese exchange student, I was awakened to a whole new experience. She took my wife and I to our first ramen restaurant, and I was amazed. The depth of flavors, the variety of ingredients, and the downright deliciousness of a quality ramen!
So, when I was offered an ARC of this book from Callisto, I jumped at the chance.
The book opens with the history of ramen in Japan and China. Which was very interesting in itself.
Part 2 dealt with the steps in making ramen. Spoiler: it's not just pouring boiling water into the little styrofoam cup! A person can easily get very involved in making ramen.
Finally, part 3 gets into the best part! The recipes. Over a hundred pages of delicious looking recipes! All written in an easy to understand, step by step method.
I loved this book! We have started making our own ramen now, and it's so good! And there are enough recipes in the book to keep us busy for years to come!

[axegrinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's overall an alright book. However, there are some mistakes and omissions, especially in the traditional regional recipes.

First, many traditional recipes lack aroma oil which is a must. You simply cannot skip aroma oil in ramen especially in the traditional regional variants. Ramen should always consist of its 5 components:

1. Ramen noodles
2. Tare
3. Broth
4. Topping
5. Aroma oil.

Second, there are many freestyle new school ramen recipes, which is good, but it's at the expense of some of the other key content, like the information that apart from Awase Dashi and Shiitake Dashi, you can also just simply make Kombu Dashi.

Third, the book could also have more pictures, which it almost doesn't have.

All in all, the above issues could be fixed/improved on in the new edition of the book. It could otherwise be a great bible, and one of the few complete resources on Ramen.

I give it 3.7/5 which I round up to 4 stars.

[michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome Resource for Ramen

This is more than a cookbook cause it covers the history & regions of ramen. Broken up by region & even has pressure cooking options which is why I bought it. Tells how to make the broths plus additions like soy sauced eggs to bring to the next level. Tons of tips on how to prepare in red at bottom of each recipe plus list of equipment needed. Kindle version has the lists part highlighted for broth. oil etc.on each recipe so you can quickly reference it which is handy. Full of recipes & some quicker ones as well. Love that it tells how to make rendered fat & how long each broth will keep. Took one star away
Cause wish it had more pictures but overall an excellent resource with tons of tips & recipes for broths, oils , fats and even sides to go into the ramen.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of all things ramen.  Learn about the history of ramen, the types of ramen that are popular in different regions and ramen culture. Then, learn about the six steps that lead to a delicious ramen.  These include soup/broth, tare (for example miso), aromatic oils and fat, noodles, toppings and the bowl.  There are then a number of recipes including Japanese Regional Ramen, Tonkotsue Ramen, Shoyu Ramen and much more.  Ramen lovers will have enough recipes to keep them busy through many meals.  The author grew up loving ramen and became more passionate about it after visiting New York's Momofuku Noodle Bar as a restaurant reviewer. 


In order to make the ramen recipes,  the pantry needs to be stocked with the right ingredients.  I felt that, as a novice, it would take me longer than the suggested time to prepare the recipe.  However, this is a delicious book for those who want to experiment with ramen.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary Ann Merlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for Ramen lovers

This book will show you countless ways to make Ramen. I was impressed. Never again will I make Ramen and pour in the little packet. Now I make Ramen to my taste with loads of veggies my own chili sauce. Great book for references. Love this book. Wish I came across it sooner.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Ramen Guide

I have several ramen books but this one is by far the best. Very informative. Easy explanations. Substitutions offered for most of the recipes. Within the recipes are reminders of previous recipes. Only one complaint: not sure if it is only on my tablet or on every tablet, there are no page numbers. Difficult to go back to find something.

[Mary Rude · Rating 4 out of 5]

These authors really love ramen! Some of the recipes started to feel quite similar to one another, so I can't say I'm convinced that ramen warrants a whole cookbook. But I have started making some of the recipes, and they're quite good! A fun book for someone who truly loves ramen.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fantastic if you love Ramen. The variety of recipes is pretty big and the recipes are delicious. We have several favorite recipes and some we still want to try. I highly recommend it.

[Amanda Glatthaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this cookbook and it had such an amazing start, but the depth of knowledge was totally lost amongst the lack of pictures. I have the kindle version and I think there were 4 or 5 images. I would have loved to see visual representations of all that lovely variations.

[Timothy Maher · Rating 5 out of 5]

easy to read hard to put down.

The book is a joy to read. Each ramen style is covered and the recipes are easy to follow. The only regret is that this does not come with a bowl of ramen to enjoy as you’re reading !

[lele · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Ramen Reference

The only thing that would improve this cookbook is more pictures. The information contained is thorough and leaves nothing out.

[DORIS ROMERO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for people who enjoy ramen.

[CJR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive collection of ramen recipes including all major styles with fairly accessible ingredients.

[Terry Lynn Corsello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done , I consider myself a decent cook. But ill just keep buying ramen. I may use some of the recipes to augment store ramen though. The book is excellent. But I lack the skill set. Also has a lot of cultural info about ramen, which I enjoyed

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like how the book lays out the different variations of broth and the ingredients to create a great base for a good ramen.

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much I bought the book!

[Meridith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes with a decent amount of vegetarian options. The only problem is that the steps are not always clear on how to prepare or use an ingredient.

[Jonathan Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yum

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is a thorough breakdown on various regional ramen recipes throughout Japan but also some internationally. Since ramen is pretty much noodles and broth with some toppings, one would think it would be fairly easy to replicate. But anyone who has lived in or visited Japan knows that ramen is a layered dish, a national obsession, and recipes are guarded zealously. It's all about the seasoning/umami/and layering of the broths. In this book, readers have the tools to make various ramens and are given the knowledge on how to create the ramen taste that they like best. One downside, however, is that there are only a couple of photos, the graphic design is weak and kind of messy, and you won't find inspiration easily. You go into this book with a plan of what you want to accomplish rather than browsing it for something that looks appetizing that day.

The book is divided into three parts. In the first part, the history of ramen and its importance in Japan are discussed. Part two goes into the components that make up a ramen, from broth to noodles to sides. The third part takes up the chunk up the book since it is all the recipes for various types/flavors of ramen.

For the second part of the book that contains the recipes for the essential ingredients (broth/noodles/sides), each 'recipe' is broken down as follows: large all caps title, allergy info, prep time, cook time, and serving size. A short one paragraph description gives further information. Then sections for preparation, stovetop method, pressure cooker method, storage tips, and repurposing tips. All have bold red headings and all steps are numbered and in small sentences rather than annoying large clunky paragraphs.

The recipes for completed bowls of ramen follow a similar format. Large all-caps blue text title. Allergy info. Prep time and cook time. Short one-paragraph intro. Ingredients in italics. Then nicely short steps that are numbered in red. Substitutions are noted in red text at the bottom and in italics. There are maybe 4-5 images total for nearly 50 recipes.

Recipes can be quite interesting: from miso pumpkin ramen with pan fried tofu and bok choy, shoyu tonkotsu with chashu pork, finger, and kikurage mushrooms, to Tokyo-style tsukemen and spinach gomaae. Recipes do not have to be authentic and the authors are careful to note that you should have fun with your recipes and make them to taste rather than authenticity.

Granted, it will be best if you live in an area to have access to food items not usual outside of Japan: daikon radish, kabocha squash, chicken feet and bones, kamboko, mirin, schichimi togarashi, sichuan peppercorns, lemongrass stalk, fried tofu puffs, various Japanese mushrooms, etc. So keep that in mind when attacking the recipes.

In all, it is a nicely thorough examination of ramen with a huge amount of recipes. Enough of an understanding of how ramen is composed is given to ensure that you can also begin to experiment with creating your own unique spins. Be prepared for longer prep times since you are making several broths by scratch that often require a long cooking time. And also be aware that there are no photos for most of the recipes (a frustration since presentation is so important in Japan) so hopefully yours won't look like a bad kitchen experiment gone awry. But otherwise, a solid cookbook on the topic. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Ramen Obsession is a cookbook tutorial honoring one of the world's most loved dishes, ramen. Released 15th Oct 2019 by Callisto on their Rockridge imprint, it's 337 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is an attractively formatted and accessible book. The introduction includes a comprehensive history of the dish, some definitions of what ramen actually is (hint: it's *not* the plastic wrapped cheap student food everyone is familiar with), the parts of a ramen dish, and worldwide variations on the ramen theme.

The second part of the book is an in depth discussion of the 6 parts of a ramen bowl: the broth, the 'tare', aromatic oils, noodles, toppings, and finally assembling the bowl. Each of the components gets a thorough treatment in clear and understandable text. This section also covers the tools and supplies needed to recreate the recipes in the books.

The third part of the book covers specific recipes including regional variations and base variations on the ramen theme: Japanese, tonkotsu, shoyu, shio, miso, and recipes which fall outside of the previous categories. There are dozens and dozens of recipes. I didn't get even a rough count, but this is a substantial book full of recipes and variations.

The final section of the book includes recipes for side dishes and enhancements like pickles, salads, dumplings, tempura, and others.

There is also a comprehensive glossary and a reference/resource guide as well as a metric/US standard conversion table.

The recipes themselves are easy to read and understand. They include allergen and dietary information in a header bar along with prep/cooking time, yields and a description. Ingredients are listed bullet point in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard measures. Preparation instructions are enumerated step by step. Substitutions and alternative preparation or serving information are given in a footer bar at the end of the recipe.

It should be noted that these are traditional recipes using traditional ingredients. For most readers in the USA, some ingredients will be difficult to source without access to a well stocked Asian grocery or international food store (or by mail order). The only other drawback I found with the book is that there are very few cooking or serving photos included. The recipes are well written and complete, but visual readers should be forewarned that there are few pictures. The photos which are included are well done and illustrative however.

It's unclear from the publishing info available online, but the eARC I received has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references. I hope the ebook release version does also. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. Presumably that feature will carry through to the final release version.

This is probably the only ramen cookbook most of us will ever need. These are tasty and appealing. The lack of photography subtracts a bit (but not much) from the overall experience for me personally. (I like pictures, but realize and accept that they raise the production costs a lot on a book project). For hands-on learners, the lack of photography will not be any detriment and would raise the book's rating.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book for review is “ “Ramen Obsession” The Ultimate Bible For Mastering Japanese Ramen” by Naomi Imatome-Yun and Robin Donovan. This book falls in the genre of cooking and Japanese.

Are you one of the many people that enjoy a bowl of ramen? I know I do.

Inside this cookbook right from the start you get a history lesson on ramen. You also have an equipment and shopping list right before the recipes start.

Each recipe has a prep and cook time and how much it serves. It also includes if the recipe is diary-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan and so on. This helps you off the bat about the recipe.


There are also a glossary list and measurement chart.


What I thought:

My son and I love ramen. So, to see a cookbook on this was exciting. The recipes are easy to follow and the book is nicely done. Unlike the last few cookbooks I have reviewed this one actually has a shopping list of items that I can find in my area which was great to see.

I wish there had been pictures of the finish product. Also, I wish the print had been a big larger but that is just a personal observation.

This is definitely a book I will be using for the family.

I received this book for free from Callisto Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ramen isn't an easy process. I just wished there were more pics. There were also only a select few ramens that I could actually make, but I'm looking forward to it!

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

No feast for the eye

Meh, having read about half dozen ramen books in a week, this one is no feast for my eyes= I love to see the prepared dish of food with the recipe. This cookbook offer less than a dozen photos.
The recipes were good enough but I would pass on this book. There are better ones out there

[Sheena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book! Love learning about the history and culture surrounding ramen. Borrowed this on my kindle but will be buying the book because it's fabulous! Even if you aren't making any of the recipes it's an intriguing read!

[Melissa Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really creative ideas on every aspect of the ramen making process.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite reading this while I was eating, it still made me hungry. I look forward to trying to make my own ramen now.