What is the difference between ramen, udon, and soba?
Ramen originated in China before making its way to Japan and was used in Japanese cuisine. While Tokugawa Mitsukuni reportedly ate ramen in the late 17th century, it was only during the Meiji period that the dish became widely known (perhaps because for most of its history, the Japanese diet consisted mostly of vegetables and seafood rather than meat). The introduction of American and European cuisine, which demanded increased production of meat products, played a large role in ramen’s increased popularity. Ramen was introduced in Japan (Chinatowns of Kobe or Yokohama) during the Meiji era. Salt ramen originated in Hokkaidō in the Taisho era. Though of Chinese origin, it is unclear when ramen was introduced to Japan. Even the etymology of the term “ramen” is a topic of debate. One hypothesis and probably the most credible is that “ramen” is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese: 拉麺 (lamian), meaning “hand-pulled noodles” (a name that is still used in Chinese for these sort of noodl