What makes Ramen so delicious?
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Psst, hey, Smarty Pants, did you hear something? Yep, there it is again. Is that you making that noise, Smarty Pants? Nope, it seems to be getting louder. And coming from inside of me, which can only mean one thing, it must be lunchtime.

The reason my tummy's so excited is because I'm about to try out a new lunch spot that just opened in town. It's true the trusty narrator was trying out a new restaurant. But what he doesn't know is he's about to embark on a magical, taste-filled journey that will change his life forever. The place I'm headed to is what's known as a ramen shop. Smartypants, have you ever tried or heard of ramen before?

Sounds like some of you have, and some haven't. So, is ramen A, a Japanese noodle soup, B, instant cup of noodles, or C, Korean noodle soup? The answer is all three. Sorry for the trick question. He wasn't sorry. Ramen is a popular noodle soup dish with both Japanese and Korean influences that consists of either hot or cold broth, veggie and or meat toppings, and ramen noodles.

The lunch spot I'm going to is a Japanese ramen shop, or ramen-ya, as it is called in Japan. That part was true. I'm so hungry, I could eat three bowls. That was also true. I hope they make it extra spicy. I can handle the heat. That was not true.

Okay, smarty pants, I'm at the restaurant. But I'm not just here for a meal. I want to learn everything I can about ramen. Like, where did it originate from? What are the different types? And what ingredients go into a bowl of ramen? All good questions. Do you hear someone else talking? Eh, never mind. It's time for another delicious whiff of history and science on... The Smart Egg! The Smart Egg!

Who's Smarted? Who's Smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up, everyone. It's Smarting. Lots of fun on Who's Smart?

Hey, Smarty Pants. Trusty here with a special mission for all the Smarty Pants listening. But unlike a top secret mission, this mission requires you to tell everyone. That's right. Your job is to spread the word about Who Smarted so we can keep growing and bringing you awesome new episodes. To qualify for this mission, let's play a little game. Who do you know that would love Who Smarted but doesn't listen to the show?

Got someone in mind? Great. Question two. Pick one. Make a plan. Stick to it.

And best of all, complete this not-so-top-secret mission. I'm counting on you, Smarty Pants. The more people you tell, the bigger we grow, which means a lot more smarting for you. Konnichiwa. Please sit at the counter. I'll be right with you. Konnichiwa is a common greeting at a Japanese ramen shop. It means hello.

Hearing this put the trusty narrator at ease. It's so friendly and inviting in here. I think I'll grab a stool and sit at the counter. Most ramen spots are pretty small with minimal seating. This is because ramen is considered a quick, easy bite, perfect for a fast lunch or late night snack. But if past lunches are any indication, today's meal will be anything but quick and easy. What can I get you today, sir? Please call me trusty.

I'm pretty new to the world of ramen. What do you recommend? See? New to the ramen world, you say? I know the perfect bowl of ramen for you. Wow, did a bowl full of noodles, veggies, meats, and is that an egg with an extremely orange yolk floating in a dark broth, just appear out of nowhere? And that's when the trusty narrator realized he didn't walk into just any ramen shop, but a magical one filled with delicious mysteries and adventures.

This magically appearing bowl of ramen smells yummy. But how am I supposed to eat it? Smarty Pants, do you know what you use to typically eat ramen? Is it A, chopsticks and a soup spoon? B, a fork and knife? Or C, your hands?

If you said chopsticks and a soup spoon, you're correct. Here you go, trustee. Chopsticks and a spoon. Thanks. Um, but now I don't know what to eat first, this delicious-smelling broth or the fun ingredients floating in it. It's soup. Just eat it. It's your choice, trustee. But you'll want to slurp it. In Japanese culture, it's actually a sign of respect to slurp up your food. Oh, in that case...

Enjoy your magical ramen adventure, trusty. Magical adventure? Hmm, I wonder what she meant. Down here! Um, who said that? What is with me hearing voices today? Psst! Down here, in the ramen!

A talking noodle? It was indeed a talking ramen noodle. Since you want to learn more about ramen, I thought I'd give you a very up-close experience. Hold on to your chopsticks! Huh? What's happening? To paint you a picture of what's happening, the magical ramen noodle has shrunk the tasty, I mean trusty narrator down to size, so he can join him inside the bowl.

Whoa, it sure is warm in here. Um... You can call me Mr. Noodle. Welcome to your bowl of ramen. And in case you're wondering, the thing you're floating on is a fish cake. Ah, I was wondering. It looks like a white flower with a pink swirl inside. Exactly. In Japan, a fish cake is called a narutomaki, and it's a common topping in a bowl of ramen noodle soup. Feel free to take a bite and slurp your way through our adventure.

Delicious. Feel free to use your chopsticks as oars and follow me. Smarty pants, this is definitely in my top five weirdest lunches ever. But,

I'm so here for it. Mr. Noodle, where did ramen come from? The dish ramen actually originated in China and made its way to Japan back in the 1600s. But it wasn't until the 1900s that the Japanese really shaped the dish to be its own. After World War II, many Japanese people returned to Japan after having lived in China. This caused an influx of people to start setting up small ramen stalls in markets called yatai. True or false, yatai means food cart in Japanese.

If you said true, you're right. Since then, the Japanese adopted the dish and created an entire ramen culture that has blown up into a cultural phenomenon around the world.

So you're telling me that instant ramen and cup noodles was around back in the 1600s? No, that was not what Mr. Noodle was saying. Instant ramen and cup noodles? What's developed in Japan in the mid-1900s while the trend of ramen was exploding around the world? I see. And are there lots of different kinds of ramen? The short answer is yes.

In fact, one of my favorite things about ramen is that each bowl can be completely customized depending on your mood and taste that day. You could go through life never having the exact same bowl twice, unless you want to. It was then that the trusty narrator became philosophical.

Kind of like how you and I are made up of different emotions and experiences. Exactly. Every bowl of ramen is filled with many different elements of flavors that build upon each other. Each bowl is a reflection of not only who you are, but what you are. It was a beautiful moment. Until...

Now, depending on what region of Japan the ramen is from, the style of soup they serve can vary. For instance, Sapporo ramen from the Sapporo region of Japan is most known for miso ramen with corn and veggies, whereas ramen from Hakuta

is usually tonkotsu, which means pork bone broth with very thin noodles. My mouth is watering just thinking about the different variations. And on top of that, you can customize the broth, whether you want it strong, regular, or lightly flavored, or hot, or cold, or mild, or spicy. Ah, I love it spicy. No, he didn't.

But the broth is just one part of it. The other component is the toppings. Ah, like the fish cake I've been nibbling this whole time. Psst, smarty pants. Do you remember the Japanese name for fish cake that we learned earlier? Was it A, Yatai, B, Naruto Maki, or C, Tonkotsu? If you answered B, Naruto Maki, then you nailed it.

Yattai means food cart, and tonkotsu refers to pork bone broth. Wonderful. But ramen isn't named after the broth now, is it? It's named after what, smarty pants? Did you say the ramen noodle? Nice job if you got that. But what makes a ramen noodle different than a regular long pasta noodle like spaghetti or linguine? A great question. The answer is... Right after this break, I'm definitely hearing another voice.

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So, what makes a noodle a ramen noodle? Ramen refers to a specific type of wheat-based noodle, and the dough will typically include an alkaline salt or two in the form of Kansui, which basically means alkaline water, or water that contains special salt. This makes ramen noodles very light and gives them their elasticity. I see. And you can order your noodles firm, soft, straight, or wavy. That's right.

Fun fact, Smarty Pants. If you finish up all your noodles and are still hungry, you can ask your server for more noodles to be added to your bowl. This is a very common order in a ramen shop referred to as kaedama. Sorry, he wasn't sorry.

This broth is so tasty. What flavors do ramen broths come in? The most common broths you'll find at your local ramen noodle shops is shoyu, which is soy sauce based. Miso or spicy miso, which is a richer, fuller broth. There's tonkotsu, which you know is pork broth. Then you have your classics, chicken bone stock, beef bone stock, seafood bone stock, or curry. You're currently floating in a delicious miso broth.

Delicious. My belly is enjoying this very much. And so was his chin. We talked about the broth and the noodles. Now, let's talk toppings. Ramen toppings can include, well, basically anything you want. I'm sensing a theme here. Individualize, customize, ramenize. It's the way of life.

Sounds like a great option for picky eaters too, since you can choose the exact things you like. Very true. Ramen is loved by picky eaters, adventurous eaters, meat eaters, and vegetarians. Of course, there are some standard toppings you should familiarize yourself with if you really want to be a ramen pro. Ooh, I'd love to be a ramen pro. And by that, he meant he'd love to be paid to eat ramen. Mr. Noodle, I swear I can hear another voice talking.

Never mind. What are the standard ramen toppings? There's chashu, which are slices of braised pork, usually pork belly. Ajitama, which is a seasoned hard-boiled egg. Menma, which are fermented bamboo shoots. Nori, which is dried seaweed. And negi, which is chopped green onions.

Wow, I think I'm ready to give it a try. I'd like a spicy miso broth with hard wavy noodles, chashu, hajitama, narutomaki, corn, garlic, ginger, chili oil, and bok choy. Your wish is my command.

And with that command, trusty narrator grew back to his normal size, and his magical ramen adventure came to an end. Hey, I'm back! Thanks, Mr. Noodle. I'll never forget you. Um, are you talking to your bowl of ramen? Huh, oh! I, um...

Sorry, today's been a weird day. That's cool. Ramen's a great treat on a weird day. But slurp up quick. Like I said, it's best eaten right away. You don't gotta tell me twice. No, she didn't. ♪

Take a minute now and leave us a five-star Apple review. You might hear your name on the show, and it helps us grow. And don't forget, you can listen to Who Smarted anywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, including hands-free listening powered by Alexa on all Apple, Android, and Echo devices. This episode, Ramen, was written by Taryn Schneider and voiced by Jason Williams, Jenny Chan, Alan Winter, and Jerry Colbert.

Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Who Smarted? is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex-Davis. Who Smarted? was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. Who Smarted?