The Rage Over Ramen: A Tale of Classism Favorite 

As the cold air bit our faces, and we hid deeper into our layer of sweaters, my family and I continued to wander around Manhattan, seeking a place which would provide warmth and food. And there it was, dimly lit: the Michelin-starred ramen restaurant, Tonchin. We ordered the highly-sought after ramen bowl, Tonkotsu, and awaited our meal. Out of the kitchen, the steam arose from a bowl of a warm, salty pork broth. Within the broth, sat the Chinese-styled, alkaline noodles, the gooey, soft-boiled egg, and the juicy, savory cha-shu, gleaming in all their food glory. I believe everyone in that restaurant would agree that it was a night in food heaven; the bowl of ramen reigned supreme.

Ramen continually appeals to the United States (US) not due to its salty, flavorful taste, but it’s affordability, and accessibility; In addition, this bowl of soup exposes the economic and lifestyle divisions rooted in American culture.

So, where did this fascination of ramen begin? Let’s start with Japanese pop-culture trickling into the country, shaping the minds of millennials and Gen Z alike. From beloved video games such as, Pac-Man, to the infamous movie, Godzilla, Japan has influenced all aspects of American life. One of the first encounters America had with Japanese pop-culture was a successful, animated series known as Mach Go Go Go (in English, Speed Racer) in 1997 (Kelts 11). Centered around an eighteen-year-old boy competing as an international racecar driver, Mach Go Go Go appealed to young, American kids — primarily, young boys — with it’s unique animation style, and fun storyline. It was an international show which became popular since it could easily appeal to a young American audience. Another Japanese-success was Pokemon, a game that could contribute its success to its domination of several different mediums: manga, playing cards, TV, and the movie industry (they even recently released Pokemon Detective Pikachu in 2019). Japanese shows, and stories such as Mach Go Go Go or Pokemon, upheld fundamentals that Americans treasured as cultural values: flawed heroes, who relied on their communities for help, and persisted to root out evil, ultimately, bringing about world peace (Kelts 12). The continued emergence of Japanese shows, manga, and movies, provided Americans a new, but relatable era of animated movies, TV shows, video games, and food — most importantly, ramen. Japan’s influence over American pop culture exposes how a different, unique culture can be assimilated into another, creating new opportunities, ideas, and values.

We can thank the weebs — young adults obsessed with Japanese culture — for the continued spread of Japanese pop-culture across the nation, and more importantly, introducing the idea of ramen as a delectable dinner. As America has allowed the mesh of Japanese culture into their own, a prominent dish stood out: ramen. Ramen appears throughout different Japanese media such as Ponyo: a Studio Ghibli film about a goldfish princess named Ponyo, where Ponyo eats a beautifully animated, steamy bowl of homemade ramen noodles with Sosuke, a young boy she meets. Scenes such as these perpetuate the dream of holding your own porcelain bowl of ramen, and evoke feelings of comfort, and a warmth you never want to give up. Along with the heartfelt feelings of content, ramen also provided a different palate than the stereotypical American dinner, which includes globs of processed burgers, and greasy, oily fries. Ramen, compared to a McDonald’s meal, has protein from meat, carbohydrates from the noodles, and vitamins/minerals from the vegetables, depending on what’s added to the bowl (such as seaweed or mushrooms or ginger). Ramen, by far, was a healthier — I personally say tastier — alternative; it maintains the perfect balance of different food groups. While ramen’s popularity as a dish is thanks to the nationwide spread of Japanese pop-culture and its healthy, unique taste, it’s also due to its ability to provide an affordable meal (Rosner, 2018). For many Americans, accessing affordable meals are hard to come by — thankfully ramen fits the position. Ramen not only carries “tasty meal” as its title: it also holds the title of being an accessible and affordable fare for a majority of American citizens unable to find attainable meals — especially a college student.

As a quick, cheap, flavorful meal, ramen noodles — more specifically, instant ramen — soon became the favored dish of the breed known to be sleep deprived, stressed college students. Contributing to its widespread popularity, ramen noodles have become the sole food of many student’s diets. It’s easy to make — simply pour in some water, microwave for a minute, and voila! A meal for the night. In comparison to other microwavable foods, instant ramen has been well promoted by Japanese-American media, and it’s undeniably tasty (with added hot sauce). However, the popularity of Instant ramen is due to its affordability, uncovering a bigger issue in the US: the persistent purchase of cheap ramen noodles exposes the food insecurity on campuses nationwide (FSD, 2015). It’s not surprising that a majority of college students are experiencing food insecurity. There’s worry over paying rent for housing, yearly tuition, books, and other supplies necessary to live on their own, so having to deal with finding their next meal, adds an additional stressor. Additionally, along with financial stress, food insecurity hinders a student’s mental and physical health, resulting in a “…decrease in completion, persistence, and credit attainment rates” (AAC&U News, 2019). So, what could be done to help these students? Not solely depending on the simple cup-of-noodles, colleges need to provide programs to aid students dealing with hunger, or provide specific pantries in their cafeterias where students having financial difficulty can seek free ingredients/microwavable meals. Yet, these possible ideas are not permanent solutions (as some are already in practice on different campuses such as the University of North Carolina). Food insecurity not only applies to students, but a bigger part of the American population, where around 35 million people are still struggling with hunger (FeedingAmerica, 2019). Thus, when looking at a cup-of-noodles, one should beg the question: how do we resolve hunger and ease food insecurity, not only nationally, but globally?

Of course, from the simple, microwavable cup of noodles, Americans have taken, and modified ramen into a boujee, expensive meal — which does make it tastier, but uncovers America’s urgency to increase the price of simple meals. I won’t lie: I have delighted myself in experiencing high-priced ramen, especially when I was in New York (i.e Tonchin). These chic, instagrammable ramen restaurants like Tonchin provide a special encounter with ramen: the ingredients are labelled farm-fresh, and organic, with added food delights such as black garlic oil, and the restaurant itself has some added classy, homey aura, increasing the desire for a bowl of their finest ramen noodles. American chefs have taken it upon themselves to modify the simple bowl of ramen (like Tonkotsu or Shoyu) into an high-end, lavish meal. For example, Koa, a Japanese restaurant in Manhattan, is selling a $180 bowl of ramen, which is topped with gold leaf, shaved truffle, and Wagyu beef (Houck, 2016). No doubt, the dish is presented beautifully, and probably tastes as splendid as it sounds. However, reforming ramen noodles into an extravagant dish such as Koa’s $180 bowl, is a display of wealthy Americans making profit off of a global meal (which is usually sold for a cheaper price). While it’s known that nationwide food hunger is a perpetual issue, the prices for food keep increasing, especially when it’s a modified version of its cheaper twin. Only a certain crowd of people — ones with lots of money — are attracted to these expensive meals, while the majority continues to seek where they can find their next meal. This again prompts the issue of food insecurity, introducing the idea of what is made available to those in lower/middle class compared to upper class citizens. As America progresses forward, will prices for food continue to rise? Will those who are suffering in hunger not be recognized or helped?

Ramen undeniably exposes the class division between our lower/middle class and upper class in America, emphasizing the main issue of socioeconomic status, which is ultimately linked to food insecurity. While it can be argued that the existence of social classes is not real, it can be seen that there is an incessant struggle of having access to basic needs of life such as food amongst American citizens. Having volunteered at a food bank, serving meals to those who are desperate for food of any kind, it’s hard to understand how such an important quality of life is taken away from the less fortunate simply due to their social class. And, it’s not only an issue that pertains to America. Globally, food insecurity, and socioeconomic status remain issues that nations struggle to solve, and deal with: there is no definite solution (yet). However, countries should continue to provide food banks targeted for families of low income, and programs for struggling college students, as it provides some sort of alleviation. Yet, could there ever be an end to the continual issue of poverty and social class standing?

Even though it can be seen as a simple, sodium-packed cup of microwavable noodles, ramen provides insight on deeper issues that run through cultures globally. Ramen continues to be a well-sought after meal, by both people on a budget, and those who want to look trendy on Instagram. As a meal that has global reach, ramen exposes food insecurity amongst nations, and reveals how a dish such as itself, can be a symbol of class division for a society such as America. Will classism — a global issue — ever be eradicated? I don’t know. For now, I’m going to enjoy my warm cup-of-noodles.