Ramen is a type of Japanese noodle soup. Once a simple street food, it’s now become a gourmet phenomenon around the world. Every bowl of ramen has three main components: broth, noodles, and toppings. Although it’s unclear exactly when ramen first appeared in Japan, historians believe 19th-century Chinese immigrants brought an early version of it with them to Japan. Originally nicknamed “Chuka soba,” early ramen was a simple dish consisting of noodles in broth topped with roast pork. It became popular in port cities like Yokohama and Nagasaki, where workers would buy it from food carts, or “yatai,” and Chinese restaurants. Rairaiken, the first true ramen shop, opened in Asakusa, Tokyo, in 1910. With the invention of the industrial noodle machine later that decade, ramen quickly became a symbol of Japan’s urbanization.

Source: San-J