Asian soup 101; Phở vs. Laimin a.k.a. Ramen

We can almost all agree that soup season is coming upon us. Even if you live in a perpetually balmy locale, there will be that subtle shift of light, almost imperceptible the nearer to the equator one goes, but still, the light is just a scootch more golden, the sun’s rays streaming through the leaves (or fronds) indicating fall’s a comin’. There may need to be some imagination and eye-squinting involved, but it’s worth the effort when soup is involved.

Soon enough there will be 24 hours of holiday cheer everywhere you look. There will be snow in your neck of the woods, whether it be naturally occurring or merely for decor, and you will yearn for a pot of simmery, steamy, slurp-able love.

Let’s work on getting a head-start to soup season with some basics on what’s hot in pots everywhere these days.

Phở (pronounced FUH) – Clearly you live in foodie world or you wouldn’t be here. Surely the Pho fad has swept your feed and hopefully you’ve had the chance to suck down a tasty representative at a great

No Phở King jokes here.

local Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall as holes-in-the-wall are always the best place to get a true taste of the authentic. The basic components consist of a rich meat stock made from charred onions and ginger, oxtails, flesh and bone steeped with a variety of hard spices/seeds/pods like cinnamon, star anise, black cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed and cloves, depending on what part of Vietnam it’s from. Rice noodles are also involved and the width again depends on place of preparation. If you’re a fledgling foodie, the real-deal can be a little daunting as the meat of choice tends to be either beef or chicken, but oftentimes uses body parts one with a Western ingredient sensibility may be unaccustomed to. Thinly sliced raw beef (usually brisket) is piled atop the noodles, then boiling stock is poured-over, thereby cooking the beef. Beef tendon is a common addition. The garnishes are where things get fun. Asian soups have the best garnishes! (that’s not racist right?) Fresh, leafy basil, chopped scallions, bean sprouts, lime wedges, a sauce selection including fish sauce, Hoisin, kicky chile paste, Sriracha…it’s all just a riot of color, texture and flavor that makes that huge bowl of hot, stock-y, beefy, rich, noodle-y soup practically an event. There is definitely some French influence in that bowl.

Ramen (pronounced RAH-men) – Sure, sure. By now we’re all aware of the $.25 a pack college food-fodder and its hacks, enhancements, alt recipes, etc. You’ve probably had the opportunity to be

Tonkotsu ramen with chashu, seasoned egg and black garlic oil.

overwhelmed by a “Ramen only” aisle in an Asian grocery store (and if you haven’t, read about some great local ones and plan a trip) but we’re delving a little deeper into the bowl for this one. Believe it or not, Ramen is actually a pronunciation of the Chinese word Lamian and it only gets more confusing from there. A base of stock/broth, wheat noodles, meat/protein and garnishes. The type of stock is what generally determines what “type’ of Ramen it is and it can get metaphorically squirrely. Broths made of pork, chicken, vegetables, seaweed, fish, miso and/or beef include various types of noodles and soup accoutrements run the gamut from seasoned soft-boiled egg, chashu (roast pork), sesame, seaweed, scallion, greens, black garlic oil, minced spiced beef, corn kernels, bamboo shoots, tofu, etc. Of course, regionality plays a big part in the mix.

There are obviously other Asian soups besides Pho and Ramen, including Champon, Wantan (wonton) and the like. Maybe one of them will catch-on like their counterparts have, but it seems that the garnishes and accoutrements are what really set Pho and Ramen apart.

A “group soup” excursion is perfect for a party or foodie outing. Going out for either, en masse, is a great way to fulfill individual tastes and preferences, share an experience- and split the bill pretty evenly.

Tracy Whipple

Tracy lives in a rather large nutshell. Former gator wrestler come chef and once-in-a-while somm, her greatest feat by far is raising a kid who teethed on blood sausage and Picholines. She longs to steal away to Cuba, but in the meantime gets by on making her own mojo and threatening bodily harm to anyone who serves a Daiquiri topped with whipped cream. If you hear what sounds like a kitchen full of people arguing over who gets the chicken oyster, it’s probably just Tracy.

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