【塩（しお）】”SHIO”
Meaning:
salt
Usage:
「私のお気に入りはサッポロ一番 塩ラーメンです。」
（わたしのおきにいりはさっぽろいちばんしおらーめんです。）
(Watashi no okini-iri wa sapporo-ichiban shio-rāmen desu.)
”My favorite is Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen.”
- This has been my all-time favorite instant noodle since I was a little kid. You should definitely try it!
Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen
Glossary:
- 私の（わたしの）: my
- お気に入り（おきにいり）: favorite
- 塩（しお）: salt
- 塩ラーメン（しおらーめん）: salt flavor ramen
【味噌（みそ）】”MISO”
Meaning:
miso
Usage:
「味噌は味噌汁だけでなく、炒め物の味付けにも使えます。」
（みそはみそしるだけでなく、いためもののあじつけにもつかえます。）
(Miso wa misoshiru dake de naku, itamemono no ajitsuke nimo tsukaemasu.)
“Miso can be used not only for miso soup but also for seasoning stir-fries.”
- Miso contains a lot of umami ingredients, such as glutamic acid, a type of amino acid, so it goes well with stir-fried vegetables and meat. Miso is very salty, so when using it in stir-fries, it is best to add a little at a time and taste as you go.
- Miso also goes well with dairy products such as milk and heavy cream. Adding a little milk to miso soup gives it a mild taste and is delicious. Try this one, too.
Glossary:
- 味噌（みそ）: miso
- 味噌汁（みそしる）: miso soup
- ～だけでなく: not only […]
- 炒め物（いためもの）: stir-fry
- 味付け（あじつけ）: seasoning
- ～も: […,] too, also […]
- 使える（つかえる）: to be able to use
【醤油（しょうゆ）】”SHŌYU”
Meaning:
soy sauce
Usage:
「九州に行くと甘辛い醤油が売られています。」
（きゅうしゅうにいくとあまからいしょうゆがうられています。）
(Kyūshū ni ikuto, amakarai shōyu ga urareteimasu.)
“When you go to Kyushu (the southwest island next to the mainland), they sell sweet and salty soy sauce.”
- There are many theories, but one theory is that the sweet flavoring became popular throughout the Kyushu area because sugar was imported from the port of Nagasaki, the only trading port during the Edo period when Japan was closed off from the rest of the world.
Glossary:
- 九州（きゅうしゅう）: Kyūshū *The southwest island next to the mainland, which consists of Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Ōita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima. (And sometimes including Okinawa.)
- 行く（いく）: to go
- 甘辛い（あまからい）: sweet and salty
- 醤油（しょうゆ）: soy sauce
- ～が売られている（うられている）: […] be sold, they sell […]
【豚骨（とんこつ）】”TON-KOTSU”
Meaning:
pork bone broth
Usage:
「豚骨ラーメンには、細い麺が使われます。」
（とんこつらーめんには、ほそいめんがつかわれます。）
(Tonkotsu-rāmen niwa, hosoi men ga tsukawaremasu.)
“Thin noodles are used for Tonkotsu Ramen.”
- Tonkotsu Ramen was originally a street food and fast food. It is said that this led to the use of thin noodles with a short boiling time in order to serve it quickly.
Glossary:
- 豚骨（とんこつ）: pork bone broth
- ラーメン（らーめん）: ramen
- 豚骨ラーメン（とんこつらーめん）: pork bone broth ramen
- 細い（ほそい）: thin
- 麺（めん）: noodle
- ～が使われる（がつかわれる）: […] is used
【冷やしラーメン（ひやしらーめん）】”HIYASHI RĀMEN”
Meaning:
cold ramen
Usage:
「冷やしラーメンは山形県などで生まれた冷たいラーメン。」
（ひやしらーめんはやまがたけんなどでうまれたつめたいらーめん。）
(Hiyashi rāmen wa yamagata-ken nado de umareta tsumetai rāmen.)
“Hiyashi Ramen is a cold ramen originating in Yamagata and other prefectures.”
- Yamagata is a valley area that easily gets hot in summer, and has a record of over 40 °C in July. In such hot Yamagata, cold ramen has been widely loved.
- In summer, all convenience stores sell cold ramen. It’s perfect for when you lose your appetite in Japan’s hot summer.
Glossary:
- 冷やしラーメン（ひやしらーめん）: hiyashi rāmen
- 山形県（やまがたけん）: Yamagata Prefecture
- 県（けん）: prefecture
- 生まれる（うまれる）: to be born
- 冷たい（つめたい）: cold
- ラーメン（らーめん）: ramen
【ハラルラーメン（はらるらーめん）】”HARARU RĀMEN”
Meaning:
halal ramen
Usage:
「ハラルラーメンを提供するお店が少しずつ増えてきました。」
（はらるらーめんをていきょうするおみせがすこしずつふえてきました。）
(Hararu rāmen o teikyō suru omise ga sukoshi-zutsu fuetekimashita.)
“The number of restaurants offering halal ramen is gradually increasing.”
- More and more restaurants are now serving delicious halal ramen, using soy meat, chicken or seafood, instead of pork. Our recommendation is Tokyo Halal Restaurant. If you’re in Tokyo, go try it!
Glossary:
- ハラル（はらる）: halal
- ラーメン（らーめん）: ramen
- ハラルラーメン（はらるらーめん）: halal ramen
- 提供する（ていきょうする）: to provide, to offer
- お店（おみせ）: store, shop, restaurants
- 少しずつ（すこしずつ）: little by little
- 増えてくる（ふえてくる）: to be increasing, to have been increasing
【セット（せっと）】”SETTO”
Meaning:
combo, set menu
Usage:
「ラーメンと餃子のセットにしてください。」
（らーめんとぎょうざのせっとにしてください。）
(Rāmen to gyōza no setto ni shitekudasai.)
“Please make it a combo of ramen and gyoza.”
- A ”combo” that is often found in fast food restaurants is called 「セット (せっと / setto)」 in Japanese. Ramen restaurants also often have 「セット」(Ramen + gyoza or ramen + fried rice), and it is a better deal than ordering them alone.
Glossary:
- ラーメン（らーめん）: ramen
- 餃子（ぎょうざ）: gyoza (crescent-shaped pan-fried dumplings stuffed with minced pork and vegetables)
- セット（せっと）: combo, set menu
- ～してください: please do […], please make it […]