Oil in Ramen broth
Many recipes online suggest that at some point I should sauté some onions or scallions with vegetable oil and add them to the broth that is meant to go with the ramen. I know of toasted sesame oil and burnt garlic oil used as topping, but the sautéed onion sounds like some kind of culinary westernization to me. Is this practice proper Japanese cuisine or not?
Best Answer
I don't recall ever seeing regular onions in my ramen in southern Japan (but scallions, maybe--it was many years ago, so it's hard to remember). As for topping oil, the only one I ever saw was "Chinese fire oil", which was usually provided on the side for addition at the customer's discretion. I loved the heat from the fire oil but could only stand at most a few drops. It's the hottest stuff I've ever tasted. I brought home the bottle I had, and I still have it (though the wife and kids don't like anything anywhere near that hot, so I haven't used it in years and it's very likely rancid now). In the two years I lived there I only managed to use a few ml. I can't imagine that the 5 oz. bottles at the grocery store and on Amazon are the same stuff. Here it is: 
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Quick Answer about "Oil in Ramen broth"
The aroma oil is usually one of the easiest components of ramen to make. The oil is most often added to the bottom of the bowl at the same time as the tare; before the broth is poured in. The oil does not emulsify with the broth but instead rises to the top of the bowl and forms bubbles that float above the soup.Can you put oil in ramen?
You can pretty much make an oil out of any ingredient, so oils are a great way to add some flavor punch to a bowl of ramen. You may have seen blackened garlic oils or spicy chili oils (like la-yu) at ramen restaurants. You can even use the clear, golden chicken oil that rises to the top when making a chintan soup.What oil do they put in ramen?
Mayu (Black Garlic Oil) for Ramen Recipe.Why does ramen come with oil?
The oil package serves to strengthen the taste of the product, so if one of the additive packages is missing, the distinctive taste of the product will be diminished.Can you put olive oil in ramen?
Prepare Noodles Add the contents of the seasoning packet and stir well for 1 minute until seasoning is fully dissolved. Reserving the broth, drain noodles and toss in olive oil.Without Oil, Ramen Is Just Boring Soup...
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