Ramen was introduced to Japan by Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s and quickly became a significant part of Japanese culinary traditions. The creation of instant ramen in 1958 further popularized this dish, especially in the United States, where its usage steadily increased. Originally known as shina soba (“Chinese soba”) in Japan until the 1950s, the term shina acquired negative connotations, leading to the adoption of the term ramen. The word “ramen” is derived from the Chinese term lamian, which is also the source of the term lo mein. The change from l to r occurred due to the unique Japanese pronunciation of the r sound. The term ramen translates to “stretchy noodles,” with “la” meaning “pull” or “stretch,” and “mian” meaning “noodle,” originating from Middle Chinese and eventually Sino-Tibetan languages.
