Menma

Menma

What it is

The bamboo is machiku, Dendrocalamus latiflorus, which does not grow in Japan; Taiwan lactic-fermented the shoots and dried them for export. The Japanese name was invented in 1946 by a Tokyo importer, who took men from ramen and ma from machiku after the old name shinachiku was ruled offensive.

In the kitchen

Dried menma wants a day of soaking and then a long simmer before it is tender; the jarred kind is already seasoned and only needs warming. Squeeze it out and fry it briefly in sesame oil before it meets the broth, or it will thin the soup.

Goes with

Pork Toasted sesame oil Koikuchi shoyu Rāyu Negi Katsuobushi (dried bonito)

Also used with

Kansui

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