Why is This Japanese Stock Better Than Mine ? (hint:うま味)
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- čas přidán 15. 05. 2024
- The day I finally understood UMAMI うま味 ! Exclusive NordVPN deal here: NordVPN.com/frenchguy Risk free with Nord's 30 day money-back guarantee
Umami is directly related to our ability to detect glutamate in food. It is rightfully so called the fifth taste. The most umami dense food is Kombu seaweed. But it can be boosted even further like in Dashi. To make Japanese stock called Dashi, you need Kombu (kelp seaweed) and Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) in equal proportions of weight. Then a Synergistic effect happens, and our perception of glutamate increases thanks to the reinforcing action of the inosinate or nucleotides from bonito flakes.
In a complex french broth, where there are many ingredients, the same effect happens but on a lower scale. Vegetables bring glutamate and meat brings inosinate.
Big thanks to DR KUMIKO NINOMIYA
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Salut,
Alex - Zábava
The biggest surprise here is that Alex is making dashi for the first time. I thought it was so obvious he had already made it before.
Same
I think he's pretending because he wants to present a coherent and educational narrative.
I think he's pretending because he wants to present a coherent and educational narrative.
There's no way Alex didn't know about dashi, but he's creating a narrative to spice up his content!
Foreal I've made ramen stock with dashi multiple times already
Half way through the video and I’m still wondering how it could be five years ago already and yet here we are and Alex is still on his game and even better he’s using his game. Ever restless ever striving to bring a dish to the next level. I’m still here.
The clock stopped in 2020 and sometimes I'm not sure if it ever restarted again...
God. Has it really been that long???
I JUST CHECKED. IT'S BEEN 6-7 YEARS SINCE I LAST SEEN HIS SOURDOUGH/PIZZA RECIPES.
I'M FALLING IN AN ABYSS OF TIME ITSELF. I'M HAVING AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS. I'M LOSING MY YEARS, WHAT AM I DOING WITH MYSELF
Edit: I still won't stop wasting my time on you, I've probably wasted thousands of dollars in work hours watching you lmfao I was also in college so maybe that helps pad it out
there are ramen masters with 30 years and still dissatisfied with their ramen and striving each day to make it better.
Except he's using celery in an Asian soup...
@@Tenekai For the Bitterness, BUT as far as I remember Bitter is not part of the Ramen Broth in any of the Restaurants I did eat in Japan, and it was TON of restaurants. Never felt any bitterness in the Soup...
Alex: Improves culinary skill and technique and utilises high quality authentic Japanese ingredients
Me: teaspoon of MSG
Yeah look if you can get it Korean Kombu is actually very cheap and would recommend it over MSG any day
I'll definitely try real dashi someday but ever since I bought a pound of MSG out of curiosity I've been putting a little bit of it in almost all of my recipes and I'm never going back. Miso, soy sauce, anchovies and Worcester sauce are also great savoury flavour enhancers!
agree!
@@EpicvidsKetti08 Kombu is MSG plus seaweed flavor. It's how they figured out MSG was awesome. Which actually works really well for most stocks since it adds another complimentary layer to them. But there are plenty of recipes where that flavor won't work, but MSG still works perfectly well.
MSG is what my Japanese grandmother has always used. Its one of the most useful seasonings I have
Okay, did you just say FIVE years ago? It feels like you did the ramen series five MONTHS ago! Man life moves quick, that's crazy.
😭 The older one gets, the quicker it goes. I cannot believe it's been 5 years.
True story. Kids has given me a wipe of the last 5 yrs.
It could also be that he uploads every 5 months 😂
Absolutely crazy.
@@chimerahitman same here, plus COVID sh*t
Kombu and Bonito flakes are such a potent combo. They have been the base for all my Stock based cooking for at least 10 years now. Its essentially doping for your Stocks and Sauces :P
As Uncle Roger once said "MSG is king of flavour Fuyoooh ! It's salt on crack ! MSG means Make Shit Good !"
We all read this quote with his voice
Sadly Kombu got shot
@@jonasrettig327 is this a Breaking Bad reference
A little fun fact: With the same principles companies have also figured out that if they pair Glutamate with Inosinate, they can make something really good. Snacks are the most common one where they use this combination. That's why you can't stop eating them lol.
You should see it if you read the ingredients and it has Monosdium Glutamate and Disodium Inosinate. I know Doritos has them. There's also one more flavor booster called Disodium Guanylate and Alex should find out about it too. These three ingredients dope the umaminess to another level.
As many have mentioned in the comments, there are a number of other ingredients which can be used for dashi - dried anchovies or sardines, dried Shi-itake mushrooms and so on. I wanted to mention that there are also different varieties of Konbu - Hidaka konbu makes a stronger, more cloudy dashi which holds up better to a more robust ramen broth (miso or shoyu for example) whereas Rishiri konbu makes a much clearer, refined and delicate dashi and is used in Japanese clear soups (suimono). It is more expensive but might be more suitable for a refined shio ramen. And lastly, the next level is to shave your own katsuobushi using a kezuriki- I think this would by right up your alley, Alex!
I find it hard to believe that you made ramen soup without kombu and bonito. That's like ramen 101
How the hell did you learn to make ramen without dashi????
I went to a ramen restaurant actually and I tasted something totally wrong and now I realize it didn’t have dashi. I guess some Japanese restaurants don’t use it either
Dashi does have a very specific flavour.
I was thinking the same thing!
Aside from the MSG difference, the main problem is simply using a french stock for a japanese dish. A french stock with onions, carrots, and celery is going to taste so sweet and vegetal by comparison. You can have a michelin star French stock, and it'll just taste wrong in a bowl with ramen. They just don't fit imo.
Yeah, Tonkotsu broth for example is traditionally very simple. Just pork bones and a few aromatics.
And you saw in the chemical breakdown the other stuff just dilutes the essential ingredients..
I can't get over the fact someone used thyme and sage in his Ramen for taste! He has to be trolling! It just can't!!
@@otmanh well, see, the French are the all time Masters Of All Things Cooking And Food, so, it must be better..lol..
It's actually pretty bizarre to me that it took Alex FIVE YEARS to discover dashi broth for ramen.........how could you even call what he was making before ramen?
After I make Dashi a time or two, I like to finely chop the Konbu and add it to my rice cooker when I make rice. Extract the last of the flavor and get all of the fiber. (it also feels like a waste to toss it)
for takikomi gohan, perhaps?
You can microwave it dry and crispy, season it and have a Kombu snack crisp too. Or dry it out slightly, roast it and add some liquid smoke for a tasty smoked Kombu seasoning.
That sounds like a great idea.
One thing I noticed in this video is the part where you used a torch to char your garlic and onion. That will give you some smoky flavour, but it's only charring the surface because it's so fast. For the deeper flavours of caramelization, you need to toast them in a dry pan or roast them in an oven, so the heat really penetrates.
It is such a beautiful journey and you seem to really enjoy it! All in again with this new series and I love it!
Like everyone else, I'm absolutely amazed that Alex went 5 years of making ramen with this being the first time he's heard of dashi. That said, Kumiko has given the best explanation for how dashi actually works I've ever seen.
ok, I haven't finish the whole video yet, but I just have to comment.
starting from 4:42 when Alex started asking Dr Kumiko Ninomiya on difference between French vs Japanese style stock is just mind blowing. The fact that French stock which is more complex in flavour but less intense umami vs Japanese stock which has simple flavour but intense umami. This is something so profound.
Turns out complex flavour =/= umami.
even if I'm not going to make my own ramen, this fact / understanding is going to be such a game changer in how I will cook going forward.
Can't thank you enough Alex in bringing such quality content, and always giving us something new to learn. Keep it up!
Nerd
I have a feeling Alex is going to be experimenting with using proper Dashi and making it his own with adding something complimentary from French stock.
The production, the content, everything is so top tier!
Very insightful, Alex! This was a great episode, looking forward to the next.
I find it a bit funny how Alex is travelling to New York to meet 1 ramen expert when he could go to Japan and meet as many ramen experts with unique skills and experiences to share.
I imagine distance, networking, availability, cost of travel, and maybe visa/passport requirements all weigh in. Alex mentioned the last chef he met with has met the chef he'll be meeting next episode. So that's probably how he got in contact with him in the first place.
@@XxXxkeybladematerxXx also the guy is pretty famous (I thinks chefs table really ampified his fame), so its just also good for viewership.
Knowing how Alex does his adventures, it wouldn't surprise me at all if in the later episodes or maybe even in "Ramen Season 3", he would be in Japan under the tutor of a 3 starred Michelin Ramen chef.
Learning how to make his own Kombu and Bonito.
This guy went to a different country and made his own pan, made dried pasta machine and all kinds of extra things. So don't bet against him so soon I say.
Japan would be twice or thrice the price. Just flying from West coast USA to either Japan or Korea, Japan will be twice the airfare. Then costs on the ground are also double, even compared to NY city's high prices.
The language barrier is also an issue; most ramen chefs only speak Japanese. Alex needs people who speak French or English, so New York or LA are probably the best places to find ramen experts who also speak a language he understands.
Your production quality and narrative structures are really top notch. You and your team make fantastic content, its appreciated! keep it up!
Hey Alex i've been watching for a couple of years now and your content always hits the spot. Much love from Sweden!
I'm truly going to love binge watching your channel once again! Excellent job 👍 keep up the great work
I can only imagine how much fun I'd have sitting down with Alex over a bowl of ramen and a cold Asahi. He makes every culinary topic such a joy. And I felt the heartache after that first sip of dashi. One plus one really does equal eight apparently!
Go tell this to the people he sent to the hospital after sampling his concoctions!
@@jlgombert6126 wow, issues much?
@@jlgombert6126 but then there would be no one to tell...
I really appreciated the clips from *Tampopo* , one of my favorite food movies of all time. It's been years since I've seen it, so I'll get my favorite take-out bowl, then sit down and watch it tonight. Thanks, Alex!
Yes! I couldn't remember the name of this amazing movie. I can't wait to see it again! Thanks for your comment. ✌️
I was waiting for you to mix the broths. Glad you did
This series is so amazingly over the top. This is the science I'm here for. Love Kumiko and her passion for umami. Thanks you both and everyone else involved for sharing all this knowledge!
Note that dashi and katsuobushi are also key ingredients in another quintessentially Japanese dish: okonomiyaki. If you haven't made okonomiyaki before, I definitely would recommend it, and would love to see a few videos of Alex trying it; both Osaka style and Hiroshima style are wonderful, though they are quite different in some key ways.
The scene at 0:46 is from a ramen cult film called "tampopo". It gets a bit strange, definitely not Hollywood, but it's entertaining to watch. When served a bowl of Ramen, just make sure to caress your 3mm thick piece of chasiu with your chopsticks to honour the pig.
👍 Watched that movie years ago. All of Juzo Itami's movies are great. I particularly enjoyed "The Funeral", but "A Taxing Woman " was also great.
I have been watching Alex for some time now, he was instrumental in encouraging me to begin exploring different aspects of cooking again. I am so encouraged to make this myself! Always entertaining and informative.
Mixing both dashi and stock by the end was really interesting! I was already expecting you would leave the table without doing that. Great video!
The thing about this video is that i see myself in it, struggling to blend into the society knowing what i'm missing, but can't find anyway to connect it, what Alex vlog offers is so much more than just a food journey, i'm so interested in what next on this ramen journey!
be soup my friend
Me as a Japanese person, I don't really cook that often. But ramen is one of my favourite foods. I really appreciate your effort to know about our culture and I really enjoy watching your videos! (I even made Crème Brûlée using your recipe). If you are exploring more about the ramen, please come visit Japan one day! I will be more than welcome to tell you some good ramen restaurants and perhaps even help you to translate Japanese into English!
I absolutely love the way you've approached this series alex... I love you videos... It seems like you're having fun again and I think that's the point..
Dear Alex, thank sou so much for making these videos, you've explained so much things about cooking, nobody could or wanted to explain to me.
❤
Hi from japan here. I see you explored kombu and katsuobushi in this episode. You can also extract umami from other ingredients too. For example some of the popular ramen places i go to use niboshi 煮干し. Maybe you can try to extract dashi from that as well and see what suits your ultimate ramen challenge😄
A very good western ingredient for umami is tomato. I like doppio style tomato paste for this. I've made a broth that came out really well by taking the bones that I had already blanched then giving them a little rub of tomato paste before giving them a quick roast with some veggies.
Niboshi cause cancer?
@@xyz0zyx Source?
You can also use ikan bilis for that.
@@xyz0zyx its just dried iwashi fish
I was basically waiting through the whole tasting part for Alex to mix the broths to a basic Gyokai 😂
I did not expect that! So happy for you!
such a good episode. full of cool theory and delicious cooking shots. and a big cliff hanger too!
I think this video really highlights the next level of cooking for chefs. Most chefs still believe that more things = to more flavor. Where they fall short is that isn’t always the case. It’s about focusing flavors in the dish, making sure that the desired taste is intentionally prevalent in the food you offer
I’m shocked that you weren’t using dashi! They even sell it in powdered form
I'm shocked too. I barely remember his Ramen series from years ago, but...he didn't make a dashi? It's just two ingredients!
i just looked through his older ramen videos and yes he did use kombu but not bonito flakes which is very key as to why the taste is off, he basically just used a tradtional french style stock + kombu in order to make his ramen.
J'ai déjà hâte au prochain épisode, chapeau!
I can't wait for the next one. Got many things to say but can't seem to find the right words. As always, so very glad that you are taking us with you in this food journey.
Celery? In an Asian broth? Brother... You're lost...
Sheeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiittttt!
😂 Thats it, Im making some! I’ve been putting off making real ramen for years. I think it’s time to try.. once ramen season two is over. Especially after seeing how much easier the Dashi is compared to the beloved french style stock I love to take two days making 🤦🏼♂️ I do use MSG in my cooking but after learning this it wouldn’t feel right to cheat like that on an authentic ramen. Thank you Alex!
I love your engagment for hunting the correct way of doing stuff.
Masterful at the hook. Can't wait for the next episode. Thanks for sharing.
Tampopo is one of my favorite movies. Love this series, thank you Alex.
All of Juzo Itami's movies are entertaining. Such a shame how he died.
I live out in the countryside in Northern Scotland, so finding ramen places is pretty hard. So I decided to give it a go myself. That first time I made & tasted dashi made with proper ingredients was amazing. I've always liked soup & stock making, so I'm now in the habit of adding dashi to the stock even in some home-grown soups like Scotch broth. What a difference it makes!
Such a good video, the harmony about science and creativity in the kitchen and the harmony of all the details in the dish. i really like that type of videos.
This is the first time ever I’ve been so excited for the next episode! I can’t believe you’re going to New York! I’m so so so so happy and excited!
The starter is exactly how you make miso soup before the miso paste.
Some of the comments already mentioned the movie clip you showed. I just wanted to mention a movie called "The Ramen Girl," which stared the late Brittany Murphy(2008). I don't know how that movie plays for purists, but that is where I found out that Ramen is more than a brick of dried noodles and a packet of salty bullion, but a real dish. It's also where I found out that it is more than a bowl of soup, it is a culture, and really an art form. If not for having randomly watched that movie a few years ago, I might not have ever watched the first Ramen series on this channel.
That movie is a cheap Hollywood ripoff of Tampopo (which Alex used clips of). Watch the original which is a classic... It's a Ramen Western... Seven Samurai => Magnificent Seven => Tampopo. But it's more than a western... It's funny and way ahead of it's time.
@@SethCohn23 thank you this is the answer i wanted not that other movie mentioned
Man, I'm always impressed by the amazing things I learn on this channel.
Man keep up the great work. Your editing quality was top notch back then. To see it elevated even more? Props dude
The differences in French stock and Dashi is a shocking exemple reflecting their culture of origin.
The art of complexification VS the art of going to the essence.
🇫🇷🇯🇵😅
If I recall "Essence of deliciousness" is what "aji no moto" translates to.
Aji-no-moto is a brand of MSG from the Ajinomoto company, and translates to 'essence of taste'. It was originally made from wheat, then soybeans, and now sugar cane. Umami is the flavor, also called 'savoriness' in some Western cooking. 'Sweet' is to sugar like 'umami' is to MSG. Interestingly, Ajinomoto's research into amino acids lead them to invent 'aspartame' - aka 'NutraSweet' and 'Equal' artificial sweeteners.
Very nice narrative structure and cinematography! Feels like a real show Alex :)
loving this series. good luck!
Hello Alex, Louis-San à fait deux vidéos avec un maître ramen japonais, une première ou il passe une journée dans son restaurant pour en apprendre plus sur son fonctionnement et une autre ou il l'emmêne en france pour juger les ramen français(notamment dans le restaurant ou tu étais dans ta vidéo) je pense que ces vidéos peuvent d'apporter de précieuses informations pour ta quête, tu pourrais probablement même rentrer en contact avec eux directement ! force à toi !
Im very surprised you thought you could accomplish Japanese style umami using French methods and ingredients....wtf !?! I knew French Chef's held themselves in high regard, but damn this is a new level.
French culture is very intellectually isolationist and willfully ignores anything not invented in France under the assumption that foreign things are inherently inferior. Academic books have historically taken many decades just to be translated into French, let alone have the concepts integrated into French discussion.
If the Japanese, or the rest of East Asia, can appropriate European dishes and change it beyond recognition to suit their tastes and the ingredients available to them, I don't see why you are clutching your pearls when a French person does the same. Also, I don't think you have any standing to accuse the French of being full of themselves and isolationist trying to bat for the Japanese.
@@icygoldcitadel Clutching pearls ? He said himself he was trying to achieve umami not create fusion cuisine. Have you had a recent head injury ? I stated French Chef's held themselves in high regard, I did not say any of the things you just did about the French.
Kumiko was so sweet and explained so well!!
seeing you obsess over this kind of thing soothes me as i am the same when it comes to making my favourite foods
So, you go to New York for Shio Ramen? At that point you could just go to Japan :D
Here's what strikes me as confusing. If you are willing to travel, then why not go to Japan. You keep approaching foreign foods through the eyes of classic French cooking and restaurant snobbery. Interesting in it's own way, but you will never get to the essence of the original dish. A lot of the foods that you talk about are often simple dishes, peasant dishes, grandma's cooking,.... You need less complexity, not more
Ivan is a bit of a purist tho, and he worked for a really long time in Japan and gained enough respect there that he is at the same level and authenticity as any top-tier Japanese Raman cook. Ivan however also has the added benefit of being fluent in English and is very palatable to western viewers looking to learn from someone approachable.
he already answered to an other comment, by the time he recorder this it was impossible to travel to Japan simple as that
@@maluse227 Tried his ramen and ramen in Japan. His did not impress me to say the least. Not at all bad but nothing that stood out. I can make ramen better than his and I’m a home cook.
He's an engineer exploring all parts of every element; that there's a JAPANESE umami institution to me means it's the right path to understanding. He looks for enlightenment, not just soup.
@@AygisMusic LMAO there's no way people like you exist 😭😭
You are making the science of cooking fun and interesting. I hope you are enjoying every excuses you have to nerd it out with first class chefs around the world. You deserve it. Cheers!
That is The Best vídeo ive seen for years my friend. You are really The best
I didn't know how bad I needed another ramen series until you gave it to us, Alex! Can't wait to see your adventure in nyc
in love with this series Alex
Alex you are next level 🔥
Your passion is contagious, and content never disappoints.
You got the best youtube channel out there, its always an instant click!
Love your content Alex! So informational and funny, peak entertainment, got me salivating and laughing this whole time. Keep it up!
I’m glad you mixed them, I was hoping you would haha 😊
Such a cool interview!!!
Trop bien tes vidéos Alex ! ❤
Awesome work Alex!! I can’t wait to see the NYC episode.
Everyone is talking about umami but this is the first video with the clear explanation on what it is! Thank you!
SO damn excited for next episode!
Eres un capo Alex! Merci bcp! You're the umami of CZcams ❤
Helped me understand umami and ramen a little more! Brilliant!!
Let's go Alex !!! Tes vidéos, c'est de la bombe !!! 😍
The topic is wonderful. However, the telling of the story coupled with the images, sounds, closeups - the entire balance with your production values and humor - makes these videos beyond wonderful!!!!!
What a superbe episode !!! I was so desapointed of my own ramens... I'm so with you on that. Thanks again for sharing your passion and informations :) Cheers from Montréal !
Loving this series!
Dr Kumiko is so kind :)
Toujours un plaisir énorme a regarder ces vidéos... Et ca donne vraiment envie de cuisiner💪
love the Tampopo clips!!! one of my favorite films ever.
I was surprised that Alex hadn't made dashi before! I make batches and freeze it in cubes for many recipes. I'm glad to learn now what both kombu and katsuobushi each bring to the party. Looking forward to seeing the episode with Ivan!
I knew it was something to do with MSG, but didn't think we'd go this deep! Thanks for the very informative video Alex!
So good! Love this series ✌
I owe my immense love and joy of ramen completely to Alex, I haven't attempted to make my own ramen yet however I've used everything I've learned from his videos to further identify and pick apart ramen I've tried. I've learned so much and gone on so many food adventures since I first saw the ramen series from Alex. Ramen is my favorite food, nothing else even comes close. I'll be watching Alex as long as he's uploading videos 🤘🤘🤘
Yeah I thought so, umami episode was just a matter of time. Thanks Alex!
Thanks Alex! This video has enriched my life! And now my ramen broth :)
I love this episode!!! i live in New York! i can’t wait to find out where you are going
nice to have you back Alex we were missing you :love:
Merci Alex, je n'avais jamais pensé (je ne sais pourquoi) à utiliser mon MSG et mes bonito flakes ensemble, j'ai hâte d'essayer ! :D
Dashi is such a fantastic culinary cheat code and I love making it every chance I get.
Alex love you thankyou can’t wait till you get to the US. Very accurate take one daishi
Man good food and good cliff hangers nice video Alex
Just made the best broth out of vegetable/pork stock and dashi based on your recommendation and video. AMAZING! Happily working on my own addiction. Thanks Alex!
This is great! I learned something today
After all this, what makes the video amazing?
The music behind it 🤯
I popped into a Chinese market today after seeing this episode and had trouble finding bonito flakes. In fact, I’m not sure any of the shops in my city have it as they’re all chinese or korean family owned. Looking forward to how you dive deeper so I can learn what alternatives I have available. This series is amazing! Keep it up alex :)