Recipe for Ichiraku Ramen from ‘Naruto’ by Danielle Baghernejad

‘Have you ever watched an anime and wished you could reach through the screen and taste the food? If so, you’re not alone’, writes Danielle Baghernejad, author of the book Otaku Food, an homage to the comfort food featured in the anime and Japanese manga of which she is particularly fond. 

She created this book as a way of combining her love of Japanese popular culture and her passion for cooking, sharing simple and detailed recipes that allow readers to reproduce the dishes enjoyed by the protagonists admired by otaku, avid fans of computers and anime. Here, she shares a recipe for a bowl of ramen, Naruto’s favourite meal, that she named in a nod to the restaurant he particularly likes, Ichiraku.

‘Naruto has to face various difficulties, but nothing warms his heart like a bowl of ramen. With no mother to cook for him, instant ramen  noodles are his favourite meal, but when he is invited to his favourite restaurant, Ichiraku, one bowl is never enough! Ramen is the soup that cheers his soul, and that’s no surprise. Flavourful, warm, nourishing, and filling, ramen is a classic example of Japanese comfort food to be enjoyed!’ Danielle Baghernejad declares in the introduction to the recipe. 

The author offers one final tip before getting started: ‘You can’t hurry a good ramen! The broth takes a while, but it can be made in advance. What’s more, the broth is even better the following day!’