Cary Acord is an accomplished athlete, who has earned respectable finishes in numerous sports competitions. A former windsurfer and paraglider, he currently focuses his athletic efforts on snowboarding, outrigger paddling, standup paddling, kiteboarding, and mountain biking. Cary Acord’s love of extreme sports is reflected in his adventurous eating habits. Although he enjoys food from a variety of cultures, one of his favorite dishes is ramen.
Originating in China and migrating to Japan in the mid-1800s, the word “ramen” roughly translates as “pulled noodles.” Although stretched eggless noodles serve as the foundation for all ramen dishes, ramen is divided into four distinct categories, according to broth flavor.
Stressing simplicity, ramen broth typically comes from boiling pork and/or chicken bones. Cooks then add extra salt to make shio ramen and soy sauce to make shoyu ramen. In more recent times, they have begun adding miso paste to create miso ramen. The fourth type of ramen, tonkotsu, requires boiling pork bones for an extended period of time. After 12 to 15 hours of boiling, all bone collagen dissolves, leaves the bones, and goes into the stock as gelatin. This gelatin significantly alters the overall taste of the finished dish and creates a whole new flavor category with no need for additional ingredients.
