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[Ramen Library]

South Korea ranks second in the world in per capita consumption of instant ramen noodles. The annual consumption per capita is a whopping 77 servings. Even by simple calculation, this means that a person eats instant ramen at least once a week. Incidentally, Vietnam is in first place with about 85 servings, and Thailand is in third place with about 55 servings. In just a few decades since Nissin Foods' "Chicken Ramen" became the world's first instant ramen in 1958, instant ramen has successfully merged with food cultures around the world and has become familiar to people all over the world. If you have ever watched Korean movies or dramas, you may recognize scenes of people eating ramen. Instant ramen is such an indispensable part of the Korean diet. When I learned that a convenience store specializing in instant ramen had opened, I decided to visit it during my trip to Korea.

The Hongdae Sunsan branch of CU, a major convenience store chain in Korea, opened in December 2023 as a "ramen library," as it is called. Upon entering the store, one is overwhelmed by the wide variety of bagged noodles lining the walls. It is a heaven for instant ramen lovers, and the restaurant also has tables lined with cup ramen-designed eat-in tables. The bookshelf-like walls are lined with instant ramen noodles arranged neatly by type, like books in a library, making it tempting to pick them up one by one. It was hard to decide which one to try because there were so many varieties, so I decided to try the budae jjigae ramen with a pop-up saying it was the most popular. The great thing about this ramen library is not only the wide variety of ramen, but also the wide selection of toppings, beverages, and alcoholic beverages that make it hard to decide which one to try. This is truly a convenience store for eating delicious instant ramen.

You can easily taste the ramen on the spot by purchasing the container together with your bill and cooking it in a special machine in the store. All you have to do is put the entire contents of the bag of noodles into the container, place it on the IH part of the machine, and press the start button. The machine automatically pours in the required amount of hot water and heats the noodles in the induction cooker for the prescribed time. All that is left to do is to loosen the noodles during the heating process while watching the timing as usual. Since my body was cold from walking around outside, I was able to enjoy a delicious bowl of hot ramen. Of course, since it is a convenience store, it is open 24 hours a day. I recommend stopping by for a nighttime snack, in between sightseeing, or whenever you feel hungry.

Convenience stores near parks along the Han River, which flows through Seoul from north to south, often have similar machines. If you get tired of sightseeing or shopping, we recommend spending the day eating instant noodles while enjoying the view of the Han River. I feel that enjoying local food in the same way as the locals is the best way to get to know a country. We hope you will experience the instant ramen culture of Korea.

References
https://www.konest.com/contents/shop_mise_detail.html?id=33844
https://instantnoodles.org/noodles/demand/trivia/

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[Good at Niche Organizations]

Although the paperless society is accelerating these days, I am inevitably a "paper person" because I grew up in the era of paper for most of my student and working life, and I like paper for books and magazines as well. Even though I think that I should not increase the amount of paper because of the difficulty of storing and disposing of them, I still end up purchasing books that I want to read again slowly in the future or keep on hand, along with the excitement I feel when I go to a bookstore.

One of the papers that somehow increased in number is store cards. These days, I make a personal effort to keep as much as possible on my phone, but I still often get them if it is a nice store, if I want to tell my family and friends about it, or if the card has a nice design.

Cards that don't fit in my wallet all the way, the place they end up in my home is the SyuRo's Kakukan SS Tinplate. The simple design of the tin cans keeps colorful cards neatly organized, and they are carefully sanded to prevent scratches and stains. You can also enjoy the change of the material over time. The personal item in the photo was used for about 15 years.

Looking at it this way, the cards that interest me these days are more bakeries. It also holds past driver's licenses and other cards that I have trouble finding a place to go, showing that I am good at niche organizations. There are no rules on how to use it, so we hope you will use it as you see fit in your daily life.

SyuRo's Kakukan SS Tinplate
https://www.shokunin.com/en/syuro/kakukan.html
Ginza Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/ginza.html

Reference
https://syuro.shop/?pid=100680069

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[Banpeiyu]

I have seen them at roadside stations and supermarkets, but never eaten or purchased "banpeiyu" before. The other day, a grower in Wakamatsu gave me some and I was able to try them for the first time.

It is one of the largest citrus fruits in the world, about the size of your face. It also weighs about 2 kg. The fresh citrus aroma is soothing. I cut as I had researched and peeled off the thickest skin imaginable by hand, and found it to be packed with plump pulp.

Each piece of pulp is not soft and crisp like a mandarin orange. In addition to the moderate sourness and bitterness, you can enjoy the new texture. Since there were plenty of them, I was thinking of mixing them with yogurt or making them into jelly, but my children and I couldn't stop ourselves from eating them.

Like the fava beans, when they are protected by so much skin and wadding, is it just me, or does my motherhood tingle, thinking that they were carefully protected? I feel affection for them.

The skin can be used in baths, and the pith can be candied. It is very exciting to eat for the first time. Big, big banpeiyu. If you have not tried it yet, please give it a try. It is highly recommended.

Wakamatsu Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/wakamatsu.html

Reference
https://www.nhk.or.jp/shutoken/saitama/article/018/09/