Menma facts for kids
Menma (メンマ, 麺麻, 麺碼) is a popular Japanese food item. It is made from bamboo shoots that have been fermented. This means they are left to change naturally using good bacteria, similar to how yogurt or pickles are made. The bamboo shoots are usually dried first, often in the sun, before they go through this special process.
Menma is a very common topping for many noodle soups. You will often see it on top of ramen, which is a famous Japanese noodle dish. Most of the menma used in Japan comes from China. Brands imported from southern China and Taiwan are especially popular. Menma was also known by an older name, shinachiku (支那竹), which means "Chinese bamboo."
Contents
What is Menma?
Menma is a type of condiment. A condiment is something you add to food to give it extra flavor. It has a slightly crunchy texture and a savory taste. This taste comes from the fermentation process.
How Menma is Made
Making menma involves a few steps:
- First, bamboo shoots are harvested.
- Then, they are usually boiled.
- Next, they are dried. This can be done in the sun or using other methods. Drying helps to remove water and concentrate the flavors.
- Finally, the dried bamboo shoots go through lactic acid fermentation. This is where good bacteria help to break down the bamboo, giving menma its unique taste and texture.
The Story Behind the Name
The name "Menma" has an interesting history. Before "Menma" became popular, this food was called shinachiku. However, after World War II, the term shinachiku became less favored.
How "Menma" Was Invented
In 1946, a person named Shūsui Matsumura came up with the new name "Menma." He was the founder of a trading company that sold these dried bamboo shoots. He saw them being served on top of ramen in Yokohama Chinatown, a famous Chinese area in Japan.
Matsumura decided to combine parts of two words to create the new name:
- "Men" comes from ramen (拉麺), the noodle dish.
- "Ma" comes from machiku (麻竹), which is the type of bamboo used to make menma.
This new name, "Menma," is a portmanteau. A portmanteau is a word made by blending the sounds and meanings of two other words. Even though the name could not be officially trademarked, it became very popular. Over time, "Menma" became the common name for this tasty ramen topping all over Japan.
Menma in Taiwan
While menma is a common topping for ramen in Japan, it is not usually eaten on noodles in Taiwan in the same way. In Taiwan, a popular noodle dish called Zhajiangmian has vegetable toppings. These toppings were once called 麵碼 (miànmǎ). This sounds similar to "menma" but refers to different vegetable toppings.
Images for kids
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Menma on some ramen.
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Hosaki-Menma, an ear of Menma bamboo.
See also
In Spanish: Menma para niños
