I remember before 2013, I was just someone busy surviving, never paying attention to holidays. But Christmas is a festival that’s hard to ignore, especially in this rare-snow city where every shop window is adorned with fake snowflakes.
The excitement that had nothing to do with me actually made me feel more lonely. That year, while editing a client’s project, I’ll never forget the day I was famished and rushed to the chain Japanese ramen shop next to my company to hastily eat a bowl of tonkotsu ramen.
The steaming noodles were brought to me by a young waitress who wished me “Merry Christmas,” and it was then I realized there were many young people like me, without a Christmas. I took a sip of the milky white tonkotsu broth, knowing it was made from soup powder, but it still tasted delicious. I thought to myself, sarcastically, that this could be considered a white Christmas, right? 
Years went by, and gradually, I had more and more people around me to spend Christmas with. Now, I have the time to cook whatever Christmas feast I desire, but in the quiet of the night, I occasionally remember that bowl of tonkotsu ramen from years ago, lonely yet white and steaming hot.
Cooking a bowl for myself, the rich, white broth infused with the aroma of pork bones, topped with a soft-boiled egg, braised cartilage, and bamboo shoots. Taking a sip of the soup, it warms me to the point where my eyes almost well up with tears.
“This year, it’s a white Christmas too.”
Ingredients:
- Scallions, ginger, garlic
- White pepper powder
- Mirin
- Salt
- Pork cartilage
- Star anise
- Onion
- Scallion sections
- Sake
- Rock sugar
- Japanese soy sauce
- Eggs
- Ramen noodles
- Braised bamboo shoots
- Seaweed strips
Preparation:
Broth:
- Blanch the pork bones, then place them in a pot with cold water. Add scallion knots, ginger slices, garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon of sake. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours. Add 1 tablespoon of mirin, a little white pepper powder, and a pinch of salt to season.
Braised Pork Cartilage:
1.Blanch 200g of pork cartilage, cut into pieces, and place in a pot. Add cold water to cover the cartilage, along with 2 star anise, some onion chunks, scallion sections, garlic cloves, and ginger slices. Bring to a boil on high heat.
2.Add 1 tablespoon of sake and 1 tablespoon of mirin, then add a little rock sugar and 2 tablespoons of Japanese soy sauce (or 1.5 tablespoons of light soy sauce and 0.5 tablespoons of dark soy sauce). Simmer on low heat until the cartilage becomes tender and flavorful, then reduce the sauce on high heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
Soft-Boiled Eggs:
1.Bring water to a boil, add eggs, and cook uncovered for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs and place them in ice water for 10 minutes, then peel.
2.Place the peeled eggs in a sauce made of Japanese soy sauce, mirin, and water (1:1:3 ratio) to marinate overnight. Cut in half before serving.
Tonkotsu Ramen:
Pour 1 liter of water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add ramen noodles and cook for 3 minutes. In a serving bowl, pour the prepared broth, add the cooked noodles, then top with braised pork cartilage, braised bamboo shoots, half a soft-boiled egg, some scallion strips, and seaweed strips. Your tonkotsu ramen is ready!
