TSURUOKA, Japan (The Japan News/ANN): A new dysphagia-friendly variety of ramen has been created for people with swallowing difficulties caused by illness or ageing.
Developed in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture, which has a well-established and unique ramen culture, this ramen represents its developers’ desire for everyone to be able to enjoy the beloved dish in the country.
The ramen was developed in Tsuruoka in the prefecture by a group of local chefs and registered dietitians who studied the creation of easy-to-swallow foods using locally grown ingredients, as well as restaurateur Yuki Onodera, 36, who runs a ramen shop named Mendokoro Tsurutsuru.
In the winter of 2024, Kaori Adachi, 46, a co-representative of the group, told Onodera: “Whenever patients in hospitals and people in care facilities are asked what food they would like to eat, ramen is always the answer.”
When he heard this, the first thing that came to Onodera’s mind was the image of his own ageing parents.
“It would be sad if they could no longer eat ramen,” he thought, prompting him to begin developing the dysphagia-friendly ramen.
He aimed to adapt his restaurant’s signature Chuka Soba (Chinese-style soba) ramen into a dysphagia-friendly form.
To achieve this, he reduced the thickness of the housemade noodles from their standard thickness of 2mm to 1.2mm to 1.5mm, and extended the boiling time from one minute to between six and seven minutes, to make them soft enough for a toddler to bite through.
He also removed the sinew from the chashu pork and simmered it thoroughly.
Onodera paid special attention to the menma, bamboo shoots used as a ramen topping, which are fibrous and can get stuck in the throat. To address the issue, he finely chopped the menma and then shaped them using kudzu starch.
The dish’s broth, made with locally sourced duck, is rich in collagen, which helps the ramen go down the throat smoothly.
A tasting event in July drew about 40 attendees, including elderly people and their families.
They responded positively, including one who said: “I had no trouble swallowing the noodles or the chashu pork. I liked the broth too.”
Adachi, too, praised the ramen, saying: “Many existing ramen products for people with swallowing difficulties have a mushy texture, but he has given us a ramen that retains the firmness of real noodles.”
After making minor adjustments, such as making the noodles even thinner, Onodera has begun serving the ramen, by reservation only, at his restaurant from October.
Yamagata prefecture has a culture of having ramen delivered from shops to serve to guests at their homes, and each region has its own unique local ramen varieties.
According to the Family Income and Expenditure Survey by Japan’s Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, Yamagata city has ranked first nationwide for four consecutive years in annual per-household spending on Chinese-style soba from restaurants.
Onodera expressed his hope for further expansion of the initiative: “Yamagata has a culture of eating ramen from a young age. While each ramen shop has its own unique features, I hope more restaurants will be willing to offer dysphagia-friendly ramen.”
More dysphagia-friendly foods
In the past, dysphagia-friendly meals tended to consist of liquid foods that were easy to swallow. Today, various new foods of this kind have emerged thanks to a growing demand for safe and delicious food, along with advances in cooking techniques.
The study group that worked with Onodera has also developed easy-to-swallow versions of foods such as sushi, steak and children’s meals.
Honke Shibato, an eel restaurant in Osaka prefecture, offers Yawaraka Mamushi, an eel rice bowl processed in a specialised machine to make it soft enough to be mashed with the tongue.
Baigetsudo, a shop in Nagasaki prefecture that offers Japanese and Western confectionery, began selling cakes for people with swallowing difficulties two years ago.
The sponge cake used in these treats contains a high moisture content, and the toppings, such as peaches and pineapples, are made soft enough to be mashed with the tongue.
Jun Kayashita, professor of nutrition at Kobe Gakuin University, stressed the significance of the trend towards the diversification of dysphagia-friendly foods: “Having more dietary choices leads to an improved quality of life.”
He continued: “The joy of enjoying one’s favourite foods is vital for maintaining the desire and ability to eat. It is important to help people enjoy eating by taking measures to prevent aspiration and other problems.” -- THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
