"I live in Japan and the packaged noodles they have over here are so much better than the Ramen."

Do they sell them at all here in the U.S.?

Do the Japanese mainly use sea salt as their salt source?

Sue

I've done this and then pan fried them. Take that cholesterol.

hamilton--i was in Korea in the late 60's..the noodles our
houseboy would bring us were wonderful..no nasty taste..very filling..even the ones marked "made in Korea" don't seem to be
the same or as good..i guess they keep the good stuff to themselfs.

BigDaddyTX - "How do you get the palm hearts from the palmettos?"

First realize that the palms often grow in huge clumps that build up a deep layer of party decomposed fronds. Getting into such clumps be aware that snakes and scorpions often live in the packed clumps of palmettos. Also the trunk often has thorn-like projections that can hurt.

A good machete, sturdy leather gloves and boots are valuable. The critters usually take off as their nest is disturbed but keep an eye out for them. I persuade any snakes that stay to leave by poking them with my walking stick. Haven't had to kill one yet.

Palmettos can grow to well over 20' but in most areas they are much shorter. I tend to harvest ones shorter than 3' tall because your going after the growing tip at the top of the trunk. The total height is usually about 6' or so with fronds. Cut off the fronds leaving the trunk. I sometimes leave a bit of frond at the top because it helps to grip the heart and keep my grubby hands off it. Slice down along the trunk. Deep enough to fully remove the brown and green rough exterior and exposing the pale interior meat. Once fully skinned you grab the top and chop it off at the base. You completely destroy the palm getting the heart.

The heart can be eaten raw, sliced thin and tossed in a salad, baked, roasted or boiled. Cooked the heart turns an odd color but it still tastes good.

In a survival situation harvesting palmetto can fill two needs. The heart as food and the fronds removed as part of a lean-to for shelter. The heavier leaf stems make decent stakes. The butts close to the palm-like leaf can be sliced and bent over a crude framework and lashed with a piece of the leaf. Across once and up one bar spaced every 10" or so. Well shingled the roof/wall will shed water and block a considerable amount of wind.

The fronds also contain fiber that makes decent rope.

I sometimes buy 'Soken' brand (made in Japan) vegetarian ramen. Don't care about the vegetarian part but I like that the noodles are not fried, and have a lot less fat/sodium than the other stuff. They are more expensive though. With those I usually throw in a little chicken broth and wild onion to kick it up a notch.

Yes I do stock ramen. Its great for sore throats and colds. Early this past December we lost power from our first winter storm. With no power there was no cooking on the electric stove. So I brought out the Sterno stove and made saimin with the ramen packs.

If you want fresh saimin look here.

http://shop.zippys.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29809
http://shop.zippys.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29804
http://shop.zippys.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29803

And they ship to the U.S mainland.

I do go to Zippy's at least once or twice a week.

I have mixed feelings about Top Ramen. Firstly, they are cheap and quick, and they taste good. No doubt they are great for starving college kids, but, pound for pound, I think spaghetti noodles and a can of tomato sauce is cheaper, as probably are BPJ's.
But as far as a BOB goes, I think Top Ramen is inappropriate because it does not supply enough energy or nutrients to meet the high demands that bugging out will call for. Also, BOB food should be able to be eaten right out of the package. Bugging out is not camping, and energy requirements must be able to be met while on the move, with one hand. I think performance bars are an ideal BOB food. Have you looked into Hooahs!
I suggest saving the Top Ramen for when your friend comes over to your house because he is hungry.

I take ramen on every backpacking trip. It rocks!