I am really ashamed to admit this as a food editor, but here goes:
I tried my first bowl of ramen only very recently. Like, last year. I
know — it’s slightly humiliating, but there is some part of me that just revolts against what is popular. Yes, ramen is super yummy, but do we
really need all the hoopla around it?
After my first bowl of real ramen, I was a convert — but I'm not about to take a bath in it or anything. Yet, it seems that's exactly what some people are doing. The Yunessun Spa House in Hakone, Japan, is offering ramen baths as a
spa treatment. Apparently, the pork broth contains collagen, which is good for your skin and therefore merits its own section on the spa menu. Also, this particular spa claims the treatment can "help with your metabolism," which tends to slow down as you age.
While I personally could not stop rolling my eyes as I read about the "health benefits" of the ramen bath, I did find myself fantasizing about other foodstuffs I’d like to bathe
in: coffee, wine... Wait a minute; Yunessun Spa House also offers a coffee spa and a wine spa! Okay, I know where I'm taking my next vacation. But, you definitely won't find me in the ramen bath.