2 days Ago
In a lot of ways, Japanese convenience stores are a trove of edible treasures for ramen lovers. Between the standard instant cup noodle offerings, special limited-time flavors, and more upscale ramen bowls with fresh noodles and broth that you heat up in the microwave, you’ve got plenty of ways to get your fix. There’s an unfortunate downside to that, though.
If you like ramen, odds are you also like chashu , the strips of roast pork belly that are the exalted royalty of ramen toppings. While Japanese convenience stores have dozens of different ramens with tasty broths, pretty much all of them are severely lacking in the chashu department. Most instant varieties have no chashu at all, and even when the fresh-noodle bowls have some, it’s often just a single, thin strip.
All of which brings us to 7-Eleven’s new Kore zo Buta, or “THIS is Pork!” ▼ The package’s English text just says “Roasted Pork Belly,” which doesn’t have nearly as much impact, but we’re here to eat, not to read. Kore zo Buta gives you two pre-cooked, ready to eat slices of chashu in a sealed pouch. It does need to be kept refrigerated, but it doesn’t need to be cooked, though 7-Eleven says you can warm the unopened package up in a pot of just-under-boiling (90 degrees Celsius) water for a minute if you’d like.
They do caution, however, that the package should not be placed in the microwave. Kore zo Buta is priced at 321 yen a pack, and part of 7-Eleven’s higher-end Premium Seven s.
