The Must-try Guide to Popular Types of Japanese Ramen
- Japanese Cuisine
- Last ModifiedJanuary 22, 2025
- ramen
Ramen is more than just a comforting bowl of noodles—it’s a culinary art deeply woven into Japanese culture. Each region of Japan boasts its own unique take on this beloved dish. Whether you’re a ramen connoisseur or just discovering its magic, understanding the different styles can elevate your appreciation for this iconic food.
Ready to dive into the world of Japanese ramen?
Types of Soup Base Flavor
There are many types of soup base flavor and sometimes some of them are combined to make it more unique. Let’s find basic soup base which is used for Japanese ramen.
- Shoyu (Soy Sauce) : The most basic flavor everyone knows.
- Shio (Salt) : Very light flavor.
- Miso : Popular flavor made of miso, which is Japanese traditional seasoning made of soy bean.
- Tonkotsu (Pork Bone) : Strong flavor and popular for young people in Japan.
- Tonkotsu Shoyu : Mixing of Shoyu and Tonkotsu soup. Not only strong flavor also deep.
- Chicken Soup : Can be strong and light both depending on the ramen restaurant. Rich and deep flavor.
Popular Types of Japanese Ramen
Jiro-kei (二郎系) Ramen
Jiro-kei ramen originated in the ramen restaurant in Tokyo called “Ramen 二郎” in 1968.
The characteristic features of Jiro-inspired ramen are the extra-thick, shiny, wheat-like noodles, pork-bone and soy sauce-based soup, topped with a heaping pile of boiled cabbage and bean sprouts, and a choice of additional toppings such as garlic, back fat, and karame (additional soy sauce-dare).
Basically the ramen restaurants which provide this type of ramen have some strict rules.
- Water and chopstick are self-service. Staffs don’t bring them to your seat.
- You have to finish as soon as possible. So many customers wait in line.
- You must leave the restaurant as soon as you finish eating. In addition, dishes must be placed on the counter tops and tables used must be wiped with a rug.
- Don’t order the amount you can not finish.
Ie-kei(家系) Ramen
This ramen was born in Yokohama in Kanagawa prefecture.
The soup is characterized by a thick broth made from pork bone broth and soy sauce, with chicken oil (chi-yu) floating on top.
The soup is well mixed with thick, straight noodles, and over the past few years, this ramen has become a favorite among many fans, with an increasing number of stores throughout Japan.
Spinach, chashu pork, and nori are the three standard toppings, and some stores have ajitama(flavor boiled egg) on top.
Ie-kei ramen originated in 1974. Yoshimuraya(吉村家),” which opened in Yokohama, is the headquarter of Iekei-Ramen, and many of the stores derived from it are named ‘ya(家),’ hence the name ‘Ie-kei’ Ramen.
Sapporo Ramen
Sapporo ramen originated in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It is the representative ramen of Hokkaido and widely spread throughout the country.
While other local ramen has a specific soup flavor, Sapporo ramen has “miso”, “shio”, and “shoyu” soups.
In fact, Sapporo ramen is characterized by its noodles. The medium-thick noodles are thick and chewy, and they go well with the soup.
Sapporo ramen has a long history, dating back to 1922. At that time, only soy sauce and salt were available, but later miso soup was also invented and expanded.
Hakata Ramen
Hakata tonkotsu ramen originated in Hakata, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. It features a cloudy white soup and ultra-thin noodles.
Ingredients are green onions, kikurage mushrooms, and chashu pork. Basically spicy red pepper paste is placed on the table in every Hakata ramen restaurants, and the popular way to eat it is to add it in the middle of the meal.
A characteristic of Hakata ramen is that you can choose the hardness of the noodle: “Bari-kata (very hard)”, “Kata (hard)”, “normal”, “soft” or “very soft”.
“Bari” means “very” in the Fukuoka dialect. People in Fukuoka seem to prefer hard noodles, and “BARI-KATA” and “KATA” are overwhelmingly ordered.
There are various theories as to the origin of Hakata Ramen, but it is said that the original ramen was invented in 1937.
Kitakata Ramen
Kitakata Ramen is a local dish of Kitakata, Fukushima Prefecture.
Along with Sapporo Ramen and Hakata Ramen, Kitakata Ramen is one of the three most popular local ramen in Japan.
The soup is characterized by its light soy sauce flavor. The broth varies from store to store, including tonkotsu (pork bone), niboshi (dried sardines), and chicken broth, so it is simple but can be enjoyed differently at each restaurant.
The noodles are thick and chewy, made with “flat, aged, multi-added water” noodles that contain a lot of water.
The main ingredients are chashu pork, menma, green onion, and naruto. It has the appearance of a typical ramen that might appear in an anime or manga.
Such Kitakata ramen originated in 1927. It will soon be 100 years old, and although it is not flashy, it has been loved for a long time and is one of the most representative ramen in Japan.
Summary
Here is the map showing which ramen originated where.
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