Topic

Ramen Styles

Regional bowls, broths and the shops that shaped them, from Sapporo miso to Hakata tonkotsu.

Ramen Styles A traveller's map of Japan's regional ramen From clear salt broths in Hokkaido to pork-and-bonito soba in Okinawa, a north-to-south tour of Japan's gotōchi ramen, one city and one bowl at a time. 5 min read

Ramen Styles Shoyu, shio, miso, tonkotsu: a field guide to ramen's four big flavours Three of ramen's big four name the seasoning at the bottom of the bowl, and one names the stock. Learn the difference and every menu gets easier to read. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Asahikawa shoyu ramen: a bowl with its own lid of lard In one of Japan's coldest cities, ramen comes with a double soup of meat and seafood, firm noodles and a glossy layer of lard that keeps every sip hot. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Hakata tonkotsu: pork bones, thin noodles and the art of the refill Milky pork-bone broth, noodles that cook in seconds and a call for kaedama. How Fukuoka's most famous bowl works, and how to order it like a regular. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Hakodate shio ramen: clear soup from an old harbour In Hokkaido's historic port city, ramen comes pale, clear and seasoned with salt, a light counterpoint to Sapporo's miso and Asahikawa's shoyu. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Iekei: Yokohama's family of rich, made-to-order ramen Tonkotsu-shoyu, golden chicken oil, thick noodles and sheets of nori. Iekei began at one Yokohama shop in 1974 and grew a family tree across Japan. 3 min read

Ramen Styles Kitakata: the town that eats ramen for breakfast In a Fukushima town of old storehouses, ramen is a morning habit. Meet asa-ra, a clear soy bowl and some of the most slurpable noodles in Japan. 3 min read

Ramen Styles Kumamoto ramen: tonkotsu with a toasted-garlic heart Kyushu pork-bone ramen, softened with chicken and crowned with fried garlic chips and mayu, an inky black garlic oil. Milder than Hakata, louder on garlic. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Nagasaki champon: a port city's everything-in-one bowl Pork, seafood and vegetables simmered with thick noodles in a cloudy broth. Nagasaki's champon is the generous dish of a city shaped by centuries of trade. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Okinawa soba: the island noodle with no buckwheat Thick wheat noodles, a pork-and-bonito broth and tender spare ribs. Okinawa soba is the islands' everyday bowl, and its name hides a pleasant surprise. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Onomichi ramen: soy, small fish and a scatter of pork fat A Seto Inland Sea port town's soy ramen, built on chicken and little fish, with flat noodles and soft flecks of pork back fat floating on top. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Ramen Jiro: the mountain, the garlic and the call A heap of sprouts, back fat and garlic over thick noodles, plus a ritual of called-out toppings. Inside the Tokyo bowl that grew a cult, and how to order without panic. 3 min read

Ramen Styles Sapporo miso: the bowl built for snow Wok-seared vegetables, a lid of lard and noodles with real bite. Sapporo's miso ramen was made for long Hokkaido winters, and every spoonful shows it. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Tantanmen: how a Sichuan street snack became a Japanese soup Born as soupless dandan noodles in Sichuan, tantanmen became a creamy sesame-and-chilli soup in Japan, and now comes both ways. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Tokushima ramen: brown, yellow, white and a raw egg on top On Shikoku, ramen is sorted by colour, topped with sweet simmered pork belly and eaten with rice. Here's how to read Tokushima's three broths. 3 min read

Ramen Styles Tokyo shoyu: the clear, brown bowl where it all began Before tonkotsu and tsukemen there was chuka soba: clear soy broth, curly noodles and a pink-swirled slice of naruto. Meet Tokyo's original ramen. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Toyama Black: the ramen that asks for rice Inky soy broth, a storm of coarse black pepper and plenty of salt. Toyama's famous ramen is said to have been made to eat alongside a bowl of rice. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Tsukemen: ramen, taken apart Thick noodles on one side, a dense, hot dipping broth on the other. Where tsukemen came from, why it took over Tokyo, and how to finish it properly. 4 min read

Ramen Styles Wakayama ramen: chuka soba with sushi on the side A rich tonkotsu-shoyu bowl, pressed mackerel sushi on the counter and an honour system for boiled eggs. Wakayama's local ramen has some delightful habits. 4 min read