Thou shalt not leave Japan without enjoying ramen.
If there were a commandment about traveling to Japan that I have followed religiously, that would be it. regardless of which part of Japan I am visiting, I never leave the country without stuffing my flabby face with ramen.
The history of ramen can be traced back to China’s wheat noodles, which was introduced to Japan by immigrants in the late 19th century. The Japanese embraced it, put their own spin to it, and owned it. Today, ramen is Japan’s quintessential comfort food. Not only does it represent how much the locals love food, it also shows how seriously they take cooking as an art form — the hard work, discipline, and creativity that goes into every bowl.
On top of that, ramen also reflects the physical and cultural landscape of the place. nearly every prefecture has their own version, depending on the the local taste, availability of ingredients, climate, and external influences. In this post, we’re compiling some of the ramen types that seared a mark on our minds.
(Disclaimer: My palate tend to favor rich, bold taste profiles. I’m not really into lighter flavors.)
Was befindet sich in diesem Leitfaden?
My personal Favorites1. Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen
2. Kumamoto Ramen
3. Hakata Ramen
4. Sapporo Ramen
5. classic Tokyo Shoyu Ramen
6. Yuzu Ramen
Other exceptional RamenHiroshima ramen
Onomichi Ramen
Takaida Ramen
Takayama Ramen
Bonus: Nagasaki’s Champon
Weitere Ideen auf YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Verwandte Beiträge:
My personal Favorites
1. Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen
Without a doubt, our favorite ramen is gyukotsu ramen, the signature style of Tottori prefecture.
Tottori is a little-known destination, at least among foreign travelers. but this underrated prefecture in the Chūgoku region has a rich culinary tradition. some of Japan’s a lot of popular dishes have their roots in Tottori. It is where the idea of shabu-shabu was born and where the tastiest crabs and shrimps are caught.
While the rest of the world is in love with tonkotsu ramen, whose broth is made from pork bones, Tottori uses cattle bones in their gyukotsu ramen. We have been to nearly 30 prefectures so far and only Tottori uses this ingredient as base for their broth. It’s rare, yes, but not exactly surprising, given the prefecture’s affinity with beef. It is also home to Tottori beef, believed to be the precursor to other celebrated beef brands like Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef.
We have tried this twice — at Takauna and Hachibee in Kurayoshi City — and these are the two best bowls of ramen we’ve ever had. Takauna uses 100% cattle bone in its broth, accented by rock salt. Each spoonful launches an explosion of flavor that had me craving more. Each bowl of firm wavy noodles is crowned with slowly cooked chashu (pork belly), nori (seaweed), bamboo shoots, and green onions. Both my teammate Asta and I finished the bowl in no time. the best part, it’s only ¥600.
At Hachibee, the ramen is topped with thick cuts of pork neatly and beautifully arranged. The beef bone flavor is undeniable but gentle, not overpowering but blending well with white shoyu. The smokiness of the big chunks of pork carry loin, barbequed to perfection, was absolutely killer. Each serving comes with nori (seaweed), bamboo shoots, and green onions. and for only ¥800, this is waaay too good for its price.
✅ a lot more INFO: WHERE TO eat IN TOTTOR!
2. Kumamoto Ramen
Kumamoto Ramen by Tengaiten
Kumamoto is one of the seven prefectures making up the southern island of Kyushu. The styles of this region mostly come from Kurume, where the original tonkotsu soup was invented. Tonkotsu literally translates to “pork bones”, which is boiled and simmered for hours. Its neighboring cities then adapted and had their way with it, creating a variety of specialties that are distinct from each other. In Kumamoto, that distinct quality can be summed up in a word — garlic. lots of lots of it. and guess what, garlic is – without a doubt – the one spice I can’t live without.
Sure, other styles use garlic too, but Kumamoto goes crazy with it. Kumamoto ramen’s broth is normally assari, which indicates light and thin, generally because it is often blended with chicken stock. but for a lighter-bodied bowl, Kumamoto ramen also packs a strong punch. thanks to the generous servings of garlic, which may come in lots of forms: a layer of mayu (burnt garlic oil), sprinkles of fried garlic chips, or both. Regardless, it is this distinctly strong garlic taste that sets it besides other ramen styles.
✅ a lot more INFO: things TO do in KUMAMOTO
3. Hakata Ramen
The first bowl of hakata ramen was served in the streets of Nakasu in Hakata, which is now part of Fukuoka City. Each city in Japan has their own version of preparing ramen, but Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen is undoubtedly the most successful, spreading not just around the country but around the globe.
Like Kumamoto ramen, Hakata ramen is an offshot of the original tonkotsu ramen created in Kurume. but Hakata’s take on it took it to another level. Hakata’s stock is often kotteri, which is rich, opaque, and often frothy. It uses thin, firm noodles and is typically topped with green onions and slices of chashu pork. It packs a powerful dose of umami with every spoonful.
The world-famous Ichiran, with branches even in North America, has its roots in Hakata. You’ll also find widely respected ramen bars like Shin-shin, Anzen Syokudo, and Ramen Kobo Ryu. and of course, it is also served at lots of yatai stalls throughout the city.
At Shin-shin and Hakata Issou, I observed that it also has a very subtle bitter aftertaste, which prevents the porky flavor from being too overpowering.
✅ a lot more INFO: WHERE TO eat IN FUKUOKA!
4. Sapporo Ramen
In Sapporo, the signature is miso ramen, which taps the magic of miso paste, made by fermenting soy beans and blended with chicken stock or dashi (fish stock). Sometimes, chili paste is added to deliver a spicy kick that is very welcome in long Hokkaido winter.
When I asked locals where to find the best miso ramen in the city, they pointed us to Ramen Shingen. and if the queue outside is any indication, it may really be one of the most popular ramen bars in Sapporo. considering that we were there just before midnight and in freezing weather, the place was packed with locals. In fact, after falling in line outside, we stepped inside and, whoa, there was still a line. Haha. There were only 12 seats, so you must really expect to wait.
Ramen Shingen’s spicy miso bowl is called Echigo, which cradles chewy, curly noodles topped with chashu and kakuni. The richness, flavor strength, and even the piquancy were perfect. despite the gigantic serving, we were able to slurp every last strand of the noodles and every last drop of its broth.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I had my best miso ramen at a bar called Shirakaba Sansou at Sapporo Ramen Kyowakoku (aka Ramen Republic). It also has similar wavy noodles, but adorned with nori, bamboo shoots, ajitama (egg), chashu (pork), garlic oil, and black pepper. The broth is so rich that the miso is the evident star of this bowl, and it works perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. and like I said, I’m a bit partial to anything with a strong garlic flavor, so… there.
✅ a lot more INFO: WHERE TO eat IN SAPPORO!
5. classic Tokyo Shoyu Ramen
As Japan’s capital, Tokyo’s restaurant scene is wild, vibrant, and exceptionally diverse. Whatever type of ramen you crave, you’ll probably find a bar using that somewhere in the city. but Tokyo’s standard style is not to be pushed aside.
The classic Tokyo ramen is basic but surprising. Its clear, light-bodied broth has a chicken or pork base mixed with standard dashi and shoyu. Drowning in it are wavy noodles, topped with chashu. one of the best bowls we had in Tokyo is served by Ramen 1/20 (Ramen Nijubunnoichi), featured on the Michelin guide a few times. Although they specialize in their shio ramen, their shoyu version has less subtle flavors that feels smooth and light. Each serving is plated cleanly but thoroughly — a whole ajitama resting on the spoon and a slice of pink chashu.
✅ a lot more INFO: TOKYO travel GUIDE!
6. Yuzu Ramen
What makes ramen successfully take Japan and the world by storm is its openness to interpretation. any individual can make a few changes here and there and call it their own. No wonder nearly every prefecture has their own version, and every restaurant has their own guarded recipe. It also paves the way for innovation.
One of our a lot of unforgettable bowls is Afuri’s yuzu ramen, which incorporates a touch of citrus to the tried-and-tested shio and shoyu concoctions. similar to lemon, yuzu is widely used in Japanese cuisine but not so much on ramen. but Afuri’s yuzu ramen perfectly adds a bright burst of citrusy tang that perfectly complements the savory combination of the broth, chashu, ajitama, and mizuna leaves. It’s a refreshing take on the ramen!
Other exceptional Ramen
Hiroshima ramen
Hiroshima’s own take on the good old ramen is the middle ground between the subtlety of Tokyo’s shoyu and the richness of Kyushu’s tonkotsu ramen. Its broth is thinner than Hakata, maybe because the pork bone base is also blended with vegetable and chicken stock. It also uses medium thin noodles. One thing I observed is that lots of shops offer a spicy, peppery version.
Aside from the noodle soup, Hiroshima also serves the “shirunashi tantanmen” or the soupless dan dan noodles. instead of broth, it usually has chili oil, fried ground pork sauce, and pepper mixed with thin straight noodles.
✅ a lot more INFO: HIROSHIMA travel GUIDE!
Onomichi Ramen
Although Onomichi is a city within Hiroshima Prefecture, its ramen is way out there. Onomichi-style ramen is the utmost comfort food. It’s light but sinful at the same time. Light because its broth is shoyu-based mixed with fish paste and chicken extracts. SinfUL, weil auf der Oberseite fettgeführt wird (Seabura), eine Zutat, für die diese Art von Ramen besonders bekannt war. Onomichi Ramen verwendet auch flache Nudeln.
✅ Viel mehr Informationen: Onomichi -Reiseführer!
Takaida Ramen
Menya Jorokus Chukasoba
Takaida ist eine Gegend mit Ramen Bars in Osakas Higashinari -Gemeinde. Traditionell nimmt der Takaida-Stil dicke Nudeln und ertrinkt es in einer hellkörperlichen Brühe, eine Mischung aus Hühnchen, Seetang und Shoyu.
In Dotonbori ist Menya Joroku (Menya Jouroku) ein Geschäft, das sich auf Ramen im Takaida-Stil spezialisiert hat. Der Bestseller ist Chukasoba (700 Yen), der durch seine tiefe dunkle Brühe gekennzeichnet ist und aus Hühnerbrühe und schwarzer Sojasauce hergestellt wurde. Viele Bewertungen sagen, dass es trotz seiner Farbe überraschend leicht ist. Ich bitte unterscheiden: Ich finde es ein bisschen schwer. Es hat einen intensiven salzigen Geschmack mit einem Hauch sauer. Das ist keine schlechte Sache für mich, denn wie ich bereits sagte, mag ich starke, reiche Profile. Jede Portion ist mit Scheiben geröstetem Schweinefleisch, gehackten Frühlingszwiebeln, Bambusaufnahmen und einem Schuss Black Pfeffer gekrönt.
✅ Viel mehr Informationen: Wo man in Osaka essen kann!
Takayama Ramen
Takayama Ramen (oder Hida-Takayama Ramen) ist eine weitere klare, leichte Version. Seine Brühe besteht aus Hühnerknochen, die mit Shoyu, Dashi, Gemüse und Mirin gemischt werden, einem Gewürz, der dem Sake ähnelt, aber mit höherem Zucker- und niedrigerer Alkoholgehalt. Schwimmen in der hellen, leckeren Suppe sind dünne, lockige Nudeln, gegrilltes Schweinefleisch, Bambusschießen und Lauch.
✅ Viel mehr Informationen: Takayama Reiseführer!
Bonus: Nagasakis Champon
Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich dies einbeziehen muss oder nicht, weil ich nicht weiß, ob dies immer noch im Ramen -Bereich liegt, aber was auch immer.
Ich konnte kein Foto von dem Champon machen, den wir in Nagasaki hatten, weil wir hungrig waren, haha. Hier ist ein Foto von Champon von einem Resto in Fukuoka.
Champon ist Nagasakis charakteristischer Nudelsuppengericht. Es verwendet auch Ramen (gezogene Nudeln), aber sie sind dicker als gewöhnlich. Die mit Schweine und Hühnerknochen hergestellte Brühe ist auch dicker konsistenter – cremig, fast milchig – aber heller im Geschmack. Jede Schüssel bietet auch großzügige Hilfe von verschiedenen Gemüse und Meeresfrüchten, normalerweise Garnelen und Tintenfisch. Oft werden andere Fleischarten wie Hühnchen oder Speck hinzugefügt.
Die Herkunft von Champon kann auf ein chinesisches Restaurant namens Shikaairō zurückgeführt werden, von dem angenommen wird, dass er 1899 Champon geschaffen hat, um sich mit den chinesischen Schülern zu befassen, die versuchen, billiges, aber komfortables Essen zu füllen. Das Restaurant arbeitet bis heute und hat sogar ein angeschlossenes Champon Museum. Sie können es in der Nähe der Oura -Kirche finden.
✅ Viel mehr Info: Wo man in Kyushu essen kann!
2020 • 4 • 22
Weitere Ideen auf YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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