is a Chinese noodle dish popularized in Japan. It includes served in several flavors of

broth Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups ...

. Common flavors are

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle dishes and is a part of

Japanese Chinese cuisine Japanese Chinese cuisine, also known as ''chūka'', represents a unique fusion of Japanese cuisine, Japanese and Chinese cuisine, Chinese culinary traditions that have evolved over the late 19th century and more recent times. This style, serv ...

. Nearly every region in Japan has its own variation of ramen, such as the '' tonkotsu'' (pork bone broth) ramen of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

and the ''miso'' ramen of

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

. The origins of ramen can be traced back to Yokohama Chinatown in early 20th century. The word "ramen" is a Japanese borrowing of the Chinese word ''lāmiàn'' (), meaning "pulled noodles", but is not derived from the northern Chinese dish of

lamian Lamian (; "pulled noodles") is a type of soft wheat flour Chinese noodles, Chinese noodle that is particularly common in Northern and southern China, northern China. Lamian is made by twisting, stretching and folding the dough into strands, u ...

. Instead, the dish evolved from southern Chinese noodle dishes from regions such as

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

, reflecting the demographics of Chinese settlers in

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

. Ramen gained popularity in Japan, especially during food shortages following World War II. In 1958, instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando, further popularizing the dish. Today, ramen is a cultural icon in Japan, with many regional varieties and a wide range of toppings. Examples include

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

's rich miso ramen,

Hakodate is a Cities of Japan, city and seaports of Japan, port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of January 31, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 239,813 with 138,807 househol ...

's salt-flavored ramen, Kitakata's thick, flat noodles in pork-and- niboshi broth,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

-style ramen with soy-flavored chicken broth,

's Iekei Ramen with soy flavored pork broth, Wakayama's soy sauce and pork bone broth, and Hakata's milky '' tonkotsu'' (pork bone) broth. Ramen is offered in various establishments and locations, with the best quality usually found in specialist ramen shops called ''rāmen'ya'' (). Ramen's popularity has spread outside of Japan. In Korea, ramen is known both by its original name "ramen" () as well as ''ramyeon'' (), a local variation on the dish. In China, ramen is called ''rìshì lāmiàn'' (/ "Japanese-style lamian"). Ramen has also made its way into Western restaurant chains. Instant ramen was exported from Japan in 1971 and has since gained international recognition.

Etymology

The word ''ramen'' is a Japanese borrowing of the

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...

'' (, 'pulled noodles'). The word first appeared in Japan in Seiichi Yoshida's ''How to Prepare Delicious and Economical Chinese Dishes'' (1928). In the book, Yoshida describes how to make ''ramen'' using flour and '' kansui'', kneading it by hand, and stretching it with an illustration. He also states that ''ramen'' is better suited for soup or cold noodles than for baked noodles. In this case, however, ''ramen'' refers to Chinese noodles, not the dish. The first mention of ''ramen'' as a dish appears in Hatsuko Kuroda's ''Enjoyable Home Cooking'' (1947). Early ramen or ramen-like dishes went by different names, such as , or . For example, in 1903, in Yokohama Chinatown (then known as Nanjing Town), there was a . Until the 1950s, ramen was most commonly called , but today or just () are more common, as the word (, meaning 'China') has acquired a pejorative connotation through its association with anti-Chinese racism and Japanese imperialism.

History

Origin

Ramen is a Japanese adaptation of Chinese wheat

noodle soup Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such as ...

s.NHK World. ''Japanology Plus: Ramen''. 2014. Accessed 2015-03-08. It is first recorded to have appeared in Yokohama Chinatown in the early 20th century. Although ramen takes its name from ''

,'' it did not originate from the hand-pulled lamian noodles of northern China, since the noodles used in ramen are cut, not pulled. Rather, ramen is derived from southern Chinese noodle dishes such as '' char siu tangmian'' (roast pork noodle soup) from

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

, and ''rousi tangmian'' (sliced meat noodle soup) from Jiangnan. This is reflective of Yokohama Chinatown's demographics, as most Chinese settlers there were Cantonese or Shanghainese. Sōmen is another type of noodle of Chinese origin made from wheat flour, but in Japan it is distinguished from the noodles used in ramen. The noodles used for ramen today are called and are made with ''kansui'' (, alkaline salt water). The official diary of Shōkoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, , mentions eating , noodles with ''kansui'', in 1488. ''Jīngdàimiàn'' is the noodle of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

. This is the earliest record of ''kansui'' noodles being eaten in Japan. One theory says that ramen was introduced to Japan during the 1660s by the

neo-Confucian Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a Morality, moral, Ethics, ethical, and metaphysics, metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, which originated with Han Yu (768� ...

scholar Zhu Shunsui, who served as an advisor to Tokugawa Mitsukuni after he became a refugee in Japan to escape Manchu rule. Mitsukuni became the first Japanese person to eat ramen. However, the noodles Mitsukuni ate were a mixture of starch made from lotus root and wheat flour, which is different from ''chūkamen'' with ''kansui''. According to historians, the more plausible theory is that ramen was introduced to Japan in the late 19th Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum or early 20th centuries by Chinese immigrants living in Yokohama Chinatown. By 1884, lamian noodles had grown popular in Yokohama,

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

, and

, however, this popularity was mostly concentrated among Chinese immigrants and was called ''Nankin soba ('

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

noodles')''. The Japanese government passed a law in 1899 allowing resident aliens to own businesses outside their designated settlements. This development, in addition to the increased labor demands led to a spread of Chinese immigrants throughout Japan. By 1900, restaurants serving Chinese cuisine from

and Shanghai offered a simple dish of noodles, a few toppings, and a broth flavored with salt and pork bones. Many Chinese living in Japan also pulled portable food stalls, selling ramen and gyōza

dumpling Dumplings are a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of cooked dough (made from a variety of starchy sources), often wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, wheat or other flours, or potatoes, and it may be filled wi ...

s to workers. By the mid-1900s, these stalls used a type of a musical horn called a '' charumera'' (, from the Portuguese ) to advertise their presence, a practice some vendors still retain via a loudspeaker and a looped recording. By the early

Shōwa period Shōwa most commonly refers to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa ** Shōwa era (昭和), the era of Hirohito from 1926 to 1989 * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufactu ...

, ramen had become a popular dish when eating out.

First store

The Japanese-style Chinese noodle RAMEN of the restaurant RAIRAIKEN at Yutenji Tokyo

According to ramen expert Hiroshi Osaki, the first specialized ramen shop was ' (), which opened in 1910 in Asakusa, Tokyo. The Japanese founder, Kan'ichi Ozaki (尾崎貫一), employed twelve

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

cooks from

's Chinatown and served the ramen arranged for Japanese customers.新横浜ラーメン博物館「日本のラーメンの歴史」
/ref> Early versions were wheat noodles in broth topped with char siu. The store also served standard Chinese fare like wontons and shumai, and is sometimes regarded as the origin of Japanese-Chinese fusion dishes like '' chūkadon'' and ''

tenshindon ''Tenshindon'' (), also known as ''tenshinhan'' (), is a Japanese Chinese cuisine, Japanese Chinese specialty, consisting of a crab meat omelette on rice, named after Tianjin in North China, northern China.Meguro Ward, Tokyo. In 1968, one of Kan'ichi Ozaki's apprentices opened a store named ''Shinraiken'' ("New Raiken") in

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...

. In 2020, Ozaki's grandson and great-great-grandson re-opened the original ''Rairaiken'' as a store inside Shin-Yokohama Rāmen Museum.

Popularization and modernization

After Japan's defeat in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the American military occupied the country from 1945 to 1952. In December 1945, Japan recorded its worst rice harvest in 42 years, which caused food shortages as Japan had drastically reduced rice production during the war as production shifted to colonies in China and Formosa island. The US flooded the market with cheap wheat flour to deal with food shortages. From 1948 to 1951, bread consumption in Japan increased from 262,121 tons to 611,784 tons, but wheat also found its way into ramen, which most Japanese ate at

black market A black market is a Secrecy, clandestine Market (economics), market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality, or is not compliant with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the set of goods and services who ...

food vendors to survive as the government food distribution system ran about 20 days behind schedule. Although the Americans maintained Japan's wartime ban on outdoor food vending, flour was secretly diverted from commercial mills into the black markets, where nearly 90 percent of stalls were under the control of gangsters related to the '' yakuza'' who extorted vendors for protection money. Thousands of ramen vendors were arrested during the occupation. In the same period, millions of Japanese troops returned from China and continental East Asia from their posts in the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...

. Some of them would have been familiar with wheat noodles. By 1950 wheat flour exchange controls were removed and restrictions on food vending loosened, which further boosted the number of ramen vendors: private companies even rented out '' yatai'' starter kits consisting of noodles, toppings, bowls, and chopsticks. Ramen provided a rare opportunity for small-scale postwar entrepreneurship. The Americans also aggressively advertised the nutritional benefits of wheat and animal protein. The combination of these factors caused wheat noodles to gain prominence in Japan's rice-based culture. Gradually, ramen became associated with urban life. In 1958,

instant noodle Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by Deep frying, flash-frying cooked noodles, ...

s were invented by Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese-Japanese founder and chairman of Nissin Foods. Named the greatest Japanese

invention An invention is a unique or novelty (patent), novel machine, device, Method_(patent), method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It m ...

of the 20th century in a Japanese poll, instant ramen allowed anyone to make an approximation of this dish simply by adding boiling water. Beginning in the 1980s, ramen became a Japanese cultural icon and was studied around the world. At the same time, local varieties of ramen were hitting the national market and could even be ordered by their regional names. A ramen museum opened in

in 1994. Today ramen is one of Japan's most popular foods, with Tokyo alone containing around 5,000 ramen shops, and more than 24,000 ramen shops across Japan. ''Tsuta'', a ramen restaurant in Tokyo's Sugamo district, received a Michelin star in December 2015.

Types

A wide variety of ramen exists in Japan, with geographical and vendor-specific differences even in varieties that share the same name. Usually varieties of ramen are differentiated by the type of broth and tare used. There are five components to a bowl of ramen: tare, aroma oil, broth, noodles, and toppings.

Noodles

The type of noodles used in ramen are called , which are derived from traditional Chinese alkaline noodles known as (). Most are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water, and ', derived from the Chinese (), a type of alkaline mineral water containing

sodium carbonate Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda ash, sal soda, and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield alkaline solutions in water ...

and usually potassium carbonate, as well as sometimes a small amount of

phosphoric acid Phosphoric acid (orthophosphoric acid, monophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid) is a colorless, odorless phosphorus-containing solid, and inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is commonly encountered as an 85% aqueous solution, ...

. Ramen is not to be confused with different kinds of noodle such as

soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") are Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour, with a small amount of wheat flour mixed in. It has an ashen brown color, and a slightly grainy texture. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sau ...

udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as with a mild broth called made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usual ...

, or somen. The is the distinguishing ingredient in , and originated in

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...

, where some lakes contain large amounts of these minerals and whose water is said to be perfect for making these noodles. Making noodles with lends them a yellowish hue as well as a firm texture. But since there is no natural or ''kansui'' in Japan, it was difficult to make or ''chūkamen'' before the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

(1868). Ramen comes in various shapes and lengths. It may be thick, thin, or even ribbon-like, as well as straight or wrinkled. Traditionally, ramen noodles were made by hand, but with growing popularity, many ramen restaurants prefer to use noodle-making machines to meet the increased demand and improve quality. Automatic ramen-making machines imitating manual production methods have been available since the mid-20th century produced by such Japanese manufacturers as Yamato MFG. and others.

Soup

Similar to Chinese soup bases, ramen soup is generally made from chicken or pork, though vegetable and fish stock is also used. This base stock is often combined with dashi stock components such as katsuobushi (

skipjack tuna The skipjack tuna (''Katsuwonus pelamis'') is a perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Katsuwonus''. It is also known as katsuo, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna or victor fish. ...

flakes), niboshi (dried baby sardines), *Whole web page which links to the PDF above: saba bushi ( mackerel flakes),

shiitake The shiitake (; ''Chinese/black mushroom'' or ''Lentinula edodes'') is a macrofungus native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed around the globe. Taxonomy The fungus was first described scientifically as '' Agaricus edodes'' by ...

, and

kombu ''Konbu'' (from ) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' () or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many civilizations, including Chinese and Icela ...

(kelp). Ramen stock is usually divided into two categories: chintan and paitan. * ''Chintan'' (; 'clear soup'), derived from the Chinese ''qīngtāng'' (), is a clear stock, made by simmering ingredients and frequently skimming foam and scum off the top of the pot. Chintan stocks are the most common kind, and can be made from chicken, pork, vegetables and/or niboshi. * (; 'white soup'), derived from the Chinese '' baitang'' (), is a broth with an opaque white colored appearance and a creamy consistency that rivals milk, melted butter or gravy (depending on the shop). Paitan stock is made by boiling pork or chicken bones at a high heat for hours at a time, allowing the bones to emulsify into the soup. The most well-known and common paitan stock is (, 'pork bone'; not to be confused with ''

tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, Deep frying, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with Bread crumbs#Panko, panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu ...

''). Although is merely a kind of broth, some people consider ''tonkotsu'' ramen (specialty of Kyushu, its birthplace) a distinct flavor category. When chicken bones are used to make a paitan stock, the resulting soup is called ''tori paitan'' ().

Tare

Muroran Curry Ramen Ajino-Daioh Muroran Honten

Tare sauce is a general term in Japanese cuisine for dipping sauces often used in grilling (''yakitori'' and ''yakiniku'', especially as ''teriyaki'' sauce) as well as with ''sushi'', ''nabemono'', and ''gyoza''. It can also be used to make the soup for ...

is a sauce that is used to flavor the broth. The main purpose of tare is to provide salt to the broth, but tare also usually adds other flavors, such as umami. There are three main kinds of tare. * (, 'salt') ramen is the oldest of the four types. This tare is made from cooking alcohols like

mirin is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine, Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol (drug), alcohol content and higher sugar content. The sugar content is a complex carbohydrate that forms natur ...

and sake, umami ingredients like kombu, niboshi and MSG, and salt. Occasionally pork bones are also used, but they are not boiled as long as they are for ramen, so the soup remains light and clear. In shio ramen, '' chāshū'' is sometimes swapped for lean chicken meatballs, and pickled plums and ''

kamaboko is a type of Curing (chemistry), cured , a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. It was initially made in the year 1115. Production and uses is made by forming various Purée, pureed deboned whitefish (fisheries term), whit ...

'' (a slice of processed fish roll sometimes served as a frilly white circle with a pink or red spiral called ''

narutomaki or is a type of ''kamaboko'', or cured fish '' surimi'' produced in Japan. Each cloud-shaped slice of ''naruto'' has a pink or red spiral pattern, which is meant to resemble the Naruto whirlpools in the Naruto Strait between Awaji Island ...

'') are popular toppings as well. Noodle texture and thickness varies among ramen, but they are usually straight rather than curly. ''

ramen'' is a well-known version of ramen in Japan. * (, '

') tare is similar to shio tare, but with the addition of soy sauce, which boosts the salty and umami flavor even further. ramen usually has curly noodles rather than straight ones, although this is not always the case. It is often adorned with marinated bamboo shoots or '' menma'', scallions, ('carrot'), ('fish cakes'), ('seaweed'), boiled eggs, bean sprouts or

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diameter ...

; occasionally the soup will also contain chili oil or Chinese spices, and some shops serve sliced beef instead of the usual '' chāshū''. * () ramen reached national prominence around 1965. This uniquely Japanese ramen, which was developed in Sapporo, Hokkaido, features a broth that combines copious miso and is blended with oily chicken or fish broth – and sometimes with or lard – to create a thick, nutty, slightly sweet and very hearty soup. ramen broth tends to have a robust, tangy flavor, so it stands up to a variety of flavorful toppings: spicy bean paste or '' tōbanjan'' (), butter and corn, leeks, onions, bean sprouts, ground pork, cabbage, sesame seeds, white pepper, chilli and chopped garlic are common. The noodles are typically thick, curly, and slightly chewy.

Toppings

After basic preparation, ramen can be adorned with any number of toppings, including but not limited to: * '' Chāshū'' (sliced barbecued or braised pork) * '' Negi'' (green onion) * (Pickled and seasoned mustard leaves) * Seasoned (usually salted) boiled egg ( soy egg, or ''ajitama'') *

Bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

or other sprouts * '' Menma'' (lactate-fermented bamboo shoots) * '' Kakuni'' (braised pork cubes or squares) * ( wood ear mushroom) * Nori (dried seaweed) * ''

Kamaboko is a type of Curing (chemistry), cured , a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. It was initially made in the year 1115. Production and uses is made by forming various Purée, pureed deboned whitefish (fisheries term), whit ...

'' (formed fish paste, often in a pink and white spiral called ''

'') *

Squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

* '' Umeboshi'' (pickled plum) *

Corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

Butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

* Wakame (a type of seaweed) *

Olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

Sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

* ''Mayu'' (black garlic oil) * Other types of

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

Preference

Seasonings commonly added to ramen are white pepper,

, butter,

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

, sesame seeds, and crushed garlic. Soup recipes and methods of preparation tend to be closely guarded secrets. Most ramen restaurants offer a system known as (), where customers who have finished their noodles can request a "refill" (for a few hundred yen more) to be put into their remaining soup.

Regional variations

While standard versions of ramen are available throughout Japan since the Taishō period, the last few decades have shown a proliferation of regional variations, commonly referred to as ''ramen'' ( "regional ramen"). Some of these which have gone on to national prominence are: *

, the capital of

, is especially famous for its ramen. Most people in Japan associate Sapporo with its rich ramen, which was invented there and which is ideal for Hokkaido's harsh, snowy winters. Sapporo ramen is typically topped with sweetcorn, butter, bean sprouts, finely chopped pork, and garlic, and sometimes local seafood such as scallop,

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

, and crab.

, another city of Hokkaido, is famous for its salt-flavored ramen, while

Asahikawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core cities of Japan, core city since April 1, 2000. The city i ...

in the north of the island offers a soy sauce-flavored variation. In Muroran, many ramen restaurants offer Muroran curry ramen. * Kitakata ramen is known for its rather thick, flat, curly noodles served in a pork-and-'' niboshi'' broth. The area within the former city limits has the highest per-capita number of ramen establishments. Ramen has such prominence in the region that locally, the word usually refers to ramen, and not to actual

which is referred to as ('Japanese soba'). * Tokyo-style ramen consists of slightly thin, curly noodles served in a soy-flavored chicken broth. The Tokyo-style broth typically has a touch of '' dashi'', as old ramen establishments in Tokyo often originate from

eateries. Standard toppings are chopped scallion, menma, sliced pork, kamaboko, egg, nori, and spinach.

Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro Station, and several shops, restaurants, and department stores are located within city limits. Transportation At the center of Ikebukuro is ...

, Ogikubo and Ebisu are three areas in Tokyo known for their ramen. *

ramen specialty is called Ie-kei (). It consists of thick, straight noodles served in a soy flavored pork broth similar to , sometimes referred to as, . The standard toppings are roasted pork ( chāshū), boiled spinach, sheets of nori, often with shredded Welsh onion () and a soft- or hard-boiled egg. It is traditional for customers to customize the softness of the noodles, the richness of the broth and the amount of oil they want. * Wakayama ramen in the

Kansai region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...

has a broth made from soy sauce and pork bones. * Hakata ramen originates from Hakata district of

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

city in

. It has a rich, milky, pork-bone broth and rather thin, non-curly and resilient noodles. Often, distinctive toppings such as crushed garlic, '' beni shōga'' (pickled ginger), sesame seeds, and spicy pickled mustard greens () are left on tables for customers to serve themselves. Ramen stalls in Hakata and Tenjin are well known within Japan. Recent trends have made Hakataramen one of the most popular types in Japan, and several chain restaurants specializing in Hakata ramen can be found all over the country. *Tofu ramen is a specialty of Iwatsuki ward in Saitama City. * Nabeyaki ramen is a specialty of Susaki City, as well as other cities in western Kōchi Prefecture. Nabeyaki ramen is made with a chicken based broth, thin noodles and a soy tare, all served boiling hot in an enamelled pot. Toppings vary, but mainstays include a raw egg that poaches in the bowl, sliced spring onions and chikuwa fish cakes. *

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

ramen specialties include "Taiwan ramen", which despite its name originated in Nagoya and features a very spicy broth. It became famous in the 1980s during a fad for super hot food. It bears some resemblance to danzai noodles but has both a spicy broth and spicy minced meat resulting in an extremely spicy dish. File:tokyoramen.jpg, Tokyo-style ramen File:kitakatara-men.jpg, Kitakata ramen File:Hakatara-men.jpg, Hakata ramen with soup File:Wakayamaramen222.jpg, Wakayama ramen File:Tsukemen.jpg, '' Tsukemen'' dipping ramen File:Aburasoba-tokyoarea-feb192020.jpg, ('oiled noodles') File:takayama_ramen.jpg, Takayama ramen File:Hiyashira-men.jpg, (chilled) ramen File:Butter Corn Ramen.JPG, Butter corn ramen, specialty of Hokkaido File:151010 Sapporo ramen at Susukino Sapporo Hokkaido Japan01s.jpg,

-style ramen File:Muroran-CurryRamen.jpg, Muroran curry ramen File:Service set (Ramen (kotteri), half-size fried rice, and Gyoza)at Tenkaippin, Koenji (32897689265).jpg, Ramen and '' chahan''

Related dishes

There are many related, Chinese-influenced noodle dishes in Japan. The following are often served alongside ramen in ramen establishments. They do not include noodle dishes considered traditionally Japanese, such as

, which are almost never served in the same establishments as ramen. *

'' champon''. The noodles are thicker than ramen but thinner than udon. is topped with a variety of ingredients, mostly seafood, stir-fried and dressed in a starchy sauce. The stir-fried ingredients are poured directly over the cooked noodles, with the sauce acting as a soup. * is a mild, usually salty soup, served with a mix of sautéed vegetables and seafood/pork. Not to be confused with (see after). * has long, straight noodles and wonton, served in a mild, usually salty soup. * '' Tsukemen'' ('dipping noodles'). The noodles and soup are served in separate bowls. The diner dips the noodles in the soup before eating. Can be served hot or chilled. * (). Japanese version of dan dan noodles, itself a

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

specialty. Ramen in a reddish, spicy chili and sesame soup, usually containing minced pork, garnished with chopped scallion and chili and occasionally topped with spinach or bok choi (). * or (, 'noodles in

hot and sour soup Hot and sour soup is a popular example of Chinese cuisine. Although it is often said to have originated in Sichuan, this is actually a variant of ''hulatang'' or "pepper hot soup" (胡辣汤) with added vinegar to enhance the sourness. This vari ...

') is very similar to

, but served with long noodles. The topping ingredients are sautéed and a thickener is added before the mix is poured on the soup and the noodles. * ('oil-noodles'). Ramen and toppings served without the soup, but with a small quantity of oily soy-based sauce instead. * '' Hiyashi-chūka'' (, 'chilled Chinese'). Also known as , esp. in western Japan. A summer dish of chilled ramen on a plate with various toppings (typically thin strips of omelet, ham, cucumber and tomato) and served with a vinegary soy dressing and ''

karashi , also known as '' oni karashi'', is a type of mustard used as a condiment or as a seasoning in Japanese cuisine. ''Karashi'' is made from the crushed seeds of '' Brassica juncea'' (brown mustard) and is usually sold in either powdered or paste ...

'' (Japanese mustard). It was first produced at the Ryutei, a Chinese restaurant in

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...

Restaurants in Japan

Ramen is offered in various types of restaurants and locations including ramen shops, '' izakaya'' drinking establishments, lunch cafeterias, karaoke halls, and amusement parks. Many ramen restaurants only have a counter and a chef. In these shops, the meals are paid for in advance at a ticket machine to streamline the process. However, the best quality ramen is usually only available in specialist restaurants. Some restaurants also provide ''

Halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...

'' ramen (using chicken) in Osaka and Kyoto. As restaurants offer mainly ramen dishes, they tend to lack variety in the menu. Besides ramen, some of the dishes generally available in a restaurant include other dishes from

such as fried rice (called or ), ''

gyoza ''Jiaozi'' or Gyoza (; ) are a type of Chinese dumpling. ''Jiaozi'' typically consist of a ground meat or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together. ''Jiaozi'' can be ...

'' (Chinese dumplings), and beer. interiors are often filled with Chinese-inspired decorations. From January 2020 to September 2021 during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, many ramen restaurants were temporarily closed, with 34 chains filing for bankruptcy by September 2020. Ramen restaurants are typically narrow and seat customers closely, making

social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dise ...

difficult.

Outside Japan

Ramen became popular in China where it is known as (, ). Restaurant chains serve ramen alongside Japanese dishes, such as tempura and yakitori. In Japan, these dishes are not traditionally served with ramen, but

, '' kara-age'', and others from

. In Korea, there is a variation of ramen called '' ramyeon'' (), made much spicier than ramen. There are different varieties, such as kimchi-flavored . While usually served with egg or vegetables such as carrots and scallions, some restaurants serve variations of containing additional ingredients such as dumplings, ''

tteok ''Tteok'' () is a general term for Korean rice cakes. They are made with steamed flour of various grains, especially glutinous rice, glutinous and non-glutinous Japonica rice, rice. Steamed flour can also be pounded, shaped, or pan-fried to make ...

'', or cheese as toppings. Famous ramyeon brands include Shin Ramyeon and Buldak Ramyeon. Outside of Asia, particularly in areas with a large demand for

Asian cuisine Asian cuisine encompasses several significant regional cooking styles of Asia: Central Asian, East Asian, North Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian. Cuisine is a distinctive way of cooking practices and customs, usually associat ...

, there are restaurants specializing in Japanese-style foods such as ramen noodles. For example, Wagamama, a UK-based restaurant chain serving pan-Asian food, serves a ramen noodle soup and in the United States and Canada, Jinya Ramen Bar serves ramen.

Instant ramen

Instant ramen noodles were exported from Japan by Nissin Foods starting in 1971, bearing the name "Oodles of Noodles". One year later, it was re-branded "Nissin

Cup Noodles A cup noodle is an instant ramen product in a disposable cup, first developed in 1971 and manufactured by the Japanese food company Nissin Foods. The product was first introduced in the United States as "Cup O' Noodles" in 1972, before being ren ...

", packaged in a foam food container (It is referred to as Cup Ramen in Japan), and subsequently saw a growth in international sales. Over time, the term ''ramen'' became used in North America to refer to other instant noodles. While some research has claimed that consuming instant ramen two or more times a week increases the likelihood of developing heart disease and other conditions, including diabetes and stroke, especially in women, those claims have not been reproduced and no study has isolated instant ramen consumption as an aggravating factor. However, instant ramen noodles, known to have a serving of 43 g, consist of very high sodium. At least 1,760 mg of sodium are found in one packet alone. It consists of 385 kilocalories, 55.7 g of carbohydrates, 14.5 g of total fat, 6.5 g of saturated fat, 7.9 g of protein, and 0.6 mg of thiamine.

Canned version

In Akihabara, Tokyo, vending machines distribute warm ramen in a steel can known as . It is produced by a popular local ramen restaurant in flavors such as and curry, and contains noodles, soup, '' menma'', and pork. It is intended as a quick snack, and includes a small folded plastic fork.

In popular culture

Emoji

In October 2010, an

emoji An emoji ( ; plural emoji or emojis; , ) is a pictogram, logogram, ideogram, or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages. The primary function of modern emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from type ...

was approved for

Unicode Unicode or ''The Unicode Standard'' or TUS is a character encoding standard maintained by the Unicode Consortium designed to support the use of text in all of the world's writing systems that can be digitized. Version 16.0 defines 154,998 Char ...

6.0 for "Steaming Bowl", that depicts Japanese ramen noodles in a bowl of steaming broth with chopsticks. In 2015, the icon was added to Emoji 1.0.

Film

The main storyline of '' Tampopo'', a 1985 Japanese comedy billed as the first "ramen western", concerns a trucker helping a widowed ramen shop owner reach the top of her craft.

Museum

The Shin-Yokohama Rāmen Museum is a museum about ramen, in the Shin-Yokohama district of Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama. Shinyokohama ramen museum