Everything You Need to Know About Ramen

We take an in-depth look inside your bowl (or cup).

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

When you hear the word “ramen,” it’s no surprise that dozens upon dozens of adaptations of Japan’s iconic noodle soup may spring to mind. The slurp-y, affordable comfort food first started popping up in port towns in the late 19th century in the form of imported Chinese hand-pulled Lamian noodles, and immediately became a favorite dish among locals. However it didn’t take long for the Japanese to go from making it their go-to meal at Chinese establishments to putting their own twist on the dish, changing the stock and toppings and selling it from street carts.

From there, thanks to the appetites of the American troops who had been stationed in Japan during World War II, the country’s signature dish made its way stateside. The rest would appear to be history: the classic Cup Noodles to the Ramen Burger that took Smorgasburg by storm prove that our favorite flavor-bomb in a bowl is here to stay. Still, that doesn’t mean we know nearly enough about the dish that’s grown with us, from comforting college all-nighter snack to the date night fine-dining option. So, join us as we guide you through the various components, styles, and dining decorum of ramen.

The Big Four Broths

The simplest way to categorize ramen is by the 'big four' broth-based styles that you'll typically see on menus in the States. This doesn't mean that there aren't hundreds of soups that fall somewhere in between, overlap between two or seem to be way off the grid. However, if you're a beginner, here's where to start:

Shoyu: A dark, clear, savory soy sauce base that originated in Tokyo is considered the most common style (pictured above).

Shio: This salt-based style has the palest broth and is made from a variety of seaweed and dried seafood or chicken. It is a specialty of Hakodate and is believed to be the oldest variety.

Tonkotsu: A rich, cloudy broth that is made from long-cooked pork bones, fat, and collagen and originated in Kurume.

Miso: Made with fermented bean paste, this tangy, nutty broth didn't become popular until the early 1960's after gaining a following in Sapparo.

Know Your Noodle

If someone were to ask you what exactly makes ramen noodles, you might just say that they're those noodles that come in Japanese soup. True, but it's worth knowing details. Traditional fresh ramen-style noodles are generally made with the same set of ingredients: wheat flour (occasionally egg), salt, water and kansui, which is an alkaline water that gives the noodles their buoyancy and yellowish color. However, they can still be differentiated by several criteria: thickness, color, degree of wave or shape (chijire) and the actual percent of water used to make them. For this reason some noodles are more compatible with certain broths. For example, wavy noodles work better with lighter or miso-style broths, while straight noodles pair better with thicker, tonkotsu-style broths.

Top It Up

What's something that has more possible topping combinations than a frozen yogurt at 16 Handles? Yup--ramen. These days many ramen shops allow you to pick and choose your toppings, and provide guidance as to what will go best with each broth (think the Ippudo menu that offers some standard ramen dishes and prints topping suggestions below others.). While there could be an entire post dedicated to the seemingly hodgepodge combination of everything that can go into your soup, here are some of the most popular:

Meat: Chashu pork (sliced pork belly or loin that's been roasted in a sweet soy and mirin sauce), kakuni (braised pork cubes), bacon, seafood including crab, scallops, mussels and shrimp, or kamaboko (those pink and white fish cakes).

Fresh vegetables: scallions (or negi in Japan, which is a sweeter type of leek), enoki mushrooms and corn.

Preserved vegetables: menma (braised bamboo shoots), wood ear mushrooms, nori and wakame seaweeds and kimchi.

Egg: ni-tamago aka ajitsuke tamago, which is soft boiled egg marinated in soy sauce, or onsen tamago, which has a consistency similar to a poached egg.

Don't Skimp on Seasoning

If there's one thing we've learned from Top Chef it's that if your dish is under-seasoned, you're going to be on the chopping block. When it comes to ramen, you may be inclined to think that seasonings are mixed directly into each soup's base broth (and many are, such as shio salt and miso), but in this age of unlimited options and substitutions, an increasing number of ramen shops are opting to hold off on flavorful, distinct seasonings until customers place their orders. Traditional seasonings include: sansho pepper (the Japanese equivalent to a Sichuan pepper, albeit a little more citrus-y), sesame seeds, garlic flakes, and togarashi (spicy chili powder). In Japan, MSG is still a common addition, as well as helpings of oils and fats.

Get Schooled on Regional Specialties

As we already noted, the standard ramen varieties all come from different areas of Japan. However, the years since the 1950s have seen a significant increase in regional specialties, many of which have caught on around the country. Here are three of our favorite local concoctions that made it big in Japan (and be sure to check out the Rameniac's guide for an in-depth look at the rest of the regional styles.)

Asahikawa ramen: Found in the northern island of Hokkaido, this rich tonkotsu style is designed with cold weather in mind and features an assortment of local seafood. It's also notably topped with a layer of grease to capture heat and make sure the ramen stays hot.

Kitakata ramen: This style is known for its thick, flat, curly noodles, which retain their unique shape due to the fact that they're made largely from mountain spring water. Fittingly, another characteristic of the region is their generous portion of noodles.

Hakata ramen (pictured above): Notably served at specialty food carts throughout the city, this is actually one of Japan's most popular styles. Since this area known for its pork dishes, it's no surprise that it features an exceptionally rich tonkotsu broth. Other characteristics include al dente ultra-thin noodles (one origin story notes that these were designed to appease the "impatient Hakata child."), and the unique topping of benishoga (pickled red ginger).

Know Thy Top Ramen

In addition to all the regional varieties, there's no shortage of quirky or unique trends that ramen chefs are playing around with today.

Abura soba style: This is a soup-less take on ramen that translates to "oil noodles," and that's exactly what this is. Although this Sapporo-style has been around since the 1950s, it only recently made the leap across the Pacific and landed in Ramen Yebisu in Williamsburg, where it's served with thick noodles, lobster oil and a soft boiled egg that you're intended to break and stir together for creamy deliciousness.

Mazemen: This dry style has been popularized in Japan by American (!) ramen chef Ivan Orkin who recently brought his Slurp Shop to Gotham West Market. Here the noodles are treated more like pasta with a sauce and, often, unusual toppings (The Mazeman above comes with cheese and salmon.)

Tantan-men: Harking back to the soup's Chinese roots, this ramen is essentially a riff off of Chinese dandan noodles, complete with a spicy red sauce.

Tsukemen: A dipping-type of ramen where all of the components are served separately and you can them into the broth and sauces bit by bit, the perceived advantage being that nothing will have to get soggy.

Noodle Etiquette 101

To sip or slurp: that is the question—and slurp is the answer you'll get from just about every expert out there. Not only is it more fun, but also if you do it properly and let the air in together with the noodles as you slurp, this aeration allows you to experience the full flavor of the broth (yup, similar to tasting wines.). Additionally serious ramen chefs maintain that the noodles will get soft and mushy within five minutes of sitting in the broth, so you need to start eating the second your bowl lands in front of you, even if your dining companion hasn't received their order yet. This is also explains why your noodles come separately when you order ramen on Seamless. Finally, on top of being encouraged to slurp and eat before everyone else at the table is served, you should also feel free to ask for keadama, an extra helping of noodles, if you finish with leftover broth.

An Ode to Instant

So far we've mainly been talking about fresh, restaurant-quality ramen, but that isn't to say that the instant varieties don't deserve their own shout out. The all-too-familiar Nissin Cup Noodle was invented in 1958 as simple chicken ramen and has since gone through so many incarnations that there is an entire museum devoted to it in Yokohama (pictured above). If you feel like veering away from the mainstream, there are plenty of other satisfying variations for sale at Asian specialty stores. We welcome this opportunity to give a special shout out to Sapporo Ichiban shio ramen and Maruchan's chicken and mushroom flavor.

Ramen Hacks

Thanks to a continuous supply of hungry, poor and lazy college students, an easy Internet search will provide you with dozens of techniques to spice up a sad serving of ramen at home (thanks, Serious Eats!). These hacks range for the super simple additions of condiments like fish sauce, hot sauce and ponzu, a variety of curry pastes, or even just a quick squeeze of lime to more creative solutions like a scoop of peanut butter to put a Pad Thai spin on things, a block of Velveeta to transform it into a mac-and-cheese or even just last night's leftovers and baby, you've got yourself a stew going!

The Noodles of the Future

At this point if you're wondering whether there could still be anything exciting left in the world of ramen, you still have some things to think about. Considering that ramen has its own food theme park in Japan that's been operational since 1994 on top of the Nissin Cup Noodle museum, this is a food where, edible-y and culturally, the possibilities are endless. Even if you spent your whole summer waiting in line for a cronut, you must have still heard about the Ramen Burger on the other side of the river. Shortly afterwards the man behind it, Keizo Shimamoto, released Ramen Dreams, a documentary that won Best Short at the NYC Food Film Festival. What's next? Ramen cookies? Ramen pizza? Whatever it is, we know it will be wonderful.