Types of Ramen

Classification by tare (the four basic genres)

Tare is a concentrated sauce that seasons the broth and adds umami.

• Shoyu (醤油, soy sauce) ramen: The origin of Japanese ramen. It is made by blending dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and traditionally brewed soy sauce, then simmering the mixture with mirin, kombu, and katsuobushi.

• Shio (塩, salt) ramen: The most refined form. It is made by combining a salt base with sake, koji, and shellfish extract, and the key culinary technique is maintaining the broth's clarity.

• Miso (味噌, fermented soybean paste) ramen: Originated in Sapporo in the 1950s. Miso is stir-fried with aromatic vegetables and dissolved into the broth, producing a nutty flavor and a rich, full body.

• Tonkotsu (豚骨, pork bone) ramen: Made by emulsifying collagen and fat from pork bones at high heat over an extended period. Strictly speaking, it is a type of broth, but today it is treated as an independent seasoning-based category.

Classification by broth richness and ingredients

The depth of flavor varies depending on which ingredients are extracted and how they are processed.

• Tori paitan (鶏白湯): An opaque broth base made by boiling chicken bones and meat over high heat. It is lighter than tonkotsu but has a notably creamy flavor.

• Niboshi (煮干し): Primarily made with dried sardines. It is divided into a clean-tasting style brewed after removing the innards and a thick, bitter “cement” style made by grinding the fish whole.

• Gyokai (魚介): A seafood broth made with ingredients such as dried mackerel flakes (sababushi), katsuobushi, and shellfish.

• W soup (double soup): A hybrid method in which animal-based broth (chicken/pork) and seafood broth are prepared separately and combined immediately before serving.

• Vegetable paitan (ベジ白湯): A rich vegetarian broth made solely from puréed vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and cauliflower.

Classification by form and preparation method

A classification based on whether the noodles are served in broth, dipped, or mixed

• Tsukemen (つけ麺): Boiled noodles are rinsed in cold water to remove surface starch, then dipped into a concentrated hot sauce called tsukejiru. This form is best suited to appreciating the noodles' distinctive texture.

• Abura soba (油そば): Meaning “oil noodles,” this form is eaten by mixing noodles with soy sauce-based seasoning and aromatic oil, without broth.

• Mazesoba (まぜそば): Mixed ramen originating in Nagoya. It is eaten by mixing the noodles with abundant toppings such as minced meat, garlic chives, powdered katsuobushi, and egg yolk.

• Tantanmen (担々麺): A spicy, nutty ramen based on chili oil (rayu) and sesame paste (zhimajiang).

Classification by historical lineage and region

These originated at particular establishments or in particular regions and formed ramen lineages or styles with their own conventions.

• Iekei lineage [article] (家系): Features a rich pork-bone-and-soy-sauce broth topped with chicken oil, spinach, and nori. It originated in Yokohama.

• Jiro (二郎) lineage: An extremely high-calorie ramen topped with a vast quantity of bean sprouts, minced garlic, and pork back fat (seabura). It is defined as “a food called Jiro, not ramen.”

• Taiwan ramen (台湾ラーメン): A dish developed at Misen (미센) in Nagoya, made intensely hot and pungent with stir-fried minced pork and chili peppers.

• Wonton noodles (ワンタン麺): A historical form in which thin-skinned dumplings (wontons) are served with the noodles, adding texture and satiety.

• Kurume (久留米) ramen: The origin of tonkotsu ramen. It uses the yobimodoshi method, in which fresh broth is continually added without using up the existing broth, giving it a deep and pronounced funky aroma.

Other special categories

• Hiyashi chuka (冷やし中華): A summer ramen dish of cold noodles topped with various ingredients and dressed with a tangy soy sauce-based sauce.

• Tanmen: A form retaining many Chinese culinary techniques, prepared by stir-frying vegetables and meat, then adding broth and simmering them together.