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Basic Information
There are four major categories of ramen: soy sauce ramen, pork bone ramen, miso ramen, and salt ramen. However, there are also other unique styles of ramen.
Tsukemen
Tsukemen, where noodles and soup are served in separate bowls, originated in 1955 at “Taishoken” in Tokyo. Mr. Yamagishi of this ramen shop started eating leftover noodles and soup separately, which is the origin of tsukemen. Today, tsukemen has become a major genre alongside ramen.
Abura Soba
Abura soba is a soupless ramen where a rich sauce based on sesame oil and soy sauce is put at the bottom of the bowl, and the noodles are mixed and eaten. It is said to have originated in the Musashino area of Tokyo. You can add chili oil or vinegar to taste, and toppings include onsen egg, chashu, menma, and green onions.
Taiwan Mazesoba
Taiwan Mazesoba is a local dish of Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture, in the central region of Japan. It is a type of soupless ramen where garlic and soy-flavored minced meat are placed on thick noodles. It is similar to abura soba, but uses colorful ingredients such as garlic chives, green onions, fish powder, and egg yolk, making it a visually vibrant ramen. The history is relatively recent, as it is said to have been invented by a ramen shop in Nagoya City in 2008.
Ramen Jiro
Ramen Jiro is a unique ramen invented by Mr. Yamada, a ramen shop owner in Tokyo, in 1968. It is characterized by a soy-flavored pork bone-based soup, thick noodles, and a heap of vegetables. Its taste and appearance are quite different from other ramen, and it could be said to be a completely different genre of ramen. Ramen influenced by Ramen Jiro is known as Jiro-style ramen.
Yokohama Iekei Ramen
Yokohama Iekei Ramen is a ramen that uses a pork bone soy sauce-based soup and thick noodles, originating in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture in the Kanto region since 1974. The shops serving this ramen attach “ie” (house) to the end of the shop name, hence the name. Common toppings include spinach, nori, and chashu. This Yokohama Iekei Ramen is very popular throughout Asia.
Wantanmen
Wantanmen is a type of ramen where wontons filled with ingredients such as shrimp, pork mince, chicken mince, and green onions are placed on top of the ramen. Wantanmen is eaten all over the world and is a very famous type of ramen.
Cantonese Noodles
Despite the Chinese place name “Canton”, this is a type of ramen that originated in Japan. It is a ramen where a sticky sauce made by mixing starch with a stir-fried meat and vegetables in a soy sauce-based soup is poured over the noodles.
Tantanmen
Tantanmen is a type of ramen said to originate from Sichuan Province, China, but Japanese tantanmen has been modified to suit Japanese tastes. Japanese tantanmen is less spicy than the Chinese version, and the noodles are thicker. Toppings include flavored minced meat, bok choy, and spinach. Based on this tantanmen, unique tantanmen have been created throughout Japan.
