The definitive college guide to ramen

Ramen has become such a ubiquitous staple that no real college experience would be complete without it. Indeed, at a relatively low cost, ramen, especially instant ones, has provided cash-strapped students like you and I with a relatively quick, satisfying and sufficiently tasty meal.

In a national poll conducted by Fuji Research Institute, instant ramen noodle was voted as the greatest Japanese export of the 20th century. Just as with the myriad of pizzas in Italy itself, there is a range of ramen variations based on local tastes, ingredients and cultures. Yet according to Nate Schokey, writer of culinary-literary publication Lucky Peach, ramen is a combination of only four key elements: broth, tare, noodles and toppings.

Here is the ultimate ramen guide that you’ll ever need. On those late night study sessions, we’ve got you covered. Just remember: when it comes to eating noodles and getting the most out of your ramen experience, slurp, don’t chomp.

Broths

All broths are either kotteri (rich) or assari (light).

Kotteri broths are made from bones that have been simmered slowly for a few days. The result is a rich, thick, almost creamy, and opaque broth packed with emulsified fats, minerals and proteins. An example of a kotteri broth is the Tonkotsu broth that is made by slowly simmering pork bones. The Tonkotsu broth is also mostly associated with the international ramen powerhouse chain Ippudo.

Contrastingly, assari broths are made from vegetables or fish that have been simmered for a shorter period of time. As a result, the broth is clear and thin.

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Tare

What transforms a basic boiled soup into a ramen broth is the tare – a liquid seasoning that adds a unique flavor profile to the broth.

There are three different types of tare – shio, shoyu and miso.

Shio literally translates to “salt”. Shio tare is made by boiling and reducing salty ingredients such as dried seafood, seaweed or dashi, till its concentrated and packed with umami flavor. It is then used to flavor lighter assari broths. This is the oldest type of ramen seasoning, derived from the original Chinese noodle soups.

Shoyu translates to “soy sauce”. Shoyu tare is made by reducing a variety of soy sauces into a concentrated seasoning. It is used to flavor both kotteri and assari broths.

Miso is the newest form of ramen, reaching national prominence in the mid 1960s. Originating from Northern Hokkaido where the long, cold winters demanded the need for a heartier and bolder bowl of soup, the miso tare is made by reducing fermented bean paste. It is used to flavor heavier kotteri broths. Because the miso broth tends to have a more robust flavor, it can be paired with heavier and flavorful toppings such as butter and sweet corn, ground pork and chopped garlic.

Noodles

Ramen noodles are made from wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui, an alkaline mineral water that gives ramen noodles their characteristic elasticity and yellow color. This high alkalinity is a critical property that enables ramen noodles to withstand the hot broth. Once added into the hot broth, the noodles will only keep its “perfect consistency” for five minutes. Any longer than that, the noodles will become overcooked and mushy. This explains exactly why you should always slurp our ramen for the best experience.

There are various types of ramen noodles that differ in size, shape, thickness, elasticity and texture. Usually, the counterintuitive rule to select a noodle for a particular broth is that the heavier the soup, the lighter the noodle. For example, the curves of curly noodles best capture the little bits of thick miso while the fine strands of thin, straight noodles cling together and hold the soup in via capillary action, enabling the umami, porky flavor of the tonkotsu broth to shine in each mouthful.

Noodles are generally made into three different types – fresh, dried and instant. Instant noodles are probably the ones that we college students are most familiar with and probably our very first introduction to the world of ramen. It is made by deep-frying partially cooked ramen noodles at a high temperature, leaving only about three-six percent of moisture content in the noodles. Dehydrating the noodles allows it to be stored for longer periods of time. This process also results in tiny holes on the surface of the noodles, enabling it to reconstitute more quickly when steeped in hot water.

Toppings

More than just an afterthought, ramen toppings are are often the defining characteristic of the various regional ramen types across Japan. Toppings can vary from meats to preserved vegetables to condiments and spices.

For meat, cha shu pork is the most popular topping. It is made by simmering pork loin or fatty pork belly in a sweet soy and mirin sauce until it is melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Seafood including crab, scallops, shrimp and mussels are simmered gently and usually paired with lighter broths made from either seafood or vegetables. There is also the kamaboko, a red and white fish cake typically served with these types of ramen. It is made of pureeing white fish and processing it with preservatives to maintain its freshness.

Eggs are a classic topping on a bowl of ramen. Ajitsuke Tamago, also known as nitamago, is a soft-boiled egg that has been marinated in soy sauce and mirin for several hours. The result is a slightly sweet and salty egg with a light brown exterior, and a golden, creamy yolk.

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Traditionally, Onsen Tamago are cooked in the Japanese onsen, or hot springs. Today, they are slow cooked at around 140 to 145°F, usually in high-tech sous-vide style water ovens, resulting in a tender, almost custard like white that’s barely set, and a yolk that’s creamy and runny perfect to be stirred into the broth for that extra richness.

Popular fresh vegetable toppings include scallions, cabbage, corn and mushrooms. The most popular of these is scallions – almost all bowls of ramen are topped with freshly sliced scallions, and seasoning packets of instant ramen noodles often contain dried scallions. Corn is a popular topping especially in Hokkaido where corn and butter are served atop bowls of miso ramen.

There are also preserved vegetables such as menma, seasoned and fermented bamboo shoots, dried wood ear mushrooms, nori, dried and compressed laver, and wakame, a slightly sweet version of nori that is usually served with bowls of shio ramen. These preserved vegetables often add a nice crunchy texture between mouthfuls of soup.

Condiments and spices are the final of layer of flavor to a bowl of ramen. It can either be added into the bowls of ramen in the kitchen, or served at the table. The most common is Togarashi, a Japanese chilli powder, and sesame seeds.

In Sapporo and other cities on the northern island of Hokkaido, cold pats of butter are also a common topping for miso ramen as a sweet, thickening finish.

Ramen variations

There are a myriad of ramen variations served every day across Japan, each made according to local tastes, cultures and ingredients. Attempting to build a comprehensive list to classify these ramen variations is quite a futile exercise. Thus, this guide details only the three established ramen styles: Tokyo, Sapporo and Hakata style. While this barely scratches the surface, this knowledge is sufficient for the average person to sound just a little intellectual while slurping up that bowl of ramen.

Sapporo, capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, is considered to be the birthplace of miso ramen. Ideal for the harsh, snowy winters, the miso ramen is typically topped with corn, butter, stir-fried bean sprouts, garlic, soft-boiled eggs and either hearty slices of cha shu or local seafood such as scallop and crab.

The Tokyo ramen is generally made from either pork and chicken broth, flavored with dashi, or a broth made from dried bonito flakes and sea kelp, and seasoned with shoyu. This medium-bodied broth is a reflection of the ramen’s Chinese origin; it is inspired by the Chinese style broths brought into Japan by the Chinese immigrants more than a 100 years ago. The standard bowl usually contains curly, moderately wide noodles, scallions, nori, cha shu and bamboo shoots. This is probably the most recognizable type of ramen across Japan.

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Hakata ramen originated from the Hakata district of Fukuoka city in Kyushu, home of the tonkotsu. While many ramen broths are gently simmered to develop nuanced, subtle flavors, the tonkotsu broth is made by cooking broken pork bones over a high flame until the unctuous marrow seeps out. The result is an opaque broth that is smooth, rich and creamy. Evidently, the Hakata ramen is not for the weak. Hakata bowls of ramen are also often filled with barely boiled, thin, straight noodles, crushed garlic, pickled ginger, spicy mustard greens, sesame seeds and cha shu – all powerfully flavored and textured ingredients that are able to stand up to the intense porcine flavor. While the tonkotsu broth is generally seasoned with shio to preserve the milky white color of the soup, some shops will serve the shoyu tare as a tableside condiment.