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The Japanese LOVE to categorise famous things into the ‘three great xxx’ (三大xxx). There are the ‘three great’ landmarks, waterfalls, onsen (hot springs), festivals, sake-brewing regions, etc. This, of course, extends to the realm of food as well. One of the most famous “three great” foods in Japan is the “three main ramen” styles, i.e. the ramen capitals of Japan. They are Hakata Ramen, Kitakata Ramen, and Sapporo Ramen.
Hakata Ramen is a style of tonkotsu ramen from Fukuoka Prefecture. Traditionally, Hakata refers to the historic business district of Fukuoka City where the main JR station is located; thus, there isn’t a ‘Fukuoka’ station in Fukuoka Prefecture (but, confusingly, there is one in Toyama Prefecture!). While this style originated in Kurume in Southern Fukuoka, it later became famous in Hakata.
“Tonkotsu” literally means ‘pork bone.’ To make the creamy pork broth for Hakata Ramen, the pork bones and marrow are boiled for up to 18 hours until the soup turns cloudy. Onion, garlic, spring onion, pork fat, pig’s trotters, etc, will then be added to increase flavour to the soup. The ramen will be served with a unique thin noodle with pork charsiu, fermented bamboo shoots (menma), and spring onion as toppings.
For Hakata Ramen, you can customise the hardness of your noodles, making them harder or softer to your preference. Also, for some ramen shops, you can go seconds via a system called kaedama.
The famous ramen chains in Japan, Ichiran, Ippudo, and Kanada-ya, are all from the Hakata Ramen style. The popularity of this style has led to the expansion of these ramen chains overseas, which has made Hakata Ramen a default image of what Japanese ramen looks and tastes like for many people.
Hakata Ramen (when eaten in Fukuoka) offers a distinctive, pungent smell called “Kusauma” or ‘stinky-umami’, not found in other styles of ramen (doesn’t sound appetising but for many fans of this ramen style, this flavour is the real essence!). Only recently, Hakata Ramen has revealed that the broth is considered fermented food, where this distinctive ‘stinky-umami’ comes from. Food scientists tested samples from the broth of ramen shops in Fukuoka. They revealed that Sulfohobococcus, an archaic microorganism that has existed on Earth for more than 3.5 billion years, is present in the soup. These microorganisms can withstand oxygen-deprived and high-temperature conditions. After years of cooking and boiling the broth (since the day that the ramen shop opened!), these microorganisms multiplied and created this distinctive ‘kusauma’ flavour in the ramen. If you visit younger ramen franchises, you don’t taste this flavour!
Variations of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen: Kumamoto Ramen (where black garlic oil is added on the broth) and Kagoshima Ramen (where dried sardine, kelp, and dried shiitake are added to the making of the broth).
Our recommendations in Fukuoka: Ganso Nagahama-ya 元祖 長浜屋（the OG Hakata Ramen）& Hakata Issou 博多一双 (the ‘stinky-umami’ representative).
Kitakata Ramen is a style of soy sauce-based, clear broth ramen from Fukushima Prefecture. Kitakata is located in the Aizu Basin of Fukushima, which is famous for producing fermented sauces like soy sauce and miso (and of course sake – see Yamatogawa Shuzo). For a population of less than 40,000 people in the city, there are around 100 ramen shops in town, making Kitakata ranked as the highest density of ramen shops per capita in Japan.
Kitakata Ramen originated around the 1930s, when a Chinese migrant named “Pan Qinxing” started selling shina soba (Chinese noodles) from a yatai (street stand). Pan did not keep his noodle and broth recipe a secret, so the number of ramen restaurants expanded, and a ramen culture blossomed in town.
The light-styled broth of Kitakata Ramen is prepared by boiling pork bones with niboshi (dried small fish) and vegetables for a short period of time to achieve a clear, umami-rich soup. The extra dimension of complexity comes from locally produced soy sauce made from the pristine waters of Mt Iide.
One of the distinctive features of Kitakata Ramen is the broad, curly noodles. These noodles are called hirauchi jukusei takasuimen (meaning “aged flat noodles with lots of water”). Due to the high water content in the noodles, they remain al dente even if soaked in broth for longer periods.
Kitakata has a unique culture of having “asa-ra,” meaning ‘morning ramen.’ Many ramen restaurants start service at around 7 am. The culture is said to come from the need to cater to late-night shift workers, deliberately making the ramen lighter in style so the flavours don’t overwhelm the palate early in the morning. This culture is now widely recognised among ramen fans across the country, paying a pilgrimage for asa-ra and comparing different shops due to the proximity of the ramen restaurants. Instead of pub or cafe hopping, why not do ramen hopping in Kitakata!
Variations of Kitakata Ramen: Shirakawa Ramen (Chicken broth with barbequed charsiu and wonton as topping) & Sanno Ramen (Irregular shaped noodles made by a traditional technique of pounding the noodle dough using a bamboo).
Our recommendations in Kitakata: Sakauchi Shokudo 坂内食堂 (the icon of Kitakata Ramen) & Shokudo Namae 食堂なまえ (an absolute personal favourite).
Sapporo Ramen is a style of miso ramen from Hokkaido. Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido and the 5th largest city in Japan by population. The name “Sapporo” comes from the indigenous Ainu language, meaning a ‘large dried river’.
Sapporo Ramen dates to the 1920s, but the style of ramen has changed over time. The typical style of miso ramen originated in 1955 with Omiya Morito, the owner of Aji no Sanpei.
Sapporo Ramen is characterised by a distinct yellow crinkled noodle with medium thickness. Back in the 1920s- 30s, barley polishing was less advanced, and more barley bran remained in the noodles. When the noodles contact the alkaline cooking water, they turn dark in colour, making them less appetising. Thus, egg yolks are added to make the noodles more appetising, turning them yellow. When cooked, the wavy noodles become less elastic in texture, which helps them hold the broth well.
To make the broth, a pork bone broth is prepared and mixed with a generous amount of red and white miso. Aside from usual ramen toppings like charsiu, menma, and spring onion, the ramen is topped with stir-fried vegetables like onion, cabbage, and bean sprouts, prepared with pork lard in a Chinese wok; sweetcorn is another very common choice. The vegetables give an additional textural dimension to the ramen. To keep a hearty broth warm in chilly Hokkaido, a knob of butter is often added to the prepared bowl, melting to create a layer of fat that sits on top of the thick miso broth so that the broth cools more slowly. A calorie bomb but perfect in the winter!!
In Sapporo, there is the famous Ganso Ramen Yokocho (Original Ramen Alley). 17 ramen restaurants are closely clustered in the same alley, making it one of the best places to enjoy a bowl of ramen with the locals in a cozy setting. Each ramen shop has its own secret recipe; it’s a great place to do ramen hopping!
Our recommendations in Sapporo: Aji no Sanpei 味の三平 (the OG miso ramen) & Sapporo Junren さっぽろ純連 (famous for its rich, thick miso broth)
More information to why Hakata Ramen is fermented food (JP): https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2769184?display=1
