What is Ramen? Learn how to make it

How do you make ramen?

Authentic Japanese ramen can be difficult to make due to the time commitments of creating a delicious broth to add your noodles and ingredients too. But putting the time in is worth the results, a rich and flavourful authentic Japanese recipe that you'll really enjoy.

There are many variations of Ramen, namely due to the type of broth used, types of noodles and variety of toppings chosen. However the core steps of making ramen can be applied to each variety.

To make Ramen you firstly need to create a broth. You can find out more about the types of broths used below. Once you have decided on which broth you will use, it's onto the toppings. You can find a list of popular toppings below, including Chashu (pork) and Tamago (marinated egg).

Once you have deliberated on your broth and your topping, all that is left is the signature ramen noodles. These come in all shapes and sizes and form the substance to the ramen soup.

Ramen Broth Styles

One of the essential ingredients in Ramen is the broth, making up a vast majority of the final dish. However, not all Ramen broths are the same, here are the most popular types –

Shio (salt) – known as Shio Tare, these broths are often clear or pale and tend to be paired with chicken, fish or vegetables. This style of broth is traditionally the lightest style and tends to be utilised when the broth is to be the prominent flavour of the dish.

Shoyu (Soy Sauce) – known as shoyu tare, this broth is the oldest of the broth styles and is typically made of a mix of chicken or vegetable stock and soy sauce. This broth style is very popular in Japan and is often paired with chicken or seafood, it is very uncommon to see it used with pork. This broth style is often salty and sweet and pairs well with many popular Ramen ingredients.

Miso – A newer addition to ramen, miso paste is now often added to the broth to create a distinct savoury taste. It is very obvious to the eye when miso has been used in the ramen, as it will turn the broth opaque rather than clear. Where as Shio and Shoyu are used to add to and accentuate the flavour of the broth, miso paste is used to create a completely separate and complex taste of its own.

Tonkotsu – A slightly different take on the ramen broth, tonkotsu utilises either shio or shoyu as well as the stock from boiling pork bones. This broth is often a whitish colour and distinctly different to the other varieties above. Tonkotsu is less common than other broths, but is still considered a popular ramen dish in Japan.

Ramen Noodles

As well as a distinctive broth, noodles are a very important part of ramen. They add flavour and substance to the dish and play just as big a part as the other ingredients included.

Ramen noodles tend to be made with Lye water (potassium carbonate solution), which gives them the yellow colour that is often associated with ramen, it also helps to give them a good texture to avoid getting lost in the broth. Ramen noodles can come in all shapes and sizes and some regions of Japan will serve straight noodles, some serve curly noodles, it can be down to where you are.

Ramen Toppings

Now the broth and noodles have been decided, the toppings are the next element to a delicious ramen, here are just some of the popular toppings that feature regularly.

Chashu – These are slices of roasted or braised pork and are often sweet.

Kamaboko – These are slices of steamed fish cake.

Tamago – A hard boiled, soft boiled or often marinated egg. These are very popular on almost all types of ramen.

Nori – Nori or seaweed is a common ramen topping, due to its many nutrients.

Menma – These are seasoned or often fermented bamboo shoots.

Corn – The texture and taste of sweetcorn is often used to add another element to ramen dishes.

Miso

Miso paste is now a popular addition to ramen broth, giving it a distinctive, savoury taste. You can always tell when miso is used—the broth becomes opaque rather than clear. While shio and shoyu complement and enhance the broth’s flavour, miso paste creates an entirely unique and complex taste of its own.

Tonkotsu

Tonkotsu is a unique ramen broth made by simmering pork bones for hours. The result is a thick, rich, milky-white and creamy soup—quite unlike the clear varieties. It’s then seasoned with a tare (typically shio or shoyu). Though tonkotsu originated in Kyushu, where it’s known as Hakata ramen, it has since become one of the most popular and recognisable ramen styles worldwide, thanks to major restaurant chains spreading it across Japan and beyond.

Tori paitan

Tori Paitan starts with a chicken carcass—bones and meat scraps—simmered for hours until the broth turns creamy and milky. Common additions include pork belly, spring onions, carrots and of course noodles and egg.

Gyokai

This broth, also popular in Japan, is made from fish or seafood and is sometimes combined with meat-based stocks. It’s known for its especially intense umami flavour.

Tantanmen

As the name suggests, tantanmen has its origins in the Chinese dish 'dandanmian'. The base is chicken broth, soy sauce, chilli oil and sesame oil, blended into a spicy, warming soup. Ramen noodles, vegetables such as pak choi and minced meat are essential elements of the dish.

Tsukemen

What makes this ramen special is its serving style: cold noodles meet hot broth (and toppings, of course). In Japan, this variation is especially popular during the hot summer months. The noodles are served separately and dipped into the broth.

Origin and history of ramen

Ramen originally came from China. In the 19th century, Chinese immigrants brought the concept of noodle soup to Japan, particularly via the trading port of Yokohama. The first dedicated ramen restaurant opened in Tokyo in 1910, and around 1950 the famous white, milky tonkotsu broth was created by chance in Fukuoka. After the Second World War, ramen saw a boom—thanks to the renewed availability of wheat and the rise of street food stalls—becoming an inexpensive, tasty meal for all. The invention of instant noodles eventually sparked the global ramen boom that continues to this day: Japan is now home to over 24,000 ramen restaurants, with roughly 5,000 of them in Tokyo alone.

The word 'ramen' is Japanese but—just like the dish itself—has Chinese roots. It derives from the Chinese term 'lāmiàn', literally meaning 'pulled noodles: 'lā' = to pull or stretch, 'miàn' = noodles. Originally, the term referred to hand-pulled wheat noodles from China. In Japan, it evolved into the modern 'ramen'—a word describing the entire dish of noodles in broth with various toppings, not just the noodles themselves.

Ramen from around the world: regional variations

Ramen has been growing in popularity across Europe over the past two decades. In London, for example, tonkotsu ramen has seen a real boom. In Düsseldorf—home to Europe’s largest Japanese community—there’s an abundance of Japanese supermarkets and restaurants, and ramen has long become a cult dish. Alongside classic styles, Europe is seeing a rise in creative interpretations, especially vegan and gluten-free versions based on shoyu or miso, tailored to European dietary preferences.

Across Asia too, new ramen varieties are constantly emerging. In South Korea, kimchi ramen is hugely popular, often topped with melted cheese, while Thailand offers aromatic peanut and coconut soups, frequently made with tofu instead of meat. Even dishes such as Vietnamese pho—which uses rice rather than wheat noodles—show just how diversely the concept of 'noodles in broth' can be interpreted. And it’s not just across Asia—Japan itself has countless regional variations.

Recipes: how to make ramen

When making ramen, you start with the broth—either from scratch, which can take several hours, or by using a ready-made soup base such as Kikkoman’s. The toppings and noodles are then cooked directly in the hot broth, adding the ingredients that take longest to cook first.