4 Types of Ramen You Should Know: Miso, Shio & More | HelloFresh (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 types of ramen? ›

But the main way ramen is categorized is by its primary flavor, which comes from how its broth is made. There are four general classes of ramen: shoyu, tonkotsu, miso, and shio. Here's what you need to know about these four types of ramen.

Anyway, a bowl of ramen has four main components, the noodles, broth, tare and toppings.

Unlike the thinner assari (thin-style) broth of Shio or Shoyu ramen, miso broth feels more like a soup. It also lets the noodle retain its chewy texture for longer and doesn't turn it mushy as quickly as thinner broths do. Plus, miso is an amazing flavor base overall, with several variations for you to choose from.

Miso Ramen

This broth is strong and savory and has an opaque appearance. There's lots of different varieties of miso paste too – white miso, red miso, barley miso, and soybean miso are just a few.

Ramen is typically classified by broth flavor, with three especially common categories: shoyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), and miso. A fourth, tonkotsu, references the broth's base ingredient, not flavor.

There are four major types of Japanese ramen, decided by the tare, or base flavor: shio (salt-based ramen), shoyu (soy sauce-based ramen), miso (soybean paste-flavored ramen), and tonkotsu (pork bone broth ramen).

“There are five basic elements to ramen: noodles, tare, broth, topping and aroma oil,” Sun Noodle's executive chef Shigetoshi “Jack” Nakamura says. “For a very long time people in Japan were very poor, so they couldn't eat regular proteins or meat.

While both ramen and miso soup are noodle dishes that originated in China, they are quite different. For one, ramen is made with wheat noodles while miso soup is made with rice noodles. Ramen also has a stronger flavour due to the addition of meat and vegetables, while miso soup is more delicate.

A: Each type of ramen has its own distinct flavor profile. Shio ramen is salty, Tonkotsu ramen is rich and creamy, Miso ramen has a savory and slightly sweet taste from the miso paste, and Shoyu ramen has a savory and slightly salty flavor from the soy sauce used in the broth.

Is shoyu or shio better? ›

Shio ramen is excellent for broths with delicate flavors that you want to improve or increase because the salt sets the flavor rather than masking it. Shoyu ramen is definitely intended to build to a new flavor level rather than solely improving upon the already incredible flavor of the ramen broth.

1 Ramen (Tsukemen) Tomita's tsukemen is everything you'd expect it to be. It's the pinnacle of tonkotsu gyokai (pork and fish tsukemen).

Shoyu (Soy Sauce) Ramen

Originating in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, shoyu ramen epitomizes the fusion of simplicity and sophistication. Its clear, umami-rich broth is delicately seasoned with soy sauce, creating a harmonious blend of flavors.

Shio is considered a healthier ramen because of the thinner broth. Instead of the flavor from fat in the liquid, it comes from salt and other seasonings. Keep it low in calories by minimizing the fatty toppings or adding more vegetables to your noodles.

In fact, shio translates to “salt,” and sea salt is considered the oldest form of ramen seasoning. Typically, a shio broth is made with chicken or pork base. You can identify this broth both by it's extremely salty flavor, as well as it's clear yellow coloring.

Shoyu is Japanese for soy sauce, and shoyu ramen uses this as the base for its soup alongside other ingredients such as chicken broth. This is the most widespread of all the types of ramen, with a clear brown broth and a huge variety of potential toppings.

I tried Japan's rarest ramen flavor. It's called the Ice Ramen, and its ingredients are so insane. that only brave people are able to eat it, because you can only get it at the Ice Ramen restaurant, which is completely made of ice. Yes, the whole restaurant is actually made of ice.