What Is Miso Ramen? - Japanese Ramen Lover Explains
Miso ramen is one of the main ramen that has been consumed in Japan.
It comes from Sapporo-city and it’s loved for its thick and mellow soup.
In this article, we will explain about miso ramen further, to understand what you are eating.
What you will learn:
- Origin of miso ramen
- The taste of miso ramen
- Recommended stores for miso ramen etc
Click here to enjoy your authentic ramen conveniently
What Is Miso Ramen?
Miso ramen is a miso-based noodle soup that originated in Sapporo city, Hokkaido.
A popular ramen shop, Aji no Sanpei（味の三平） created the ramen in 1954.
Until then, the standard ramen was shoyu even in Sapporo, but miso prevailed after the invention.
Ramen is made with a combination of soup seasonings called tare and soup stock.
For miso ramen, there’s a miso dare that usually combines miso with mirin, soy sauce, cooking sake, and sugar.
Sometimes it also adds some vegetables or fruits into the tare for additional umami.
History:
1954 First miso ramen was created and miso ramen became a trend
1960 Kara Miso (Spicy miso) ramen invented
1964 Ramen shop “Kuma san” sold their ramen in Tokyo and Osaka department stores, and got some attention
What is the Difference Between Each Miso Ramen?
When you look for miso ramen, you may find a different name than “miso”.
Here are some of the miso ramen names you may want to know:
- Spicy miso ramen
- Tonkotsu miso ramen
- Torigara miso ramen
Spicy Miso Ramen（辛味噌ラーメン）
Kara miso or spicy miso ramen was invented in 1960 in a ramen shop called “Ryuu Shanhai（龍上海）in the Yamagata prefecture.
It contains red chili pepper that makes the taste spicier. It is usually made with tonkotsu (pork bone) stock.
Tonkotsu Miso Ramen （豚骨味噌ラーメン）
Tonkotsu miso ramen is a miso ramen that uses tonkotsu (pork bone) as their soup stock.
It has a mellow and heavier taste with lots of umami from pork.
Torigara Miso Ramen（鶏ガラ味噌ラーメン）
Torigara miso ramen is a miso ramen that uses torigara (chicken stock).
Compared to kara miso ramen and tonkotsu miso ramen, it has a refresher and simple taste.
What Is the Taste of Miso Ramen Like?
Miso ramen usually has a thick soup with a rich flavor. It has a natural sweetness and the savoriness from the miso.
If you like a mellow textured soup, miso ramen is your favorite.
Also, each store uses different miso.
Miso has a various taste depending on where and how it is made. Some can be sweeter or savory, and that makes the ramen even more unique.
What Is the Noodle Used?
It usually comes with curly, chewy, and thick yellow noodles. The soup has a thick taste, so the noodles are nicer if it’s strong enough to stand out in the soup.
However, with more variety of miso ramen restaurants, you will also see a ramen with thinner noodles.
Recommended Toppings
Here are the 3 toppings that you will often see.
- Grated ginger
The refreshing and peppery taste of the grated ginger goes well with the thick soup.
- Lettuce and Bean sprouts
Miso ramen is known for adding lots of vegetables.
If you go to some ramen shops in Japan, they will give abundant amounts of steamed/boiled lettuce and beansprouts until you can’t see the noodles.
- Corn and butter
This is one of the classic ways of eating in Sapporo.
Hokkaido is famous for its corn and butter, so it usually comes with steamed/boiled corn and a thick slice of butter.
Recommended Miso Ramen
Here are some of the miso ramen stores that you might want to try.
Recommended stores:
- Sumire（すみれ）
- Sapporo Ramen Dosanko（札幌ラーメンどさん子）
- Mengumi（麺組）
First meal of the day in the most famous miso ramen resto in japan: Sumire#Rokkaido pic.twitter.com/isMT1xtgZ7
— WilSports | Sandwichman (@fujouglazed) December 18, 2023
Sumire opened its store in Sapporo City in Hokkaido in 1964.
Sapporo ramen usually was a pronoun of a light taste, but Sumire has established miso ramen as a regional food of Sapporo.
Their ramen is spicy and rich. It uses Japanese sake for its miso dare, so it’s fragrant as well.
It has a store in Sapporo-city and Yokohama-city. If you want to enjoy their miso ramen overseas, you can try their ramen box!
Sapporo Ramen Dosanko（札幌ラーメンどさん子）
A draft beer and ramen after finishing work. Could there be anything more blissful? Taken at Otemachi Dosanko. pic.twitter.com/QhkpSaL1rP
— jalco6625en (@jalco6625en) February 5, 2024
Sapporo Ramen Dosanko is one of the chain ramen stores that prevailed miso ramen to entire Japan.
It uses red miso from Sapporo-city and curly noodles that entangle the soup well.
The store opened in 1967 and has been making the classic miso soup that everyone loves.
You get to enjoy the ramen in most prefectures.
Mengumi（麺組）
Mengumi offers its ramen inside of Takekoma shrine, Iwanuma City, Miyagi prefecture.
Their shio ramen is featured with seafood-based stock. It has a rich and flavorful soup with some spices and vegetables.
You can enjoy it only in Miyagi prefecture or online for now.
Let’s cook and eat miso ramen
You should check Wagokoro Japan Gift if you want to enjoy authentic ramen out of Japan!
It will ship the ramen that is popular in Japan.
Please click here to have a look at miso ramen offers in Wagokoro Japan Gift!
Q&A
Here are some of the questions you may have.
- How many calories does miso ramen have?
It usually has the highest calories of 622 kcal among the 3 main ramen (miso, shio, shoyu) according to Calorie Slism.
If you are concerned about the calories, you can leave out the soup. It has the most of the calories.
- Is miso ramen healthy?
Yes, miso and the topped vegetables will give various benefits to our health.
It has vitamins A, B, C, and D and it also has iron, protein, calcium, etc.
However, it has the highest calories and salt content, so you may need to be careful with the frequency of having ramen.
- What is the difference between tonkotsu miso ramen and tonkotsu ramen?
Tonkotsu miso ramen is part of tonkotsu ramen. Tonkotsu ramen is a term uses for any ramen that use tonkotsu, the pork bone in the soup stock.
When you see tonkotsu ramen with white soup, mostly it uses shoyu tare as a base.
- What is Wagokoro Japan Gift?
Wagokoro Japan Gift is a Japanese online shop that can purchase and enjoy authentic Japanese ramen.
The noodle is fresh and you can enjoy the taste of Japan easily.
You can enjoy Sumire and Mengumi ramen from its store.
