Ramen is a popular dish not only in Japan but also is loved all over the world because of its delicious flavor. Tourists visiting Japan should not miss the chance to enjoy this dish. However, not all ramen anywhere in Japan tastes the same.
What Are The 5 Best Ramen Available in Hokkaido?
In this article, we will introduce you to the 5 best ramen in the Hokkaido area.
1. Asahikawa Ramen
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Asahikawa ramen is sure to impress you with its broth made from seafood, pork bones, and chicken. Instead of using the usual condiments like salt and pepper, they add a little soy sauce when preparing the broth. This ramen is usually served with thinly sliced stewed pork, bamboo shoots, and green onion. If you come to Asahikawa, do not forget to visit the famous ramen shop – Santoka. Santoka has its branches all over Japan and even appears in North America and Southeast Asia, but it’s best if you can try this ramen in its home country.
Read our article about ramen eating etiquette!
2. Sapporo Ramen
Credit: Hajime NAKANO
Sapporo ramen is known to be one of the three most delicious ramen in Japan. What makes this ramen so popular is that the tonkotsu ramen broth is stewed from pork bones in accordance with Sapporo standards. The broth is seasoned with soy sauce, salt, and miso. The ramen noodles of this region are usually thick and curly. Noodles are often served with stir-fried vegetables, corn, sliced casseroles, and wakame. The ramen is sometimes served with seafood.
3. Hakodate Ramen
Credit: Andrew Qua
Hakodate ramen, also known as shina soba, comes with a broth simmered from pork and chicken bones, often cooked with spices for a rich flavor. Diners are often impressed with Hakodate Ramen because of its clear broth, but it is extremely rich thanks to the bone simmering. The noodles are straight and have a moderate thickness, so you can feel the delicious taste of the broth through the noodles. Noodles are usually served with char siu, pickled bamboo shoots, leeks, spinach, corn, and a few slices of naruto fish cake.
4. Muroran Ramen
Usually, we eat curry with rice or naan, but have you heard of curry noodles? If not, try the Muroran ramen. Surely you will be surprised at how this combination could result in such a delicious dish. Muroran ramen is a unique curry-flavored noodle dish. This is considered a specialty of Muroran city, Hokkaido province, and was first introduced in 1965 at Aji No Daio restaurant. There are about 30 ramen restaurants that serve this curry ramen in Muroran City, but Aji No Daio remains the most popular. Noodles are served with sliced char siu, green onions, cabbage, fried bean sprouts, and dried seaweed. The thick and curly noodles made from Hokkaido’s wheat flour are delicious when served with curry-flavored broth.
5. Kushiro Ramen
Kushiro Ramen is in the top four of the best ramen dishes in Hokkaido, only after Sapporo, Hakodate, and Asahikawa ramen. Kushiro Ramen has curly, very thin noodles. There are various theories as to why Kushiro Ramen uses super-thin, curly noodles. Some believe it is to shorten the cooking time for the fishermen in the Kushiro area who are always busy fishing offshore to enjoy their meals quickly during break time. Meanwhile, others believe that the thin noodles can absorb the broth more easily. The broth of Kushiro ramen is said to be lighter than other ramen, because it is made from soy sauce with dashi (fish broth), so it is reasonable to eat with such thin noodles. The delicious flavor of Kushiro Ramen is not only thanks to the light broth but also the perfect combination of char siu, corn, bamboo shoots, algae, and scallions served. Surely this ramen will satisfy even the most demanding diners.
Ready To Try The 5 Best Ramen in Hokkaido of Japan?
What is your favorite one among these 5? Do not forget to try your favorite one when visiting Hokkaido.
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