Tonkotsu ramen
Tonkotsu ramen | |
| Alternative names | Hakata ramen |
|---|---|
| Type | Noodle soup |
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Region or state | Fukuoka |
| Created by | Tokio Miyamoto |
| Invented | 1937 |
| Main ingredients | |
| Variations | Kagoshima ramen |
Tonkotsu ramen (豚骨ラーメン) is a ramen dish that originated in Kurume,[1][2][3] Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and is a specialty dish on the island of Kyushu.
The broth for tonkotsu ramen is based on pork bones, which is what the word tonkotsu (豚骨/とんこつ) means in Japanese.[4][1][5] It is prepared by boiling the bones in water for up to eighteen hours, at which point the soup becomes cloudy in appearance.[4][1][2] Additional broth ingredients can include onion, garlic, spring onions, ginger, pork back fat, pig's trotters, oil, and chicken carcass.[4] The dish is traditionally topped with chāshū (sliced pork belly), and additional ingredients can include kombu, kikurage, shōyu, chili bean paste, and sesame seeds.[4][1]
The traditional preparation method for tonkotsu ramen is for the noodles to be hard in the center.[2] Some ramen shops allow customers to select the level of firmness, including futsu for regular or standard, harigane for very hard, barikata for al dente, and yawamen for soft.[2] Some restaurants also provide a second order of noodles if requested by the customer, in a system referred to as kaedama.[2]
History
Tonkotsu ramen was invented in 1937 by Tokio Miyamoto, a yatai food vendor, in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, in northern Kyushu. The dish was further refined to its milky appearance by Katsumi Sugino when he accidentally overcooked the broth.[3] In Fukuoka, the dish is often referred to as Hakata ramen (博多ラーメン), with Hakata being the historical name of central Fukuoka.[1] It was originally prepared as an affordable and easily prepared fast food for laborers at fish markets.[2]
Noodle firmness
Some ramen restaurants in Fukuoka offer customers a choice of noodle firmness levels, which has become a recognizable feature of tonkotsu ramen culture.[6][7]
Common firmness levels include the following:
- bari-yawa(バリ柔) – very soft
- yawa(柔) – soft
- futsū(普通) – regular (standard firmness)
- katame(硬め) – firm
- bari-kata(バリ硬) – very firm
- harigane(針金) – "wire-like", extremely firm
- kona-otoshi(粉落とし) – literally "flour dusting", noodles barely boiled
- yuge-tōshi(湯気通し) – "steam pass", noodles exposed only to steam
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Heiter, C.; Press, T.A.; George, R. (2009). To Japan with Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur. To Asia with Love. ThingsAsian Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-934159-05-7. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f From the Source – Japan. Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet Publications. 2016. pp. pt384–386. ISBN 978-1-76034-311-8. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ^ a b "The History of Tonkotsu Ramen in Kyushu". June 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Aye, M.M. (2014). Noodle!: 100 Amazing Authentic Recipes. 100 Great Recipes. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-1-4729-1061-5. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ^ "Tonkotsu ramen's international popularity inspires innovation". The Straits Times. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ^ 日本放送協会. "とんこつラーメン 麺の硬さのヒミツ – ロクいち!福岡". ロクいち!福岡 - NHK (in Japanese). Retrieved 25 April 2025.
- ^ "ラーメン 麺のかたさ | 博多の魅力". 博多の魅力 | きっとあなたも博多を好きになる 博多の情報発信サイト (in Japanese). 7 August 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
Further reading
- Japan Ramen Magazine (2017). Tokyo Tonkotsu Ramen: The Best. Nippan Ips. ISBN 978-4-86505-073-8. 200 pages.
External links
- Media related to Tonkotsu-ramen at Wikimedia Commons