I will discuss the delicious world of ramen toppings in today’s post. For me, it’s difficult to get tired of having ramen regularly. Yes, I could eat it every day if I had to, I’m sure.
It all started when I visited Tokyo a few years ago. I’d certainly eaten Ramen before that trip but mostly cheap instant ramen and not the real deal and what I discovered is the Japanese take Ramen very seriously and it’s a way of life for them.
The main reason for this is that several variations and combinations make today’s ramen unique and different from what we had in the previous years.
For instance, you can prepare broth from several flavorful bases, like rich and thick pork bone broth or light and mild salt base.
What’s more, you can make noodles to match your taste: soft or chewy, and thin or thick.
Best of all, there’re countless Japanese ingredients you can use to serve as toppings.
There are multiple selections of ramen toppings.
Here is a list of the best…
Chashu Pork
Chashu is perhaps the best and most common ramen topping.
It’s a typical addition made of pork ribs and found in virtually any of the best bowls of ramen.
You can prepare chashu by slowly dipping grilled pork ribs into the broth. Based on broth’s spiciness or sweetness, chashu’s flavour may vary widely.
You can even substitute chashu with kakuni. In simple terms, kakuni is bite-sized pork ribs prepared in seasoned soup with spices and herbs.
The softness and distinctive sweetness contained in kakuni make them perfect ramen toppings.
As a ramen enthusiast, you can add an ideal chashu to make it tasty.
Scallions
Ramen never goes wrong with vegetable toppings, like cabbage for the salt ramen or bean sprouts for miso ramen.
Keep in mind that vegetable toppings vary depending on the soup base.
The refreshing scent of scallion calms the ramen’s richness and gives you an incredible texture as you eat.
Flavoured Egg
Eggs are also standard for ramen toppings, with the flavoured eggs, aji Tama and aji Tsuki tamago being the most used.
For example, a half-boiled and flavoured egg prepared in a seasoned sauce works wonders.
When seasoning the egg, consider using soy sauce.
The whites present in a flavoured egg suit the creamy yolk present in ramen. A thick soup, like miso-based ramen, can contain a raw egg as topping.
Nori Seaweed
There are several types of ramen where you can use nori or seaweed as a topping.
The best thing about seaweed is that it has several nutrients, like fibre, protein, calcium and vitamins.
The way you eat it differs, but most people prefer consuming the crispy seaweed first.
Others eat it alongside the noodles. You can invent your own way of eating seaweed on ramen toppings.
Menma
Also known as shinachiku, menma are fermented slices of bamboo shoots. Every bite of the crunchy bamboo offers delicious flavour and sweetness.
In my case, I love menma toppings due to their exceptional fragrance and texture.
Minced Garlic
You can use minced garlic as a ramen topping based on your preference.
Garlic comes with a unique scent and spiciness.
Therefore, if you would like to have a spicy and tasty rumen, consider having minced garlic toppings.
Other Ramen Toppings You Can Use
With ramen, you can use butter and corns as toppings.
The corn’s sweetness and crisp texture calm the ramen’s greasiness.
Butter, on the other hand, adds incredible depth to the soup. Notably, butter and corns are often present in miso ramen.
The Final Take
Ramen toppings vary depending on your taste and needs, so you can try different toppings to increase your preference.
Recently, there are places where you can get unique toppings like cilantro, wood ear, sprouts or even mushrooms.
Due to this, it would be helpful for you to check out various shops to find out more about the trending ramen toppings.
Whenever you add particular toppings to your ramen, you rest assured its flavour will change.
As a result, adding an extra topping to your ramen may change it, and in the process, give you a chance to enjoy it differently.
You may need to challenge yourself the next time you prepare ramen and use a new topping you haven’t used before.
Hi all! I’m Cora Benson, and I’ve been blogging about food, recipes and things that happen in my kitchen since 2019.