Ramen Compare

Ramen Style Guide

Not all ramen is the same. Here's a quick guide to the main styles you'll find on this site.

Shoyu (Soy Sauce)(醤油)

A bowl of shoyu ramen with clear brown broth, chashu, and green onions
Photo: Lombroso / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

A clear, brown broth seasoned with soy sauce. Balanced and savory — the most classic ramen style in Japan.

Miso(味噌)

A bowl of miso ramen with rich brown broth and toppings
Photo: Eric Hunt / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.5

A rich, hearty broth made with fermented soybean paste. Nutty, slightly sweet, and often paired with butter or corn.

Tonkotsu (Pork Bone)(豚骨)

A bowl of Hakata tonkotsu ramen with creamy white pork bone broth
Photo: Hykw-a4 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

A creamy, milky-white broth simmered from pork bones for hours. Deep, fatty, and full-bodied — famous as the base for Hakata-style ramen.

Shio (Salt)(塩)

A bowl of shio (salt) ramen with clear, light broth
Photo: STRONGlk7 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

A light, clear broth seasoned simply with salt. Delicate and clean, letting the base stock's flavor shine through.

Iekei(家系)

A bowl of iekei ramen with thick noodles, pork, and nori in shoyu-tonkotsu broth
Photo: Hykw-a4 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

A Yokohama-born style blending tonkotsu and shoyu, served with thick, flat noodles and a slice of nori. Rich but not as heavy as pure tonkotsu. Also known as EAK.

Jiro-inspired (Jiro-kei)(二郎系)

A massive bowl of Jiro-inspired ramen piled with garlic, bean sprouts, and fatty pork
Photo: Ocdp / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

Known for massive portions, thick noodles, mountains of garlic, and generous fatty pork slices. Not for the faint of appetite.

Tsukemen (Dipping Noodles)(つけ麺)

Tsukemen dipping noodles served separately from a bowl of concentrated broth
Photo: City Foodsters / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Noodles and broth are served separately — you dip the noodles into a concentrated, often thicker sauce before eating.

Tantanmen

A bowl of tantanmen with spicy sesame broth
Photo: nesnad / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

A spicy, sesame-based ramen with roots in Sichuan cuisine. Often features ground pork and a numbing chili kick.

Abura Soba (Oil Noodles)

A bowl of abura soba with seasoned oil and sauce at the bottom, no broth
Photo: Douglas Perkins / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

A "brothless" ramen tossed in seasoned oil and sauce instead of served in soup. Rich and noodle-forward.

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