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Kitakata Ramen Recipe: 1 of 3 Most Popular Regional Ramens of Japan

July 8, 2020 by Dennis Leave a Comment

Kitakata is a city smack down in the middle of Japan, surrounded by mountains. It’s not a large city, less than 50,000 people live there. So, how did Kitakata ramen become one of the most influential regions of ramen in all of Japan?

I’ll start with a crazy statistic: there are more ramen shops per capita in Kitakata than anywhere else in Japan, roughly 120. People even eat ramen in the morning on their way to work!

As you can imagine, the diversity of Kitakata ramen is quite large. So, I will base this recipe on the most common one found in the city. A pork and soy sauce broth, with large, flat noodles. If that isn’t your jam, I’ve got you covered with more ramen recipes, fam.

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A bowl of Kitakata ramen with naruto fish cake, menma, scallions, and char siu pork belly.

Kitakata Ramen Broth

The broth is fairly simple, but you can make it more complex if you want. I used pork broth leftover from making my Hakata ramen, added some soy sauce, and a little mirin for sweetness.

It is also common for Kitakata ramen to use niboshi, which are small dried anchovies. They give the broth a slightly deeper flavor, but are optional. If you want to add them, just simmer them in the broth for about 10 – 15 minutes and strain before serving.

Pork broth that solidified in the fridge
If your pork broth doesn’t look like Jell-O in the fridge, you made it wrong

This is just to give you an idea of what the pork broth should look like in the fridge. It’s solid because of all that collagen extracted from the bones, and that is very desirable for ramen broths.

The Noodles

The noodles for Kitakata ramen are the ingredient with the least wiggle room. You want “thicc”, flat noodles. I found that premade udon seemed to work as a good substitute. I’ll get to the handmade stuff in a future recipe, I don’t want to do that a dozen times.


Kitakata Ramen Toppings

Toppings will always vary from shop to shop, but a couple seem to be most common in Kitakata: char siu pork, scallions, naruto fish cake, and menma (fermented bamboo shoots).

I used some leftover char siu pork belly from a previous recipe, but I found shoulder is just as good with my shio ramen recipe from Hakodate. I’m sure you’re familiar with scallions, so I’ll cover the 2 toppings I haven’t used yet.

Menma

Fermented bamboo shoots are a common ramen topping all over Japan actually, not just in Kitakata ramen. I think they are best used in non-miso ramens, since miso already provides that deep fermented flavor.

You can buy menma premade, but I made a quick and dirty version. Stir fry regular slices of bamboo shoot with soy sauce and a little bit of miso paste. This brings out a salty, fermented flavor that will complement the broth well.

Bamboo shoots being cooked with soy sauce and miso paste in a skillet

Naruto Fish Cake

If you’re an anime fan like me, it’s our time to shine. Naruto Uzumaki, one of the most popular anime characters of modern times, is named after this unassuming fish cake.

I forgot to take a picture of it, but the fish cake comes in this skinny, foot long log. It should be in the frozen section of Asian grocery stores. It looks white with a pink swirl that runs throughout the middle. Supposedly, the swirls represent a real whirlpool you can find in Japan.

Most importantly, what does it taste like? It’s not a strong taste at all. A very mild fish flavor, similar to a fish ball. I think it’s a fun addition to any ramen bowl personally. It works even better in Kitakata ramen if you add the dried sardines as well. The fish flavors will enhance each other.


If you like shoyu ramen, I’ve made a shoyu ramen with turkey as well! For a Japanese recipe on my site that isn’t ramen (yeah they exist), try my akashiyaki (fried octopus balls). Or, if you’re just super hungry, I have a curry guide with over 100 curry recipes!

A bowl of Kitakata ramen, with naruto fish cake, scallions, menma, and char siu pork belly

Kitakata Ramen

Dennis
A recipe inspired by the pork shoyu ramen served in the city of Kitakata, Japan.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2
Calories 646 kcal

Ingredients
  

Ramen Broth

  • 3 cups pork broth
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1½ tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp dried sardines (optional)
  • 2 servings udon noodles (bundles)

Ramen Toppings

  • 0.50 lbs pork belly (char siu)
  • ½ cup menma (fermented bamboo shoots)
  • ½ cup scallions
  • 4 slices naruto fish cake

Instructions
 

  • Heat pork broth in a pot with soy sauce, mirin, and dried sardines (optional). Bring to a gentle simmer, keep simmering for about 15 minutes, or until all other ingredients are ready.
  • Bring a separate pot of water to boiling and add udon noodles. Boil for 12 minutes, or as specified by package, while stirring occasionally. Strain water out immediately when ready and portion into bowls.
  • While udon is boiling, set up the toppings. Slice the cha siu pork belly into thin slices, slice the naruto fish cake and the scallions. If you can't find menma, you can stir fry some bamboo shoots in a skillet with 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of miso paste.
  • Strain the sardines from the broth, pour into 2 bowls. Add noodles, then arrange toppings to suit your tastes. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe assumes premade char siu pork and pork broth. Full process for making both at home can be found in my Hakata ramen recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 646kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 15gFat: 61gSaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 2445mgPotassium: 599mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 249IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Japan, kitakata ramen, ramen, shoyu, shoyu ramen, soup
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Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: japan, kitakata ramen, menma, naruto, pork, ramen, shoyu ramen

About Dennis

When I'm not experimenting in the kitchen, I enjoy rock climbing and acting. Meme expert. Anime connoisseur.

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