3. What Is Miso Ramen?
Miso ramen gets its name from the generous amount of miso that gives the broth a strong, pleasantly sharp umami flavor. The broth is sometimes mixed with tonkotsu, lard, oily chicken, or fish broth, giving miso ramen a robust flavor. Miso is fermented bean paste, lending the broth a slightly nutty taste as well. As a result, miso ramen will have thick, curly, slightly chewy noodles. It can include ingredients such as spicy bean paste (tōbanjan), butter, corn, leeks, onions, bean sprouts, ground pork, cabbage, sesame seeds, white pepper, chili, and chopped garlic. Of the four flavors, miso ramen is the youngest, originating at a restaurant called Aji no Sanpei, located in Sapporo, Hokkaido, in the 1950s. Legend has it that a drunk customer asked the chef to add some noodles to their miso soup, accidentally creating a new entree.
