Ramen

Ramen is a bowl of wheat noodles in broth. It arrived in Japan from China and became Japanese: every region, and increasingly every shop, has its own version.

What it really is

The bowl is built in layers. A broth is simmered for hours — pork bone for tonkotsu, lighter stocks elsewhere. A tare, the seasoning base, goes in the bowl first: soy, salt or miso, and that is what names most styles. Noodles are boiled to order and toppings added last.

The style is the broth and the tare, not the toppings. Shoyu, shio, miso and tonkotsu describe how the bowl is seasoned and what the stock is made from. Pork belly, egg and bamboo shoots appear across all of them.

How it is served

• Immediately — the noodles keep softening in the bowl.
• With a spoon for the broth and chopsticks for the noodles.
• Slurped, which cools the noodles and is not rude.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the style: shoyu, shio, miso or tonkotsu tells a guest more than a list of toppings.
• Say whether the broth is pork-based; a vegetarian ramen needs a different stock, not just different toppings.
• Noodles are wheat and most tare contains soy.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.