What Are the Different Types of Ramen Noodles?

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Plus, learn about some of the most popular regional varieties

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: March 5, 2026 Fact Checked

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4 Types of Ramen

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Ramen Components

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Regional & Specialty Ramen

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Ramen was first introduced to Japan by Chinese immigrants in the 1920s. Since then, it’s become one of the most popular comfort foods around the world. Ramen ranges from budget-friendly instant noodles all the way up to artisan, specialty dishes made by world-renowned chefs—and everything in between. We’re taking a deep dive into the world of ramen, including the four main categories, the components that go into a bowl of ramen, and popular regional and specialty variations.

What are the types of ramen?

An illustration of the 4 main types of ramen noodles.

Ramen is usually divided into 4 main categories: tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, and shio—although these categories can overlap and may not fully encompass every ramen variety.

Tonkotsu: Opaque white broth made by boiling pork bones for 12–18 hours
Miso: Milky broth flavored with miso, a fermented bean paste
Shoyu: Clear, dark broth flavored with soy sauce
Shio: Light, clear broth flavored with sea salt

Section 1 of 3:

What are the 4 main types of ramen?

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Ramen noodles are often divided into tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, and shio. Tonkotsu refers to a broth made from pork bones, while miso, shoyu (soy sauce), and shio (salt) all refer to the ramen’s tare, or primary seasoning. But it’s worth noting that any tare can be combined with any broth style (including shoyu or shio with tonkotsu), and many regional or specialty ramen variations don’t neatly fit into any of these categories. Here’s a little more about these 4 popular ramen types:
- Tonkotsu: Tonkotsu ramen is made by boiling pork bones for up to 18 hours, resulting in a rich, white, meaty broth.
- Miso: Miso ramen is made with miso, a paste made of fermented soybeans. It’s rich and strong, with a slightly milky appearance. This type of ramen is newer—it first appeared in the 1950s.^{[1]
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- Shoyu: Shoyu ramen is made with chicken or pork broth seasoned with soy sauce. It’s usually a slightly sweet, clear, dark broth, and it’s often topped with thinly sliced pork.^{[2]
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- Shio: Shio ramen has a light, clear broth made from chicken or pork. It’s seasoned with sea salt, and it’s a little saltier than other types of ramen.^{[3]
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Section 2 of 3:

Ramen Components

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Broth Ramen broths can be divided into two main types: kotteri (heavy: a thick, opaque broth) and assari (thin: a clear, light broth). Tonkotsu and miso are both kotteri broths, while shoyu and shio are assari broths. Popular ingredients for ramen broths include:
- Tonkotsu (slow-cooked with pork bones)
- Clear pork broth (cooked for a shorter time)
- Chicken
- Fish
- Dashi
- Beef
- Dried seafood or fish
- Vegetarian (made with aromatics like onions, garlic, ginger, scallions, leeks, mushrooms, or kelp)
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Tare The tare is the main seasoning added to the broth. As we mentioned before, any tare can be combined with any broth—although more flavorful tares like miso are usually combined with lighter broths, since they’re strong enough on their own. The most common tares are:^{[4]
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- Shio: Sea salt
- Shoyu: Soy sauce (usually a specialty soy sauce rather than table soy)
- Miso: Fermented bean paste
- Chili paste: Less common, but sometimes used in place of (or combined with) the other tares
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Noodles Traditional ramen noodles are made with wheat flour, water, and kansui, which is an alkaline mineral water. But beyond that, noodle styles vary widely from one region to another—or even from one ramen shop to the next. Ramen noodles can be thick or thin; curly or straight; and fresh, dried, or instant. They’re often thoughtfully chosen to best complement the broth and toppings.
- If you’re buying dried ramen, check the numbers on the packaging—the smaller the number, the thicker the noodle.
- Some ramen shops offer kaedama, or an extra serving of noodles that can be added to your broth if you’re still hungry after the first bowl.
- Ramen is sometimes served with other noodles, like udon (a thick, pale Japanese noodle), soba (firm, thin buckwheat noodles, often gluten-free), and harusame (thin-cut glass noodles made from potato starch).^{[5]
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Fats and oils Ramen bowls are often topped with oil for flavor and texture. This ranges from chili oil to add heat to ramen bowls (instant ramen often comes with these) to butter or lard to add a smooth, unctuous to noodles. Here are some of the most popular options:
- Butter^{[6]
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- Chicken or pork fat^{[7]
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- Sesame paste
- Chili oil (rayu)
- Sesame oil
- Black garlic oil (mayu)
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Toppings Ramen toppings are where chefs can really let their creativity shine. We’re sharing some of the more traditional ramen toppings below, but you can put almost anything on top of a bowl of ramen—we’ve seen ramen served with American cheese, bacon, avocado, and even ice cream (yes, really).
- Chashu: Thinly-sliced roasted or braised pork, often pork belly^{[8]
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  - Other popular proteins: Shredded pork, crispy pork belly, ground beef, seafood (e.g., shrimp, crab, scallops, mussels)
- Negi: Finely-sliced green onions
- Tamago (egg): Hard-boiled or soft-boiled, often marinated in soy (ajitama)^{[9]
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- Nori: Dried seaweed
- Menma: Fermented bamboo shoots
- Kamaboko: Steamed fish cake (a popular version is narutomaki, which is white with a pink spiral)
- Vegetables: Bok choy, bean sprouts, cabbage, corn, mushrooms, grated garlic, stir-fried vegetables, fried vegetables, kimchi
- Condiments or spices: Ichimi togarashi (ground chili), yuzukoshu (chili paste with yuzu), black or white pepper (or peppercorns), sesame seeds

Section 3 of 3:

Popular Regional and Specialty Styles of Ramen

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These are some of the most popular types of ramen. It would be almost impossible to catalogue all of the regional and specialty versions of ramen that exist around the world. But we’ve rounded up a few of the most notable to give you an idea of what’s out there:
- Sapporo: Sapporo ramen originated in Hokkaido, and it has a rich, miso-based broth. It’s often served with seafood and topped with butter and a scoop of sweet corn.^{[10]
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- Hakodate: Hakodate is another ramen from Hokkaido. It’s served in a light but flavorful shio broth with thin noodles and sliced pork or chicken meatballs.
- Asahikawa: Asahikawa is a shoyu ramen with a broth made from pork and dried fish. It has a flavorful oil on top, making it perfect for Hokkaido’s cold winters.^{[11]
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- Kitakata: Kitakata has a mild shoyu broth from Fukushima that’s made with pork bones and dried sardines or anchovies. It’s served with thick, curly noodles and sliced pork belly.
- Hakata: Hakata is a tonkotsu-style ramen from Fukuoka. The broth is rich and creamy, often served with thin, straight noodles, chashu, scallions, eggs, and pickled ginger.
- Tokyo: Named for their city of origin, Tokyo ramen has a chicken-based shoyu broth combined with dash. It’s usually paired with soba noodles and served with chasu, kamaboko, and boiled egg.
- Tsukemen: Tsukemen, or dipping ramen, is a unique dish in which cold soba or udon noodles are served coated in a thick sauce. It’s often served alongside dashi to dilute the concentrated sauce as needed.
- Hiyashi chuka: Hiyashi chuka, or cold ramen, is served chilled, usually in the summertime. The sauce is usually made from either vinegar and soy sauce or sesame.
- Abura soba: Abura soba is another “dry” ramen dish—it’s served tossed in an oil-based sauce instead of with broth. This type is similar to Italian pasta and is often served topped with chashu, scallion, and egg.
- Instant noodles: Momofuku Ando invented instant ramen noodles in 1958. Since then, they’ve become a budget-friendly staple in households around the world, and they’re a great entry point into the world of ramen.