Chintan (clear broth)chintan
A clear, highly transparent soup. Ingredients are simmered gently over low heat without boiling, so fat and water are extracted without emulsifying.
Paitan (rich white broth)paitan
A soup made by boiling pork or chicken bones hard over high heat. It refers to a cloudy, milky broth in which fat and water are fully emulsified.
Emulsificationnyuka
The phenomenon in which the water and fat of a soup, which do not normally mix, blend uniformly. Heat and collagen create body and richness.
Non-emulsifiedhi-nyuka
A state in which the water and fat of a soup separate into layers rather than mixing. It tends to convey the sharp edge of soy sauce directly.
Animal-based (dobutsu-kei)dobutsu-kei
A general term for soups extracted from animal ingredients, such as pork bones, pork, chicken carcass, whole chicken and beef bones.
Seafood-based (gyokai-kei)gyokai-kei
A general term for soups extracted from the sea, including bonito flakes, dried sardines, dried mackerel, kombu and dried scallop.
Double soup (W soup)double soup
A method of brewing an animal-based soup and a seafood-based soup separately in different stockpots, then combining them in the bowl just before serving.
Triple souptriple soup
A soup unifying three broths. In addition to animal and seafood bases, a third soup of vegetables or shellfish is combined.
Niboshi (dried sardine)niboshi
Anchovies and similar fish, salt-boiled and dried. One of the most popular seafood ingredients for ramen broth.
Seguro niboshiseguro
Dried anchovies with a black back. They give a powerful, bitter richness and a strong stock, so they are often used for rich niboshi ramen.
Hirago niboshihirago
Dried sardines made from true sardines. Compared with anchovies, they give a refined, sweet and mild stock.
Shirokuchi niboshishirokuchi
Dried anchovies with a white back. They produce a clear, refined stock with little bitterness.
Bushi-kei (dried-fish flakes)bushi-kei
A term for ingredients made by smoking or drying fish, such as bonito, soda-bonito, mackerel and horse-mackerel flakes.
Ago (flying fish)ago
A stock ingredient made from dried flying fish. It has a refined, deep sweetness and is often used for premium ramen broth.
Whole chicken (marudori)marudori
A whole chicken with the innards removed. Compared with carcasses, it yields plenty of juicy, meaty umami and high-quality chicken oil.
Chicken carcass (torigara)torigara
The skeleton left after removing the chicken meat. An essential ingredient for making a clean base soup.
Momiji (chicken feet)momiji
Chicken feet (the part below the ankle). Extremely rich in collagen, valued when you want to give the soup strong body and viscosity.
Genkotsu (pork thigh bone)genkotsu
The joint of the pork femur, named for its fist-like shape. It is the main ingredient of rich tonkotsu soup.
Segara (pork backbone)segara
Pork backbone. Lower in bone density than genkotsu, so the soup extracts quickly, giving sweetness and mild richness.
Kashira (pork head bone)kashira
Pork skull. The brain and area around the eyes yield a distinctively strong richness and characterful umami, often used for authentic Kyushu tonkotsu such as Hakata ramen.
Shimobure (downside variance)shimobure
When the daily soup falls below the target standard. It occurs due to the condition of the bones or errors in heat control.
Kamibure (upside variance)kamibure
When the soup turns out miraculously well, exceeding the usual standard for an exceptional result.
Yobimodoshi (perpetual soup)yobimodoshi
A technique of adding fresh soup to old soup daily without ever emptying the pot. A traditional Kyushu method that ages the soup and carries richness over years.
Torikiri (single-batch)torikiri
A method of brewing the day's soup all at once and emptying the pot completely when it runs out, giving a fresh soup with no off-flavors.
Aku-nuki (skimming)aku-nuki
Removing the scum (coagulated blood and protein) that rises to the surface early in brewing. Careful work removes off-flavors.
Oi-niboshi (finishing sardines)oi-niboshi
A technique of adding a large amount of dried sardines to a nearly finished base soup and simmering briefly, maximizing the fresh aroma of niboshi.
Vege-potaveje-pota
A soup made by simmering vegetables until they become a paste and combining them with an animal-based soup. Potato, onion and carrot are used.
Beef bone (gyukotsu)gyukotsu
Cattle bones. They have a distinctive sweetness and savory aroma different from pork or chicken. Famous in the local ramen of Tottori Prefecture.
Shijimi (clam) stockshijimi-dashi
Shellfish stock extracted from freshwater clams. Rich in succinic-acid umami such as ornithine, popular as a base for shio ramen.
Asari (clam) stockasari-dashi
Stock extracted from short-neck clams. Rich in succinic acid, it makes a sharp, crisp shellfish soup.
Ago-dashiago-dashi
Flying-fish stock. Clean and refined with a light sweetness, it is a premium Japanese-style soup ingredient.
Kombu-dashi (kelp stock)kombu-dashi
Stock drawn from kelp such as ma-kombu or Rishiri kombu. Rich in glutamate, it multiplies umami when combined with animal-based inosinate.
Shiitake-dashishiitake-dashi
Stock extracted from dried shiitake mushrooms. High in guanylate, it adds depth to soy tare and works as a hidden accent in the soup.
Garasui (second stock)garasui
A second stock made by simmering the used bones again from cold water. Mainly used to dilute tare or as a starter for the next day.
Chintan tonkotsuchintan-tonkotsu
A soup made by cooking pork bones over very low heat without ever boiling, resulting in a completely transparent tonkotsu soup.
Tori chintan (clear chicken)tori-chintan
A clear soup made from chicken carcass or whole chicken without clouding. Common in the recent neo-nostalgic style.
Rich seafood (noko gyokai)noko-gyokai
A soup genre combining paitan soup with large amounts of fish flakes and niboshi powder, finished with a thick, gloopy texture.
Kaeshi / tarekaeshi
The concentrated seasoning placed first at the bottom of the bowl. It decides the direction of the ramen (soy, salt, miso) and is diluted with soup.
Shoyu tare (soy)shoyu-dare
A kaeshi based on dark, light or twice-brewed soy sauce, heated with the umami of mirin, sake and kombu.
Shio tare (salt)shio-dare
A highly transparent kaeshi based on salt, blended with kombu, dried scallop and seafood extracts to bring out the flavor of the ingredients.
Miso taremiso-dare
A kaeshi made by blending several types of miso and kneading in garlic, ginger, spices and ground meat. Red, white and Shinshu miso are used.
Aroma oil (komi-yu)komi-yu
The oil floated on the surface of the soup, made by transferring the aroma of scallion, garlic or seafood to a base vegetable or animal fat.
Chicken oil (chi-yu)chi-yu
Rendered chicken fat. Essential especially to iekei ramen, it adds a distinctive full sweetness and golden shine.
Lardlard
Highly refined pork fat rendered from pork back fat. It improves the soup's heat retention and gives a characteristic heavy richness.
Scallion oil (negi-abura)negi-abura
An aroma oil made by slowly frying the green part of long onion or onion in oil to transfer the fragrance.
Mayu (black garlic oil)mayu
A black oil made by charring garlic in stages and combining it with lard. A symbol of Kumamoto ramen, adding a toasty, bitter punch.
Shrimp oil (ebi-abura)ebi-abura
An oil made by simmering dried shrimp or shrimp heads in oil to transfer the aroma and red color.
Se-abura (back fat)se-abura
The subcutaneous fat from the back of the pig. Chopped finely and floated on the soup, it adds intense sweetness and richness.
Chaccha stylechaccha-kei
A style of ramen where boiled pork back fat is placed in a strainer and sprinkled over the bowl from above, or the lineage of such shops.
Guru (MSG)guru
Also called kacho. A slang term for umami seasonings such as monosodium glutamate.
Mukacho (no MSG)mukacho
Building soup and tare using only the natural umami of ingredients, without any chemical seasoning.
Fish sauce (gyosho)gyosho
A sauce made by salting and fermenting seafood. Used as a hidden accent in shio or shoyu tare to add distinctive depth.
Twice-brewed soy saucesaishikomi-shoyu
A rich soy sauce made by brewing soy sauce twice. With a tamari-like richness, it gives soy ramen tare a heavy body.
White soy sauce (shiro-shoyu)shiro-shoyu
A very pale soy sauce made mainly from wheat. Valued for light, clear ramen where you want soy flavor without clouding the soup.
Raw soy sauce (nama-shoyu)nama-shoyu
Soy sauce that has not been heat-pasteurized. Its fresh aroma and sharpness stand out, so it is used to finish tare.
Chili oil (chiri-yu)chiri-yu
A spicy oil extracting the components of chili pepper. It serves as the base for tantanmen and extra-spicy ramen.
Warishita (dilution liquid)warishita
A seasoning liquid prepared to adjust the concentration of tare or soup. It refers to a blended seasoning liquid or a light stock.
Kansuikansui
An alkaline saline solution mixed into wheat flour. It acts on the wheat protein to create ramen's characteristic springiness, aroma and yellow color.
Low-hydration noodlesteikasui-men
Noodles with a low water ratio (hydration) of under 30% relative to the flour. They have a crisp bite and readily absorb soup.
High-hydration noodleskokasui-men
Noodles with a high hydration of 35% or more. They have a chewy texture and a smooth, slippery throat feel.
Wavy noodles (chijire-men)chijire-men
Noodles given a wave (curl) by applying pressure during production. Their structure physically picks up soup easily.
Straight noodlesstraight-men
Noodles without curl, running straight. They have a good throat feel and carry the soup's flavor moderately to the mouth.
Flat noodles (hirauchi-men)hirauchi-men
Noodles with a flat cross-section, similar in shape to kishimen.
Extra-thick noodlesgokubuto-men
Very thick noodles. Often used for jiro-style ramen and tsukemen, they let you enjoy strong wheat flavor and a hearty chew.
Extra-thin noodlesgokuhoso-men
Very thin noodles. A staple of Kyushu tonkotsu ramen, they cling to the soup easily and cook quickly.
In-house noodles (jikaseimen)jikaseimen
Making noodles in-house with a machine installed at the shop, rather than buying from a noodle maker. The shop handles the flour blend itself.
Aging (jukusei)jukusei
Resting freshly made noodles in a refrigerator for a set period. The flour and water blend fully, increasing springiness and smoothness.
Ashi (noodle spring)ashi
An expression for the noodle's stretchiness, suppleness and sticky, springy strength.
Patsu-patsupatsu-patsu
An onomatopoeia for the pleasant, snappy bite characteristic of low-hydration noodles.
Whole wheat flour (zenryufun)zenryufun
Wheat flour milled whole, including the bran and germ. Brown flecks appear on the noodle surface, giving a toasty flavor.
Oh-shon flouro-shon
A strong-flour brand from Nisshin Seifun containing much of the wheat's outer layer. Considered essential for the rough, powerful chew of jiro-style noodles.
Barikata (very firm)barikata
A specification for noodle firmness in Hakata ramen and similar. The noodles are barely cooked and served very hard.
Harigane (wire-firm)harigane
A firmness with an even shorter boil than barikata, referring to a wire-hard state with a clearly remaining core.
Konaotoshi (flour-off)konaotoshi
The ultimate firmness, dipping the noodles in boiling water for only a few seconds to wash off the surface flour, serving them almost raw.
Yugedoshi (steam-passed)yugedoshi
A firmness where the noodles are not even dipped in water but merely passed through the steam of the boiling pot.
Yawa (soft)yawa
Boiling noodles longer than usual to finish them with a soft, chewy texture.
Tebo (noodle basket)tebo
A tall, deep strainer with a handle for boiling one portion of noodles at a time. Easy to drain, it is the modern mainstream.
Hirazaru (flat strainer)hirazaru
A flat strainer for swimming noodles in a large boiling pot and scooping them up while draining. It requires advanced craft skill.
Yugiri (draining)yugiri
Vigorously shaking the strainer to remove water from boiled noodles. Leftover water would dilute the soup.
Medium-thin noodleschuboso-men
Noodles of a thickness between extra-thin and medium-thick. Often used for Asahikawa ramen and typical Tokyo soy ramen.
Medium-thick noodleschubuto-men
A versatile, easy-to-handle thickness, whether straight or wavy. It forms the base for miso ramen and iekei ramen.
Thick noodles (futo-men)futo-men
Noodles with a solid presence, standing up to rich soups and the dipping broth of tsukemen.
Hand-kneaded noodles (temomi-men)temomi-men
Straight noodles given a wave by a craftsman kneading them firmly by hand before serving. Irregular curls and a distinctive uneven texture result.
High-hydration noodles (takasui)takasui-men
Synonymous with kokasui-men. Containing much water, they resist going soggy and have a translucent, chewy quality.
Gyakugiri (reverse cut)gyakugiri
A method of cutting with the cutter blade narrower than the dough thickness. The cross-section becomes a tall rectangle, giving a distinctive slurp.
Square noodlessquare-men
Noodles whose cutter has equal vertical and horizontal ratios, so the cross-section is a clean square. They boast a well-balanced bite.
Round noodles (maru-men)maru-men
Noodles with a round cross-section, extruded or cut with a special round-holed blade. They give a smooth throat feel.
Chimenchimen
An abbreviation for Chinese noodles, or a general term used in the noodle industry for ramen noodles.
Nobiru (going soggy)nobiru
The phenomenon in which noodles absorb too much soup water, lose their springiness and turn mushy and soft.
Naibaku (domestic wheat)naibaku
Domestically grown wheat. Known for a chewy texture and rich flavor, often used for premium in-house noodles.
Gaibaku (foreign wheat)gaibaku
Foreign-grown wheat. Australian ASW (Australian Standard White) is the mainstream staple for building the springiness of ramen noodles.
Chashu (roast pork)chashu
Also written as chashao. In Japan, pork belly or shoulder simmered in tare is the mainstream. Originally it referred to meat roasted in an oven.
Rare chashurea-chashu
A pink chashu cooked slowly at a constant temperature around 60 degrees using a sous-vide device. It has a moist texture.
Menmamenma
Also called shinachiku. Bamboo shoots of madake, lactic-fermented and then dried or salted. It has a distinctive flavor and crunchy texture.
Hosaki menma (tip menma)hosaki-menma
A long menma made using only the soft tip of the bamboo shoot, giving a premium feel and supple texture.
Ajitama (seasoned egg)ajitama
A topping of a soft-boiled egg marinated in a soy- or stock-based tare.
Naruto (fish-cake swirl)naruto
A fish-paste product with a pink swirl pattern in its cross-section. A classic icon of Tokyo ramen.
Nori (seaweed)nori
A topping dipped in soup and wrapped around noodles to eat. It is essential for iekei ramen and others.
Ajihen (flavor change)ajihen
Adding a tabletop condiment partway through the meal to change the soup's flavor dramatically. Garlic, pepper, vinegar and house chili oil are used.
Tokusei (deluxe)tokusei
A luxury version corresponding to a shop's all-topping bowl. The chashu is increased and seasoned egg and nori are added.
Kakuni (braised pork block)kakuni
Pork belly cut into large cubes and simmered in a sweet-savory tare until meltingly tender. It tops Okinawa soba and some rich tonkotsu ramen.
Karanegi (spicy scallion)karanegi
A topping of shredded white scallion tossed with chili oil, spicy seasoning and chopped chashu. It pairs well with miso ramen.
Kikurage (wood-ear)kikurage
Shredded black wood-ear mushroom. Its crunchy texture is essential to Kyushu-style ramen such as Hakata ramen.
Iwanori (rock seaweed)iwanori
Seaweed dried in a loose form. It dissolves easily into soup and adds a direct sea aroma, suiting shio ramen and back-fat styles.
Wontonwantan
Thin wheat wrappers enclosing a filling such as ground meat. It becomes a starring topping in Sakata ramen and Odawara ramen.
Raw egg (namatamago)namatamago
An egg served in the center of the bowl or on a side plate. A staple of Tokushima ramen; in jiro-style it is used to eat noodles sukiyaki-style.
Aona (leafy greens)aona
A general term for spinach, komatsuna, bok choy and the like. It adds color and nutrition as a palate cleanser for iekei ramen and tantanmen.
Chopped onionkizami-tamanegi
Finely minced raw onion. It cuts the richness of Hachioji ramen and rich niboshi ramen.
Fried onionfried onion
Onion fried until crisp. It adds a toasty accent and texture to soupless ramen and modern light-style bowls.
Zundo (stockpot)zundo
A large, deep cylindrical pot with roughly equal diameter and depth. Essential equipment for brewing large amounts of soup at once.
Pressure stockpotatsuryoku-zundo
A commercial pot that can be sealed to reach a super-high-pressure environment of 120 degrees inside. It dramatically shortens prep time and cuts gas costs.
Brixbrix
A unit measuring the soluble solids (mainly sugar content or soup concentration) of a liquid. At ramen shops it is used as an index for managing soup concentration.
Refractometer (concentration meter)nodo-kei
Also called a refractometer. An optical instrument for measuring the Brix value of soup. A digital tool to prevent downside variance without relying on intuition.
Boiling pot (yudegama)yudegama
A dedicated large heating tank for boiling noodles. Since it must always keep large amounts of water boiling, it is the heat core of the kitchen.
Soup strainersupu-koshi
A conical tool for removing bone and vegetable debris from finished soup to make it a smooth liquid.
Chilled (chirudo)chirudo
Storing prepared soup and ingredients at a low temperature just above freezing. It prevents flavor deterioration and enables hygienic management.
Central kitchencentral kitchen
A large centralized cooking facility that produces soup, noodles and ingredients for multiple shops at once, reducing prep labor at the shops.
One-operation (wan-ope)wan-ope
Short for one-operation. A style where a single owner or part-timer handles everything from cooking to service, payment and cleanup, common in late-night or small shops.
Pre-opening overtimemae-zangyo
Time spent coming in early or late at night to prepare soup and get ready to open. It tends to worsen the working environment.
Ticket machine (kenbaiki)kenbaiki
A machine at the shop entrance where customers buy meal tickets in advance. It removes register work so staff can focus on cooking and service.
Noodle machine (seimenki)seimenki
A dedicated machine for mixing flour, water and kansui, kneading the dough, rolling it out and cutting it into noodle shapes.
Boil timeryude-timer
A digital timer for accurately managing noodle boiling time. It signals with a sound when to lift the tebo.
Role-play (ro-pure)role-playing
Staff practicing service, cooking and trouble-handling procedures in simulation. An essential process for smooth operations.
FL ratioefu-eru-hiritsu
The share of combined food cost and labor cost against sales. In ramen management, keeping it under 60% is the guideline.
Average spend per customerkyaku-tanka
The average amount one customer pays per visit. It is raised by suggesting toppings and expanding side menus.
Turnover ratekaitensu
An index of how many customers sit in one seat per day. Ramen shops tend to have a higher rate than other dining genres.
Sales per tsubotsubo-tanka
Sales generated per tsubo (about 3.3 square meters) of shop floor. Ramen shops that earn high sales in a small space tend to have a high figure.
Idle timeidol-taimu
The time between the lunch and dinner peaks when customer traffic drops most, generally around 3 to 5 pm.
Grease trapguri-su-torappu
A purification tank that temporarily collects and separates oil and debris from kitchen drainage so they do not flow directly into the sewer.
Local ramen (gotochi)gotochi-ramen
Ramen that developed uniquely to suit the climate, culture and local specialties of regions across Japan.
Iekeiiekei
A lineage originating from Yoshimuraya, founded in 1974. It features tonkotsu-soy soup, thick straight noodles, chicken oil, spinach and large nori.
Jiro-keijiro-kei
A lineage headed by Ramen Jiro in Mita, Minato. It features overwhelming amounts of extra-thick noodles, piles of vegetables, huge pork, back fat and a garlic punch.
Inspire styleinspire-kei
Respectful shops influenced by famous styles such as jiro-kei or iekei, imitating or reinterpreting their features.
Mashimashi (extra-extra)mashimashi
One of the calls (free-topping requests) used in jiro-style shops. Used when you want to increase an item to several times the standard, as in vegetables mashimashi.
Tenchi-gaeshi (flip)tenchi-gaeshi
A technique of pulling up the noodles at the bottom of the bowl and flipping their position with the vegetables on top, to keep noodles from soaking and going soggy. Common in jiro-style.
Nostalgic ramen (nos-kei)nosutarujikku-ramen
Also called nos-kei. A general term for good-old chuka soba with light chicken-based soy soup, wavy noodles, naruto and menma. Loved by Japanese since the Showa era.
Mata-omae stylemata-omae-mo-ka-kei
Also called mata-oma-kei. The rich pork-and-seafood tsukemen that swept the late 2000s, so named because every shop served a similarly gloopy soup.
Tanrei style (light & refined)tanrei-kei
A stylish, premium-leaning ramen based on a clear, unclouded soup (chintan), bringing out the refined aroma and sharpness of the ingredients.
Kombu-water tsukemenkombusui-tsukemen
A tsukemen style where noodles boiled and chilled in cold water are served soaked in a cold, viscous kombu water made by steeping gagome kombu.
Kan-in (drinking it all)kan-in
Drinking every last drop of the served ramen soup without leaving any. In iekei ramen it is called kanmaku.
Zen-mashi (all extra)zen-mashi
Increasing all of the free toppings that can be specified at order (garlic, vegetables, fat, extra tare, etc.).
KKke-ke
Slang among ramen freaks, from the initials of kanshoku (finishing the food) and kan-in (drinking the soup).
Ra-katsura-katsu
Activities aimed at eating ramen, or ramen shop-hopping.
Asa-ra (morning ramen)asa-ra
The culture of eating ramen from early morning, or those business hours. Fujieda in Shizuoka and Kitakata in Fukushima are famous as origins.
Soupless (shirunashi)shirunashi
Also called abura soba. A genre with no soup, where a little concentrated tare and aroma oil are set at the bottom and freshly boiled noodles and toppings are mixed vigorously.
Mazesobamazesoba
An evolution of soupless ramen, mixed with a wide variety of toppings such as cheese, mayonnaise, spicy fish powder and Taiwanese mince.
Taiwan mazesobataiwan-mazesoba
A genre originating in Nagoya. Spicy soy-flavored mince tops extra-thick noodles, mixed with raw chives, scallion, fish powder and egg yolk.
Oimeshi (follow-up rice)oimeshi
A system where, after finishing mazesoba noodles, a little white rice is added to the tare and toppings left at the bottom to eat to the end.
Tsukementsukemen
A style where boiled noodles are chilled in cold water and eaten by dipping bite by bite into a warm, concentrated dipping soup.
Soup-wari (soup dilution)supu-wari
The culture of having warm stock soup poured into the remaining concentrated dipping soup after finishing tsukemen noodles, to make it drinkable.
Kamaage tsukemenkamaage-tsukemen
Tsukemen where boiled noodles are served soaked in warm water or the boiling liquid rather than chilled in cold water, preventing noodles from cooling in winter.
Hiyashi chuka (chilled ramen)hiyashi-chuka
A Japanese-origin noodle dish where chilled noodles are topped with cucumber, shredded egg and ham and dressed with vinegary soy or sesame tare. A summer staple.
Champonchampon
A noodle dish from Nagasaki. Large amounts of pork, squid, shrimp, cabbage and fish cake are stir-fried and simmered with noodles in a pork or chicken paitan soup.
Tanmentanmen
A noodle dish from the Kanto region. Vegetables such as bean sprouts and cabbage are stir-fried, combined with a salty clear soup and placed over boiled noodles.
Sara udonsara-udon
A Nagasaki specialty alongside champon. Fried thin noodles topped with a hot thickened sauce of stir-fried meat, seafood and vegetables.
Tsubame-Sanjo styletsubame-sanjo-kei
A local ramen of Niigata. It features extra-thick noodles, a dark soy soup punchy with niboshi, and a mass of back fat and chopped onion covering the bowl.
Onomichi ramenonomichi-ramen
A local ramen from around Onomichi, Hiroshima. Large lumps of pork back fat float in a soy soup combining stock from Setouchi small fish and chicken carcass.
Wakayama ramenwakayama-ramen
A local ramen of Wakayama. It has two streams: a clean soy-based lineage and one that simmers pork bones into a gloopy soup.
Toyama Blacktoyama-burakku
A local ramen of Toyama. Developed as salt replenishment for laborers, its soup is very dark and heavily soy-flavored, topped with lots of pepper and scallion.
Men-katsu (noodle hunting)menkatsu
An activity that includes ra-katsu but extends to eagerly shop-hopping all noodle types, including udon, soba and pasta.
Freakfuri-ku
A fanatical ramen maniac with abundant knowledge and experience who eats several hundred or more bowls a year.
Shutter (queue from open)shatta
The act of lining up in front of a shop before it opens to be sure of eating a target famous shop or limited ramen.
PP (pole position)pi-pi
Short for pole position. The state of successfully lining up first (number one) in the pre-opening queue.
In-shop consecutive eatingtennai-renshoku
Ordering and finishing two or more bowls of ramen in a row by oneself in a single visit.
Location (roke)roke-shon
Selecting the site for opening a new shop. A strategy matched to the target demographic is required.
Inuki (turnkey premises)inuki
Opening a shop by taking over the kitchen equipment, interior and seating used by the previous restaurant, greatly reducing initial cost.
Skeleton (bare premises)sukeruton
Renting a property in bare, exposed-concrete condition with no interior or kitchen equipment, allowing free design.
Noren-wake (brand spin-off)noren-wake
A system allowing a long-trained apprentice to go independent using the shop name. Famous at Taishoken, Yoshimuraya and others.
Produced shoppurodyu-su-ten
A shop launched with a famous owner or consultant fully handling menu development, technical guidance and interior design.
FC (franchise)furanchaizu
A system where a member shop buys and operates the right to use the headquarters' brand, soup supply and management know-how.
Trimming the carcassgara-no-torimingu
Cleanly removing by hand the innards, blood clots and excess fat attached to chicken carcass or pork bones before prep. An essential step for a clean soup.
Shimoyude (par-boiling)shimoyude
Before brewing bones fully in the stockpot, briefly boiling them once in separate water to rinse off surface dirt and blood.
Honeori (cracking bones)honeori
Cracking hard femurs such as genkotsu in advance with a hammer or cleaver. The marrow is exposed, speeding up soup extraction.
Emulsion boostingnyuka-sokushin
To mix soup fat and water efficiently, boiling hard over high heat or physically agitating with a machine.
Yobimizu (make-up water)yobimizu
Hot water added partway to keep concentration constant when soup water evaporates and the level drops. Or it refers to a light stock.
Hydration ratio (kasui-ritsu)kasui-ritsu
The percentage of water added relative to the total weight of flour when making noodles. A key figure determining taste and texture.
Baume degreebo-me-do
A unit measuring the concentration (specific gravity) of kansui solution or brine. On the noodle floor it is a benchmark for daily fine-tuning to climate and humidity.
Kiriba (cutter blade)kiriba
The metal roller in a noodle machine that cuts the rolled dough sheet into noodle strands.
Bante (cutter gauge)bante
The specification of the cutter blade. The smaller the number the thicker the noodle, and the larger the number the thinner the noodle.
Aging environmentjukusei-kankyo
A temperature- and humidity-controlled space for blending the noodle's flour and water. A dedicated fridge around 15 to 18 degrees is generally used.
Resting the taretare-no-nekase
Resting the kaeshi in a cool, dark place for days to weeks after making it, rather than using it immediately. The soy's edge softens into a mellow, deep flavor.
Hi-ire (heat treatment)hi-ire
Heating soy tare once. It stops enzyme activity, stabilizes the flavor and improves shelf life.
Hi-hi-ire (no heat)hi-hi-ire
A method of not applying any heat to the tare. The yeast, lactic bacteria and fresh aroma in the soy sauce are brought directly into the bowl.
Low-temperature cookingteion-chori
A meat-heating technique that keeps the exact temperature band where protein coagulates, finishing the meat juicy without losing moisture.
Simmered chashunikomi-chashu
The classic method of simmering pork for hours in tare so the flavor penetrates deep into the fibers of the meat.
Rolled chashu (makicha)makicha
A chashu made by rolling flat pork belly into a cylinder, tying it with kitchen twine and then simmering it. The cross-section forms a clean spiral.
Shiraga negi (fine scallion)shiraga-negi
The white part of long onion cut finely and lengthwise into threads. Rinsed in water to crisp it, then used as a topping.
Koguchi-giri (round slices)koguchi-giri
A method of finely slicing all-purpose or Kujo scallion into rings from the end. A staple of Kansai tonkotsu and Kyoto ramen.
Straining back fatamikoshi
A technique of placing pork back fat, boiled soft with the soup, on a fine strainer and pushing it into the bowl while crushing it with the back of a ladle.
Rapid soup chillingkyurei
Rapidly lowering the temperature of finished soup to prevent deterioration and bacterial growth. Ice water or a chilling machine is used.
Neo-classicneo-kurashikku
A genre that bases its look and structure on Showa-era chuka soba while brushing it up to a superb taste using the latest techniques and select premium ingredients.
Kombu-water boomkombusui-bu-mu
The phenomenon where the style of serving noodles soaked in kombu water spread nationwide. It first invites you to enjoy the noodle itself with just salt or dipping sauce.
Gachi tonkotsu (true tonkotsu)gachi-tonkotsu
A serious specialist shop that uses no ready-made commercial tonkotsu soup and thoroughly boils large amounts of pork bones in-house until the bone shape disappears.
Multiplication soupkakezan-supu
A modern recipe precisely calculating and combining umami substances from different genres. Rather than merely mixing staples, it builds a new flavor.
PremiumizationkoQ-puremiamu-ka
Ramen priced from 1,500 to over 2,000 yen, sometimes over 3,000 yen at market price. Truffle, brand wagyu and other premium ingredients are used lavishly.
Reservation-onlykanzen-yoyakusei
Also called members-only. A style where you cannot enter without a prior reservation, to prevent queue troubles with neighbors and to maximize the quality of each bowl.
Inbound demandinbaundo-tokuju
A surge in sales from foreign visitors to Japan. In major Tokyo areas and tourist spots, some ramen shops have a foreign-customer share over 80%.
Souvenir ramenomiyage-ramen
A retail product where the soup and noodles served in the shop are frozen straight so the bowl can be reproduced at home.
Takumentakumen
An e-commerce platform delivering the flavors of famous ramen shops nationwide to homes frozen, or the culture of using it.
Ramen vending machineramen-jihanki
An outdoor vending machine where frozen ramen from famous shops can be bought 24 hours a day. Adoption is spreading as contactless shop sales.
Collaboration servicekorabo-eigyo
An event where owners of different famous ramen shops team up to jointly create and serve a one-day-only limited menu.
Morning-only menuasa-senyo-menu
A limited, stomach-friendly ramen served at shops running asa-ra. Unlike the rich lunch menu, it centers on niboshi chintan or stock.
Magari (borrowed kitchen)magari
An independent-opening style of cheaply renting the kitchen of a bar or izakaya that only opens at night, to operate during the daytime.
Shared kitchenshea-kitchin
A system where multiple cooks use one kitchen in turns by day or time slot. Used for ramen trials and test marketing.
Projection-mapping stagingpurojekushon-mappingu
A cutting-edge entertainment shop that projects video onto the area around the bowl and table to let you enjoy the ramen's story with the senses.
Vegan ramenvi-gan-ramen
A health-conscious ramen built 100% from plant ingredients, using no animal ingredients at all.
Halal-certified ramenhara-ru-ninsho-ramen
Ramen made in a kitchen and with ingredients that completely exclude pork and alcohol, following Islamic law.
Gluten-free noodlesguruten-furi-men
Noodles made without any wheat flour, using rice flour, soy flour or konjac as ingredients.
DX kitchendijitaru-toransufome-shon
A future-type kitchen design that adopts AI sales forecasting, automatic soup-brewing machines and fully automatic noodle-draining robots to cope with labor shortages.
Sustainable ramensasuteinaburu-ramen
A management style balancing environmental care and cost reduction, such as recycling the carcasses produced in cooking or sourcing discarded fish bones for stock.