Ramen may have originated in Japan, but this beloved noodle dish has taken on a life of its own across the globe! Different countries and cultures have embraced ramen, adding unique flavours, ingredients, and techniques to create their own signature styles. From the rich, porky broth of Japan’s tonkotsu ramen to the bold, spicy bowls of Korea and the creative fusion versions in North America, let’s take a tour of ramen and its incredible regional variations! Ready? Grab your chopsticks—it’s time to slurp around the world! 🌍🍜
🇯🇵 Japan: The OG Ramen Masters
No ramen tour would be complete without starting in Japan, where this dish has been perfected into an art form. While there are countless regional variations, here are the four most famous styles:
🍜 Shoyu Ramen (Tokyo) – A soy sauce-based broth that’s light, clear, and deeply savoury. Often served with chashu (braised pork), bamboo shoots, and nori (dried seaweed).
🔥 Tonkotsu Ramen (Fukuoka/Hakata) – A rich, creamy pork bone broth that’s simmered for hours (sometimes days!) to develop its deep flavours. Served with thin, straight noodles and often topped with pickled ginger and garlic oil.
🌿 Shio Ramen (Hakodate) – A salt-based broth that’s delicate, light, and packed with seafood or chicken flavours.
🌾 Miso Ramen (Sapporo) – A bold, miso-based broth, often paired with butter, corn, and ground pork. Perfect for cold winters!
🇰🇷 Korea: A Spicy Twist on Ramen (Ramyeon)
In South Korea, ramyeon (라면) is the go-to comfort food—quick, convenient, and packed with spice.
🔥 Instant Ramyeon – Unlike Japan’s fresh ramen, Koreans embrace instant noodles, often enhanced with ingredients like eggs, cheese, kimchi, and even slices of American cheese (don't knock it until you try it).
🌶️ Buldak Ramyeon – This "fire noodle" is infamous for its extreme spiciness, thanks to fiery gochugaru (Korean chili powder).
🥩 Army Stew (Budae Jjigae) – A post-war invention that combines ramyeon noodles with spam, sausages, kimchi, and cheese in a spicy broth.
🇨🇳 China: The OG Noodles That Inspired Ramen
Plot twist: ramen actually has its roots in China, where hand-pulled noodles (la mian) have been around for centuries. While ramen has evolved, you can still see its Chinese influences in these dishes:
🍜 Lanzhou Beef Noodles – A fragrant beef broth with hand-pulled wheat noodles, topped with beef slices, chili oil, and fresh cilantro.
🦆 Beijing Zhajiangmian – Though not a soup, these wheat noodles are topped with a rich, savory fermented soybean paste and often compared to mazemen (brothless ramen).
🇹🇭 Thailand: Ramen with a Thai Twist
Thailand brings bold, punchy flavours to ramen, blending Japanese noodles with Thai ingredients:
🥢 Tom Yum Ramen – A fusion of Thai tom yum soup and ramen, packed with lemongrass, lime, chili, and shrimp.
🥜 Thai Peanut Ramen – Creamy peanut and coconut-based broth with a touch of spice.
🌶️ Boat Noodles (Kuay Teow Reua) – While traditionally made with rice noodles, this rich, dark broth soup is often adapted with ramen noodles.
🇨🇦 North America: The Land of Ramen Fusion
In Canada and the U.S, ramen has exploded in popularity, with local variations of the classic styles, however it has also led to some wild and creative fusion dishes you may (or may not) want to try next:
🍔 Ramen Burgers – Crispy ramen noodles replace burger buns, sandwiching juicy beef patties.
🥓 Bacon & Egg Breakfast Ramen – A brunch-inspired ramen bowl featuring crispy bacon, eggs, and a maple soy glaze.
🧀 Cheesy Ramen – A creamy, indulgent take on ramen with melted cheese, often inspired by Korean instant noodles.
🔥 Hot Chicken Ramen – Spicy fried chicken served over a steaming bowl of rich ramen broth.
🌍 The Takeaway: Ramen Has No Borders!
Ramen is one of the most versatile dishes in the world, constantly evolving as different cultures add their own spins ono a classic dish. Whether you prefer the traditional Japanese ramen, spicy Korean ramyeon, or North American fusion bowls, there’s a ramen out there for everyone! Which ramen is your favourite?