A broth system that blends tonkotsu or chicken broth with a miso tare — the miso's complex fermented depth transforming a clear meat broth into one of the richest, most complex ramen styles. Miso ramen originated in Sapporo (Hokkaido) in the 1950s — developed by the ramen shop owner Morito Omiya at Aji no Sanpei restaurant, who combined miso with pork broth to produce a warming, cold-weather preparation suited to Hokkaido's harsh winters. It is now one of the three canonical ramen styles (with shoyu and shio).
**The miso tare:** - White miso (shiro miso): sweet, mild, slightly sweet from its shorter fermentation time. - Red miso (aka miso): longer fermentation, deeper colour, more complex and more intensely savoury. - A blend of both (awase miso): the standard for ramen. The miso tare for ramen is not plain miso dissolved in broth — it is a compound preparation: 1. Fry minced garlic and ginger briefly in sesame oil. 2. Add the miso. Fry for 1–2 minutes in the oil — the Maillard reaction between the miso's amino acids and sugars produces additional depth. 3. Add sake and mirin. Cook off the alcohol. 4. Add a small amount of dashi. 5. The resulting miso tare is concentrated — 2–3 tablespoons per bowl. **The broth-tare ratio:** 2–3 tablespoons of miso tare in a bowl. 300ml of tonkotsu or chicken broth ladled over. The miso tare seasons the broth from the bottom of the bowl — the flavour is fully integrated by the time the noodles are added. **Characteristic toppings:** Miso ramen's standard toppings reflect Hokkaido's cold-weather culture: corn (sweetness against the savoury miso), butter (richness), seasoned ground pork (not chashu — pan-fried with additional seasoning), bean sprouts, spring onion.
Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat, *Japanese Soul Food* (2013)