The clearest, most restrained, and technically most demanding of the three canonical ramen styles — a clear, golden broth seasoned with shio (salt) tare rather than the more forgiving soy or miso tares. Shio ramen is demanding because the broth's quality has no seasoning to hide behind: the salt tare adds only salinity, with no soy's caramel complexity or miso's fermented depth to add character. The broth must stand on its own aromatic and flavour quality. Hakodate (Hokkaido) is the region most associated with shio ramen.
**Shio tare:** - Sea salt: 50g. - Sake: 50ml. - Mirin: 50ml. - Dashi (Entry JS-01): 100ml. - Dried kombu: 5g. - Chicken fat (schmaltz): 1 tablespoon (provides a slightly richer mouthfeel than pure salt water). Combine and heat gently to dissolve. Rest 24 hours. **The broth:** Shio ramen is typically built on a double broth: - A clean, clear chicken broth: made from a long, gentle simmer (not a boil) — clarity is essential in shio ramen because the clear broth is visible. - A dashi base: 1:1 ratio with the chicken broth, or all dashi for a lighter, more delicate version. **Why shio ramen is technically demanding:** Any off-note in the broth — a slight bitterness from kombu removed too late, a slight murkiness from the chicken broth boiled too vigorously — is completely visible and audible in a bowl of shio ramen. Every compromise in broth technique is exposed.
Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat, *Japanese Soul Food* (2013)