Most ramen shops have a bunch of bottles on the table, but do you know what’s in them and what they’re for? We want to show you the best way of using them because Tokyo Bee Hive is nothing if not passionate about ramen and we want you to be too!
All of those bottles and pots you find on the table when you go to eat ramen are all quite common condiments for Japanese people. What are they? What are they for? Even if you know what they are, do you know how to use them, and in what ratio? Here is the perfect guide to help you enjoy your ramen like a local.
Firstly let’s look at the sauces:
Black sauce – soy sauce.
Yellow or white – malt vinegar or rice vinegar.
Red sauce – spicy sesame oil.
Theses are for making the dipping sauce for gyoza (dumplings/ 餃子/ ぎょうざ). People don’t usually use them if they don’t order dumplings. However, if you do order them, I think 95% of Japanese people use these condiments. The ratio of each totally depends on personal taste, but I’ll tell you the basic ratio, a popular one, and a more unusual one.
The sauce is made in tiny side dish or sometimes on a specially separated section of the gyoza plate.
Soy sauce: 5 parts
Vinegar: 5 parts
Spicy sesame oil: 1 part
Soy sauce: 3 parts
Vinegar: 5 parts
Spicy sesame oil: 1 part
Vinegar: 5 parts
Black pepper: 3 parts
The TV presenter, Matsuko, says you can really feel the gyoza flavour with this sauce!
Ramen shops don't usually have these ingredients but give it a try at home!
Ponzu sauce (ポン酢/ ぽんず) - soy sauce and citrus.
Yuzu-koshou (柚子胡椒/ ゆずこしょう) - a paste made from yuzu zest (a Japanese citrus fruit) and chilli peppers.
This is tasty, but my personal preference at home is to just dip the gyoza in yuzu-koshou!
青ネギ/ あおねぎ
Sliced spring onion. Usually people put it in ramen.
ニンニク/ にんにく
Garlic. Some shops provide cut garlic, some provide it as a grated paste. Usually people put it in ramen.
沢庵/ たくあん
Yellow pickled radish. One of the most popular Japanese pickles. Usually people eat it with rice, or on its own as a palate-cleansing side dish.
紅ショウガ/ べにしょうが
Red pickled ginger. Usually found in tonkotsu ramen shops. Usually people put it in the ramen.
コチュジャン/ こちゅじゃん
Korean red chili paste. Usually people put it in the ramen.
辛子高菜/ からしたかな
Pickled mustard with chili. Usually found in tonkotsu ramen shop. Usually people put it in the ramen.
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