Hakata Ramen

Hakata ramen is the style of tonkotsu ramen from Fukuoka, the largest city on Kyushu. It is a bowl of cloudy, white pork bone broth with very thin, straight noodles and a few simple toppings. Hakata is one of Fukuoka's central districts, and across Japan the name now means this combination of rich pork broth and thin noodles, wherever the shop is.

Fukuoka is full of ramen shops, from counter-only shops to the yatai food stalls by the river. A bowl is fast and filling, and it is a common last stop after a night of drinking.

What makes Hakata ramen different

The broth. Pork bones are boiled hard for many hours until the fat and collagen turn the soup milky white. Tonkotsu ramen is usually traced to Kurume, a city south of Fukuoka where a street stall first served it in 1937. The broth is rich and salty, and older shops have a strong pork smell.

The noodles. Hakata noodles are thin and straight, so they cook in seconds. The style comes from Nagahama, the fish market district on Hakata Bay. Stalls there served market workers who wanted to eat quickly, and the ultra-thin noodles were ready almost as soon as they ordered.

The toppings. A standard bowl has a few slices of chashu pork and chopped green onion. The rest is up to you, using the condiments on the counter.

How to order Hakata ramen

Many shops use a ticket machine by the door. Buy a ticket for the ramen, plus one for kaedama if you want extra noodles, and hand it to the staff. Some shops take cash for kaedama at the counter instead.

You will usually be asked how firm you want your noodles. From hardest to softest:

• Nama: barely cooked, just rinsed

• Harigane: "wire," very hard

• Barikata: extra firm

• Kata: firm

• Futsu: normal, the default if you say nothing

• Yawa: soft

• Bariyawa: very soft

Because the noodles are so thin, many locals order one step firmer than futsu. Barikata or kata is a good first choice. Some shops in the Nagahama style also let you choose the amount of fat in the soup, from beta (oily) to nashi (none).

Kaedama: the noodle refill

Kaedama is a second portion of noodles dropped into your leftover broth. It started in Nagahama, where thin noodles went soft quickly, so shops served smaller portions and let people order more. Ask for kaedama just before you finish the first serving, so the new noodles arrive while the soup is still hot. Order them one step softer than the first time, since the cooler broth cooks them less. Some shops also offer extra pork, called kaeniku.

Condiments on the counter

Most Hakata ramen counters have:

• Beni shoga: pickled red ginger

• Karashi takana: spicy pickled mustard greens

• Ground sesame

• Garlic

• Pepper

Taste the broth first, then add a little at a time. If the soup tastes thin, some shops leave a jug of tare (seasoning sauce) on the counter. The Fukuoka Prefecture tourism site has a guide to tonkotsu ramen styles that compares Hakata, Nagahama and Kurume ramen.

Where to eat Hakata ramen in Fukuoka

Shops are spread across central Fukuoka, with many in Hakata, Nakasu and Tenjin. The thin-noodle style and kaedama began in Nagahama near the fish market. The area still has ramen shops in the Nagahama style.

For ramen at night, the Fukuoka yatai stalls in Nakasu and Tenjin serve tonkotsu ramen alongside yakitori and oden. A bowl at a yatai is a classic last stop after a night out.

If you are planning a few days in the city, this 4-day Fukuoka itinerary includes several ramen stops and the Nakasu riverside stalls.

Fukuoka has much more to eat than ramen, from motsunabe hot pot to mentaiko, and our list of Fukuoka dishes beyond ramen covers them.