Tsukemen

Tsukemen was invented by Kazuo Yamagishi at Higashi-Ikebukuro Taishōken in Tokyo around 1961. Yamagishi wanted to offer customers a new way to enjoy ramen noodles. The unique dipping style quickly became popular and spawned an entirely new culinary category in Japan.

In tsukemen, chilled or room-temperature ramen noodles are served separately from a bowl of concentrated, hot broth. Unlike regular ramen where the noodles sit in a large bowl of soup, tsukemen diners manually dip each bite of noodles into the intense broth. The broth, known as tsukejiru, is highly reduced to ensure it clings to the noodles.

The broth used for tsukemen is usually much thicker, richer, and saltier than standard ramen soup. It is commonly made from a dense blend of pork bones, dried fish flakes, and soy sauce. Because the cold noodles would dilute a standard soup, the base must be intensely flavored to coat the palate.

Tsukemen is traditionally served with simple, heavy toppings that pair well with the thick noodles. Common additions include slices of chashu pork, menma (fermented bamboo shoots), and a soft-boiled egg. The dipping broth often contains slices of stewed pork belly or green onions.