Shirakawa Ramen
What is Shirakawa Ramen?
Shirakawa Ramen
Shirakawa Ramen is a local ramen eaten mainly in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture.
It is one of Fukushima’s local ramen and noodle dishes. It is known as one of Fukushima’s local delicacies.
This ramen consists of a soy sauce-flavored broth made from chicken or pork bones and hand-pulled, flat, frizzled noodles with a high water content.
The main toppings are chashu pork, pickled bamboo shoots, chopped green onions, spinach, and naruto.
The late Mr. Toraji Takei, the founder of Tora Shokudo and nicknamed “Tora-san,” is said to have established Chinese noodles by incorporating the traditional way of making “Teuchi Soba” (handmade buckwheat noodles), which is traditionally eaten in Shirakawa, and the soup stock made from chicken and pork bones, which is the basis of Shirakawa Ramen, The soup is characterized by its soy sauce-flavored broth and handmade, wide, flat, frizzy noodles that are well mixed with the broth.
The noodles have a high water content of 42-47% and are made by maturing the dough for several days, cutting it with a knife and then rubbing it well by hand to make the noodles firm and crisp.
Shirakawa ramen is served at nearly 100 ramen shops in Shirakawa City, including such famous shops as “Tora Shokudo”, “Suzuki Shokudo”, “Taichi”, “Hikaru”, “Kafutei”, and “Ima-no-ie”, as well as at “Michi no Eki” roadside stations.
