It won’t be an exaggeration to say that ramen is a national food of Japan. Such is the Japanese’s passion for this noodle dish. In a bid to attract ramen connoisseurs, chefs often infuse new flavours and create new kinds of ramen. But some ramen dishes are just…weird. Would you dare to try them?
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Chocolate ramen Japanese ladies give their boyfriends chocolate on Valentine’s Day, so why not cement their love by sharing a bowl of chocolate ramen? At Mensho Tokyo, you can taste heavenly sweetness by stirring the chocolate pieces and melting them into the broth!
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Black sulfur ramen Owakudani in Hakone is famous for its black eggs but do you know you can eat black sulfur-boiled ramen there as well? Once you get past your initial discomfort, you will find that these black noodles taste just as yummy as ordinary ramen noodles.
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Fire ramen Want to be scared out of your wits while eating ramen? Now you can feel this way at Menbakaichidai in Kyoto. After putting down your bowl of ramen, the chef will pour flaming hot oil on top of it, causing flames to shoot up! Don’t get so rattled that you forget to enjoy your yummy soy-based ramen!
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Insect ramen Feeling adventurous for something potentially gross? If you visit Ramen Nagi in Tokyo, you can be prepared for the amazing sight of deep-friend worms and crickets on top of your scrumptious noodles. And to seal this unique experience, the broth is being flavoured with crickets, grasshoppers or silkworm powder. More umami for your taste buds!
Bonus mention: the following two kinds of ramen used to be sold in Japan, but I think the restaurants have closed down. I’m just gonna include them to expand your mind.
Blue shio ramen
Once upon a time, you could challenge yourself to eat blue shio ramen at Beehive Genki no Moto in Tokyo. Blue ramen may sap your appetite, but if you will just eat it, you will gain the health benefits of phycocyanin - the protein that gives the ramen its blue colour and boasts anti-ageing and anti-oxidant properties!
Pineapple ramen
Fruits and noodles don’t usually match, but the talented chefs at Papapapa Pine in Tokyo fused the flavours seamlessly together. You could enjoy how the cool pineapple slices contrasted sharply with the salty seafood-flavoured ramen and gave it a delightful tropical twang!